 "Photo: Karl Anderson")
ARLINGTON — Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts, who has a new nickname of his own, has two words to describe 5-foot-8, 182-pound kick returner Eric Stephens.
“It’s obvious how well he’s done on the kick return,” Potts said of the true freshman. “He finds those little seams that aren’t there for anybody else. My nickname for him is ‘Itty-Bitty’. He’s so itty-bitty, he jumps right through them. Makes big things happen.”
Making big things happen has been “Itty Bitty’s” forte all season, and as a result, Stephens has the most kickoff return yards in a season in school history with 751 yards. It breaks Rodney Blackshear’s record of 621 yards, set during the 1990 season.
In all, Stephens had 137 kickoff return yards in the 20-13 win against Baylor Saturday at Cowboys Stadium.
“Actually, until the other day I didn’t even know what the record was,” Stephens said. “Our coaches preach to us all the time about not worrying about all the little aspects and just play. So I was just out there playing. Every game I gave it my all and God blessed me.”
Stephens only needed eight yards to break the record entering Saturday’s game and he made sure that happened the first chance he got.
Stephen’s first kickoff return of the game was for 19 yards, giving him the record with 633 yards at the time. He has a chance to pad the record a little more, considering Tech still has a bowl game to play.
Listed at running back, the true freshman has had to find a way to get carries in a crowded backfield with Baron Batch and Harrison Jeffers all season. But he’s made his mark on special teams for the most part this year.
Stephens’ has had nine games with at least 40 kick return yards and three with at least 90.
Alongside Saturday’s performance, Stephens also boasts five returns for 93 yards Sept. 26 at Houston and season highs of seven returns for 182 yards Sept. 19 at Texas.
It’s not those statistics that should be magnified, but Tech coach Mike Leach said Stephens’ ability to do what he does as a true freshman is noteworthy.
“Anybody that can play as a true freshman, I think deserves some credit,” he said. “It’s not so difficult to do physically. What’s hard to do is just the confidence and to be even-tempered enough that you’re able to step up and do it.”
And Stephens’ confidence was tested Saturday after he fumbled on a carry in the third quarter, giving Baylor momentum and an opportunity to add to a 10-3 lead.
But after a field goal from the Bears, Stephens bounced back the next chance he had to touch the ball. He retuned a kickoff for 64 yards, marking his longest return of the season.
The return put Tech in a position to score and cut the deficit to three. His previous long of the season was a 54-yarder against Rice Sept. 12.
After all the yards on special teams and shifty moves, however, there’s still no kickoff returned for a touchdown credited to the true freshman’s name.
Stephens has been close at times this season, such as Saturday’s 64-yarder. He was taken down at the 36-yard line and once again held out of the end zone.
Kickoffs returned for touchdowns don’t happen often at Tech though. The last Tech player to return a kickoff for a touchdown was Vincent Meeks at Oklahoma in 2002.
But when it comes to his duty on special teams, Stephens’ goal is simple.
“Of course you want to get in the end zone, but as long as the blocking’s good, I get it past the 30 or whatever, that’s success for us,” he said. “I think our goal is like plus-30. We get returns like I was getting tonight, that’s success.”
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