SC State's McFadden back in his comfort zone

Marshall McFadden is back at home.

After playing in the S.C. State secondary his first three years, McFadden is back at linebacker — the position for which he was recruited coming out of Lamar.

McFadden definitely has thrived with the move back to strong-side linebacker. Going into tonight’s game against Howard, McFadden leads the team with 65 tackles and is tied for second with four sacks.

McFadden also earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 15-tackle, two-sack performance against Norfolk State on Oct. 11.

“It’s been a pretty good fit,” McFadden said. “At safety, I was usually involved only on one side of the field. Now, I’m involved almost every play.”

McFadden’s smooth transition back to linebacker hasn’t been a surprise for the S.C. State coaching staff.

“He’s about as good an all-around person that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” S.C. State Buddy Pough said. “From the very beginning, he came in and did things I’ve never seen a freshman do.”

McFadden believes getting a chance to play in the secondary helped him become a better all-around player.

The former Silver Fox standout said the only drawback to the position is not playing in the secondary with high school teammates Marquis and Markee Hamlin and Desmond Benjamin.

“I miss those guys, but I just love playing linebacker,” McFadden said.

Whether at linebacker or safety, McFadden is just glad to be back on the field after injuring the ulna collateral ligament in his elbow during the second game of the 2007 season against Bethune-Cookman.

The injury occurred when Marquis Hamlin’s helmet hit McFadden’s elbow while he was trying to make a tackle.

McFadden never had surgery but missed the rest of the season and took a medical redshirt.

“That was the first time I ever had that major of an injury,” McFadden said. “It was very difficult to take not being out there with my teammates. But I just had to see the picture of things down the road.”

After spending several weeks in a cast and brace, McFadden began the rehabbing process and also focused on bulking up. He put on 15 pounds and now weighs 225.

And when spring practice rolled around, McFadden was back on the field at full strength and hasn’t slowed down since.

McFadden’s play is one of the reasons the Bulldogs are off to a 7-2 start and are ranked No. 19 in the latest Sports Network poll.

If S.C. State wins their final three games, it will win its first outright MEAC title since 1994 and and automatic berth in the I-AA playoffs. The Bulldgos haven’t been to the playoffs since 1982.

“All I can say is it’s about time. The last four or five years we have been close,” McFadden said. “Making it to the playoffs has been something I wanted to do since I got here.”

S.C. State has come close to making the playoffs in previous years, but has usually come up a game short. That hasn’t been the case this year as S.C. State already has big wins over Hampton and Delaware State. Morgan State is the only team left on the Bulldogs’ schedule with a winning record.

Still, McFadden said the team isn’t taking anything for granted.

“It’s not capped off yet, but it is all lined up,” he said. “We just need to keep doing what we have been doing and keep it up.”