T.A. the TD Machine

It’s an amazing record.

Consider this. For a high school player to break the newly established career touchdown mark, they’d have to average more than 42 touchdowns per season over four years and score more than three touchdowns in every game they played – every game. The chances are good that the record will someday be broken, but don’t look for it to be surpasses anytime soon.

Albermarle, N.C., running back T.A. McClendon scored his 171st touchdown last weekend in the playoffs to pad the career scoring record he destroyed over a month ago.

Not only has he scored more high school touchdowns than any other player in high school history (141 was the old record), he destroyed the established mark by 30 scores and counting.

McClendon was honored on ESPN for setting the record, but his most exciting moment as a high school player came this week. It didn’t happen on the football field, the place where all his other accomplishments occurred, but rather in the office of N.C. State head coach Chuck Amato.

Committing to N.C. State was a dream come true for the 6-foot-1, 219-pound star.

“I loved everything about N.C. State and they were loyal to me from the start,” he said.

“A lot of teams backed off me because they thought I wouldn’t qualify, and that I might have to spend a season in prep school. N.C. State never made it an issue. They liked me as a player and as a person and had faith in me to get the job done on and off the field. That made my choice so easy.”

McClendon has good size and strength, but many talent evaluators rate him a tad lower than some other backs based on a lack of breakaway speed. However, when you average more than 40 touchdowns a season in high school, speed is not an issue for NC State.

“Breaking the record was an honor and was always a goal since I heard I was getting close,” he said. “I get a lot of opportunities to score and I try to make the most of them. I don’t think speed is a problem either. I tested well everywhere I went.”

McClendon is listed as a 4.39-second speedster in the 40-yard dash, but a more realistic figure would be 4.5 or 4.55. However, he hits the hole quick, has awesome vision and can run past defenders while also bowling them over. He hopes to make an immediate impact with the Wolfpack.

“I want to play early and they said I’ll have a good chance,” he said.

“I want to show everyone that I can do the same things in college that I did in high school. N.C. State never wavered in their faith in me and now I want to do my best for them. I liked Auburn, Alabama and some others, but the coaches, players and everything at N.C. State made me feel at home. I can’t wait.”