When trying to track someone down, you never know where it may lead. On Monday, to track Jamaar Taylor down, I first had to get in touch with former McAllen Memorial star Bradley Stephens, who now is playing college football at College Station.
So with that, here’s the latest update on Stephens.
After a season of watching from the sidelines and using his redshirt, Stephens plans to make an impact with the Aggies this season, he said. 
With Dennis Franchione resigning and the hiring of Mike Sherman in the offseason, Stephens said the position battles are wide open. “Everything is up for grabs,” he said. And despite the talent in front of Stephens in the running game (you know, those two guys named Mike Goodson and Jorvorskie Lane are pretty impressive), he thinks he has a chance to shine this season. Goodson will be a junior and Lane will be a senior.
Bradley said in offseason workouts (in the weightroom and conditioning), “Mike and I are neck and neck right now. I learned so much from Mike last season, and now we’re competing pretty strong in the offseason.” That means while he doesn’t expect to be the star this season — you have to remember, this guy was one of the top backs in the nation coming out of high school — he does expect to make an impact on the team in 2008. “I think I’ll have a few plays for me,” Stephens said. “They’ll have some stuff for me in the running game. They like my hands a lot. It’s an exciting time for me.” As for the more sure bet for playing time, “I expect be playing on special teams,” Stephens said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be playing back there.”
The Aggies begin spring practice March 23, and that should give a glimpse of how Stephens likely will be utilized next season. The Moroon & White spring game is April 18.
Off the field, Stephens sounded extremely upbeat when he was asked about college life. With a laugh he said, “I love it up here. College Station is great. It’s a great experience. There’s no question, I made the right choice coming here.
That’s it for now. Keep checking back for updates on other Valley athletes in college. And as always, if you have any suggestions, feel free to drop me a comment.
Wade Baker, 30, is Sports Editor of The Monitor. He graduated from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. in 2000 with a degree in Mass Communications and moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 2002 for a sports reporter opening at The Monitor. Baker was promoted to his current position in August of 2007 after serving as assistant sports editor for two years. 
