WSU football | RB Tardy still battling back

PULLMAN — The run still lingers in his mind, that ill-fated cut that ended 2007 for Dwight Tardy.

The Washington State running back had galloped for 214 yards in a 27-7 win over UCLA last October — the highlight of what was otherwise an unspectacular season on the Palouse.

But his final run, a 51-yard touchdown dash, came with a wicked twist. Tardy had torn his ACL. His season was over.

"I still remember everything," he said. "I was running to the 30, I saw the defender had a pretty good pursuit angle, and in my mind I'm thinking, 'I want to make this cut great.' "

So he planted his foot.

"And it just wobbled," Tardy said, wincing even 10 months later. "For some reason I didn't fall and saw I had 15 yards to go, so I just kept running. I didn't care what happened next."

Only he did care. Tardy, known as an upbeat and positive presence and dubbed by quarterback Gary Rogers as the team's "spark plug," found himself in a spot he wasn't used to.

He started 10 games as a freshman in 2006 and the first eight of 2007. Being sidelined was more difficult than he imagined.

"I was at rock bottom," he said. "It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was depressed for a while there."

Tardy spent the offseason going through extensive physical therapy, both with team doctors and an independent therapist in Pullman.

However, coaches say Tardy made the most strides by studying the new offense — or, as Tardy put it, taking "mental reps."

"This game is 80 percent mental," he said. "Being mentally ready is most important in this game."

"He's picked up the offense real well," running-backs coach Steve Broussard said. "By him being off, he studied up so when he was thrown into the fire, he would be more than ready."

Tardy has been eased back into action thus far in camp, taking only limited carries. The team got a scare in Friday morning's practice when Tardy had to stop practicing after bruising his knee.

Tardy was held out of Saturday's scrimmage, something the coaches had discussed doing anyway.

"He's fine," coach Paul Wulff said. "It was time to give him a break anyway."

The Cougars have other viable options in the backfield.

Chris Ivory showed promise while replacing Tardy as the starter last season, including a 114-yard effort in the Apple Cup that included a touchdown. But Ivory has been slowed in practice with a lingering hamstring injury.

Chantz Staden, a junior-college transfer, has seen substantial time in camp, and coaches are impressed with his quickness and work ethic. But he could be redshirted.

Marcus Richmond and Logwone Mitz are also battling for time in the rotation. Richmond has seen significant time with the Nos. 1 and 2 offenses in camp.

Still, coaches say Tardy is the guy they plan to lean on when the season starts, providing his knee can handle the load.

"I have a whole new outlook on the game," Tardy said. "Every day I'm out here is a blessing."

Note

• This weekend is "Gray W Weekend" at WSU, where former football players return to meet with the current team.