Conwell-Egan alumnus is ‘go-to’ guy for West Virginia U. football


By Bob Steiner
CS&T Editorial/Sports Assistant


Like any college freshman, Steve Slaton expected some adjustments when he began his new life away from home: tougher classes, new friends, cafeteria food instead of mom’s cooking.

But Slaton’s biggest adjustment has had nothing to do with academics or dormitory life.

During his four years on the Conwell-Egan Catholic High School football team, the outstanding running back was the focal point of the Eagles’ offense. On arriving at West Virginia University this past fall, and seeing the number of talented ball carriers already on the Mountaineers team, he became concerned about just fitting in. Somewhere. Anywhere.

“I was always used to being the go-to guy [in high school] — the guy that everybody was focusing on,” Slaton said. “I’m just accustomed to it. I like being the go-to guy. [But] my freshman year in college, it was different.”

Different indeed. After setting single-season and career rushing records for Conwell-Egan, the suddenly unheralded Slaton had to wade for the first time through murky, uncharted waters — at the bottom of the roster depth chart.

At Conwell-Egan, he routinely carried the ball 15 to 20 times per game, churning out chunks of yards at a rapid pace while leaving dejected defenders grasping at his heels.

In his first four games at West Virginia, however, he totaled a paltry eight carries, as his coaches opted to use more experienced and higher-profile backs on the roster.

Then, in a brief but flashy appearance during a loss to Virginia Tech on Oct. 1, Slaton gave the nation a glimpse of his phenomenal ability. He earned his first career start against Rutgers University the following week — a game in which he rushed for 139 yards on 25 carries.

The “old” Slaton was back.

“It came as a big shock to me when it happened,” he said of being named the starter, “But I’m just happy it did, and I try to keep performing. I was just happy to get a chance to get in and play more.”

Judging by his eye-popping rushing totals — 179 rushes for 924 yards and 14 touchdowns, almost all of which came in only six games — it’s obvious that Slaton is looking to make the most of his opportunity.

Then again, overcoming challenges is nothing new for Slaton.

When he was in fifth grade, his sister, Natalie, 20 years his elder, died of leukemia.

“I was very devastated,” he said. “She was like one of my best friends. She took me a lot of places, and I spent a lot of time with her.” He was emotionally crushed.
Slaton credits his older brother, Charles, with helping to fill the void left by Natalie’s death — in part, by sparking his interest in venturing onto the gridiron.

“I really didn’t know how to deal with it at first. It was a big loss,” Slaton recalled. “But I realized later on, when my brother stepped in, that everything was going to be all right. I was always watching my brother play [football] — always going to his high school games and watching. So I decided to try out playing football. From there, I just fell in love with it.”

With Charles around, Slaton knew he was in good hands.

“He was like a mentor and coach to me,” Slaton said. “He critiqued everything I did — and he still does to this day.”

Of course. What’s a big brother for?

Some occasional brotherly “advice” notwithstanding, Charles is no doubt pleased with his little brother’s efforts this season. But while Slaton has looked like a natural in West Virginia’s offense, his being a Mountaineer had not, originally, seemed set in stone.

Slaton had planned initially to attend the University of Maryland, but when he realized the coaches there had designs on suiting him up as a defensive back, he knew he had to go elsewhere. Although familiar with the defensive side of the ball — Slaton was also an intimidating presence in the secondary at Conwell-Egan — the running back position is where he felt he belonged.

And now he’s showing everybody that his instincts were correct, having helped to lead the Mountaineers to a 10-1 record and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl against the University of Georgia Jan. 2, 2006.

But has making the quantum leap from unheralded freshman reserve to premier offensive weapon in just a matter of weeks caused Slaton’s head to grow too big for his helmet?

“My parents always taught me to be humble and to just accept everything as it is, accept the good and the bad, and not to get a big head,” he said.

His humility is one reason Slaton isn’t looking too far down the road, no matter that scouts will soon be sizing him up for a career in the National Football League. Slaton, majoring in sports management, has other, more immediate, goals.

“I think every football player would love to play in the NFL, but I think education comes first,” he said. “And I need to think about that first, before I start thinking about football, because football can end any time, on any play.”

For now, he is content to approach his college football career one game at a time. Continuing the success he had at Conwell-Egan is no easy task, but Slaton has no intention of becoming complacent.

“It’s a lot of work, but I think the more you get out of it, it’s worth it,” he said. “I try to work on my game and get better every day, and hopefully, within the next couple years, I’ll be one of the best out there.”

While he may be reluctant to admit it, Slaton’s list of accolades is evidence that he’s already one of the best.

He has been awarded the title of Big East Conference “rookie of the year,” and named to the CollegeFootballNews.com freshman All-America team, in addition to numerous weekly honors he earned throughout the season. Looks as if that college adjustment period is over.

But in a college sports world that often emphasizes on-the-field performance at the expense of off-the-field character, Slaton’s simple wish is that those who watch his electrifying performances understand the person underneath the football pads.

“Hopefully, everybody gets to know that I’m just a humble guy,” he said. “I love my team, and I appreciate everything that’s been given to me.”

Bob Steiner is The CS&T’s Editorial and Sports Assistant. E-mail him at rsteiner@adphila.org or call 215-587-3698.