Speed is McGuffies game

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Walk up to junior all-purpose back Sam McGuffie of Cypress (Texas) Cy-Fair and the last thing that probably comes to your mind is big-time running back prospect. His 5-foot-10, 178-pound frame doesn't exactly scream out elite athlete.

But watch him take the football field like he did this past weekend at the Texas 7-on-7 State Championship at Texas A&M, and your opinion will quickly change. You would have been hard pressed to find a faster athlete than McGuffie in the entire tournament.

When he got the ball in his hands, he would explode into the open field, was able to easily fake out defenders and jet to long gains. He also proved he's more than fast enough when he was at several combines and camps this summer. He said at the UTEP summer camp, he clocked in the 4.2-second range in the 40-yard dash, and at the Greater Houston Combine he was around 4.3 seconds.

As a sophomore, McGuffie rushed for 853 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards a carry. He also added four more touchdowns in special teams as a punt and kickoff returner.

"People just look at me and just say "Wow, who is that kid," McGuffie said. "They ask me if I play soccer, if I'm in the band or something else. When I get on the field, I try to show them what I got.

"I want to make a point and show people that I'm for real. I see people debate about me and talk about my size. They all say I'm 150 pounds and that stuff, but I just go out there and put it out there for people to see for themselves. I show my speed, make some catches and play to win."

McGuffie's drive to prove people wrong about him is fueled by his strong determination.

"I will not lose, I don't care what it is," he said. "If we lose, I get upset and I'll start yelling. I'm vocal, very vocal. I'm not afraid to let people know what I think. I've always been that way. I'm a determined guy. I've been that way since middle school."

In high school he plays running back, but in college he's most likely going to end up playing a number of different positions.

"I'm an all-purpose guy," he said. "I'll play offense, defense, it doesn't matter. Since we don't have an abundance of athletes, I stay at running back. But when I go to college, I'll play anything – DB. I can kick. I can do punt return or kick return. I can do a little of everything."

McGuffie said he's already thinking about college, but didn't want to mention anybody specific this early on.

"I'm kind of a let's get away from the same ole same ole type guy," he said. "I would like to maybe go somewhere that's in a tropical place, maybe somewhere in Florida. But we'll see."