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Sports TwitterTailback McFadden intrigues Bengals
Arkansas running back intrigues Bengals, but off-the-field incidents are a concern.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — The Cincinnati Bengals are loaded with tailbacks.
But starter Rudi Johnson is slowing down; Chris Perry and Kenny Irons are coming off injuries; and Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey aren't exactly home-run hitters.
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None has proved he can change a game by scoring from 80 yards out like Darren McFadden.
So it wasn't surprising when Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, Feb. 22, that he'd consider the Arkansas tailback if he's available with the No. 9 overall pick.
"I feel like I am the best player in the draft," said McFadden, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound early-entry junior who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds. "I can do a lot of different things. I can line up at receiver, line up in the backfield and block, and line up and run. I can throw a pass if you need me to. If I had to, I could play defense."
McFadden owns Arkansas' career records for rushing yards (4,485 in 37 games) and most career games with at least 100 yards rushing (22). But his off-the-field baggage could cause his stock to fall.
He was handcuffed by police and then released without charges for involvement in an incident outside a Little Rock nightclub on Jan. 10.
In the summer of 2006, McFadden severely injured his toe in a fight outside another Little Rock club but recovered in time for the season opener.
And on Jan. 29, a Little Rock woman filed a paternity suit against McFadden, claiming the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up is the father of her 4-month-old daughter.
"I know I'm going to hear a lot of different questions (from NFL teams during interviews)," McFadden said.
"I'll just answer them and tell them what happened. I know I put myself in a bad situation I shouldn't have been in, and I take full responsibility for it."
Contact this reporter at
(937)
225-2253
or
cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.
