Oct. 5, 2006
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
Being raised in a military family, moving was somewhat commonplace for Calvin McCarty.
As a seventh grader, McCarty moved from Muskogee, Okla., to Surrey, B.C. Now, the junior running back is happy to call Western Washington University home after attending three schools in as many years.
"It's a perfect fit," said the hard-running McCarty, who stands 5 feet 10 and weighs 215 pounds. "We've got a great group of guys, and all we want to do is work hard and win. [The past few years] were tough, but I'm real happy with where I ended up."
After graduating from St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, B.C., McCarty first went to Boise State, where he ran for 104 yards on 10 carries for the No. 12 Broncos as a redshirt freshman. McCarty transferred to Reedley (Calif.) College, and accumulated 1,120 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns for a 10-1 team that was fifth in the national junior-college rankings.
McCarty, a junior, has impressed from the start, running for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries in Western's season-opening 28-23 loss at Humboldt State. He followed that with 150 yards of total offense in a 16-13 upset of No. 15 Washburn, and leads the Vikings with 397 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 105 carries.
"He's a physically strong person, and you see that when he runs," said first-year Western coach Robin Ross. "He's tough to tackle and he's got good balance. He's one of those backs that you can't arm tackle."
McCarty's biggest fans are his parents, who both were college athletes. His father, Orlando, played basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State, the same NAIA school that produced Dennis Rodman. His mother, Jackie Conway, was a standout JC softball player.
McCarty spent most of his early childhood in Muskogee, Okla., before his family moved to British Columbia.
"I remember people crowding around me when I first moved to Canada wanting to listen to the way I talked," McCarty said.
Now they like the way he runs.
Other Western sports
Football: Sophomore placekicker Robby Smith (Bellingham) had a string of seven straight field goals snapped versus Minnesota Duluth, missing from 53 yards.
Volleyball: For the second time in 13 days, Western (10-5) plays No. 17 Central Washington (14-3) tonight in Ellensburg. The Vikings swept CWU in Bellingham.
Men's soccer: The Vikings (2-12-1) have played back-to-back overtime games this week, losing 1-0 to Simon Fraser on Monday after playing Regis to a scoreless tie Sunday.
Cross country: The No.17 Western men's team hopes to win its second straight team title Saturday as it hosts the Viking Invitational.
