2:56There's a risk to playing freshmen wide receivers, the way the Gophers plan to this season. It's a big step, it's a fast game, and mistakes can turn into game-changing plays.
That's why, with 18-year-olds Andre McDonald and Jamel Harbison likely to have passes thrown their way Thursday, Gophers coaches take comfort in the fact that those newbies are being mentored by the team's veteran leadership.
You know, like Marcus Jones -- who is all of 43 days older than McDonald. Or that geezer Devin Crawford-Tufts, already 19 years old.
"Yeah, I kind of want to be like the dad out there," Crawford-Tufts joked Sunday. "I say, 'Hey, here's what you need to do on this play,' just so they don't get yelled at like I did."
Jones and Crawford-Tufts were in the same situation as McDonald and Harbison a year ago, trying not to be overwhelmed by college life while trying not to make mistakes on the football field.
"When I first got here, I was terrified," Crawford-Tufts said. "It was like, 'Oh, my God, this is a whole step up from high school to college. Everyone is bigger and faster.' But now I know what I'm doing and I can work on my craft. I've calmed down. I'm not scared."
He's trying to be a leader by example, being as technically perfect as he can and sharing the details of the playbook that he's learned.
"His leadership shows in how he plays. He makes the big plays; he makes the big blocks," Jones said of his fellow sophomore receiver. "I've heard the coaches say, 'Just do it like Devin.'"
