A new RB and his famous cousin

Whenever there is a superb athlete, coaches feel a need to get his playmaking ability on the field.

Anywhere on the field.

The emphasis has been on the anywhere for Stephen Faulk. The fifth-year senior is returning to his high school position of running back after a three year walkabout as a cornerback and kick returner.

"At this point whatever helps the team is what I want to do," said Faulk, who will also see some time as a wide receiver on pass plays. "As long as I'm not on the bench I'm happy."

Being on the bench is not something Faulk will have to worry about too much, coming off a year in which he was the Quakers' special teams player of the year and a second team All-Ivy League choice on defense. Now he brings his 4.3 second 40 meter speed to his original position: running back.

That speed will be his biggest asset in accomplishing a difficult task -- easing the loss of Kris Ryan, who holds virtually every major Penn rushing record.

"Nobody can replace him," Faulk said. "He's the greatest or any other superlative you want to throw around, he's that. He's a great guy, and he's in the record book. I'm here to help the team write a new chapter."

Not only does Faulk have to live up to a famous precedent for his position on the Quakers' offense, but there is some motivation to live up to his own famous last name. Marshall Faulk has won the National Football League's MVP award and is widely hailed as the best running back in the sport. The pressure to live up to the more accomplished Faulk however, is to some degree Stephen's own fault.

"I went to high school at a really prestigious program, and I was just a small freshman coming in," he said. "So when the coaches asked me if we were related I said, 'Um, yeah.' I was just trying to get a little attention, but we --my father and I -- think he might be a second cousin. I need to do some research when I get a chance after the season."

Ryan's standout play and that of his predecessor Jim Finn, another bruising back who starts for the Indianapolis Colts, were the reasons for Stephen Faulk's position change in the first place.

"The running back position has been a marquee position here for a long period of time," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "Ryan and Finn, they were two pretty good backs. We recruited [Faulk] as a high school running back. When we first saw him we knew we couldn't keep him on the bench behind those guys for years.

"When the time came we immediately thought of Stephen for replacing them."

Since there is more to switching positions than knowing where to line up, the change began a summer of hard work for him.

He added 10 pounds of muscle to better withstand the rigors of being a fulltime back.

To better prepare himself for the pass catching role that Penn tailbacks play, he worked with coaches in the offseason to improve his routes and catching.

"They say defensive backs are just wide receivers who can't catch," Faulk said. "So I knew I needed to work on my hands."

"He's just a natural at running routes," said senior Rob Milanese, the team's leading receiver a year ago. "He was the guy I saw studying his playbook during breaks at football camp. He rarely blows an assignment which is impressive considering the switch."

"I've been running with the defense for three years, I could do that in my sleep," Faulk said. "I'm confident that I'll get there."

Despite the offseason regimen, Faulk remains a much more slight back than his two powerful predecessors.

"I'd be killed If I try and run the same way Kris ran," Faulk said.

"I'd like to live."

"You just knew that Kris would knock people over," senior Matt Dukes said. "He'd get you three yards and a cloud of dust."

Being 230-240 pounds enabled Ryan to get those three yards with consistency. Faulk bulked up to 202.

"Finn and Ryan were very durable ball carriers," Bagnoli said. "Stephen's different so we'll not ask him to do the same things. He could get 2 yards, 2 yards, 2 yards then 70. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball. He's just got exceptional speed."

While perhaps Faulk is lacking the size and strength of a Ryan, man is he fast.

Wherever he plays.

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