By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Unlike speed and vision, wasting time isn't in LeMonte Booker's repertoire.
In his first start as Indiana State's bonafide No. 1 running back against Butler last Saturday, Booker made his presence known with a vengeance. The Orland Park, Ill., native highlighted an explosive Sycamore offense that dropped 52 points on the Bulldogs – most of which came from Booker's four touchdowns on 161 yards of total offense.
Booker, a junior, hasn't seen much time in the backfield but always had plenty of opportunities to see the field due to his explosiveness – particularly on kickoffs, as he is the top returning kick returner in the MVFC from the 2014 season at 18.8 yards per return.
That all changed last Saturday with Booker putting in a performance that vaulted him to the top of many national categories following the first full week of FCS football nationwide – including rushing yards (137 yards, 11th), rushing touchdowns (three, 2nd) and all-purpose yardage (161 yards, 29th).
But, according to Booker, none of that was as important as getting in the win column to start the season.
“It felt good, it felt like a blessing,” Booker said. “It was really great just to get the team win over everything. Nothing feels like getting a win.”
Booker put in an intense offseason this past summer in order to prepare himself for his time in the spotlight this season.
“I knew it was my time to step up as a leader, and I just put in the work,” Booker said. “I felt like I had to step up. I felt like it was my responsibility.”
Much of that had to do with adding some extra muscle in order to be able to take the beating between the tackles that a starting running back experiences.
“I have to thank (strength) Coach (David) McManus for that,” Booker said. “He really stayed committed with me.”
Anyone who watches Booker play can easily observe that his greatest physical talent is his speed. Not only does Booker have the burst to hit the hole and the elusiveness to make sharp cuts, but he also has that coveted second gear to get past speedy defensive backs in the secondary.
Ask Booker, though, and you'll get a different answer.
“I'd have to say (my best talent is) confidence,” Booker said. “One thing my mom always told me was that if you don't believe you can do it, then who else will? In the game of football, to me, I think it's more mental than physical.”
Speaking of speed, Booker also had a strong track career at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, home to some of the better distance runners in the region and the nation in recent memory – including all-time national two-mile record holder Lukas Verzbicas, who was also just the fifth high school boy to ever run a sub four-minute mile at 3:59.71.
At that same time, Booker was a superb long jumper for Carl Sandburg, hitting the 23-foot plateau to set a new school record. He was also a member on school-record relays in the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays.
“I really wanted to try (track) here, but I want to stay committed to football,” Booker said. “My closest friends to this day were on that track team. I still love that sport to this day.”
That focus on football has been turned up to 11 for this upcoming week, when Booker and the Sycamores will try to beat Purdue for the first time in school history at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“I'm just trying to stay focused,” Booker said. “I'm trying to put the work in every day and just trying to stay sharp and not take any steps back. At the same time, I'm trying to stay calm and have confidence and trust with the guys I'm playing with. I'm just taking it one day at a time.”
“I have confidence in our guys and our coaches and I know that on a daily basis we're going to go out and do what we need to do,” Booker continued. “I'm not going to worry about what other teams are doing but what we need to do.”
Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. in West Lafayette. Saturday's game will also air on ESPNews and WatchESPN.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
