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http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/sports/high_school/12411727.htm
SPARTANBURG - Rookie Stefan LeFors rolled to his left, avoided a tackle, then sprinted past defenders like another left-handed quarterback a few hundred miles down Interstate 85 who has given the Carolina Panthers fits the past few years.
"Baby Vick", somebody said from the sideline.
LeFors is fast, but comparing his speed to Michael Vick's is like comparing a Mini Cooper to a Ferrari. And LeFors' arm isn't so strong that it's featured in commercials tossing footballs the length of a stadium.
Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith must have realized this when he came up with another nickname for LeFors that is much more fitting.
"Baby Jake," wide receiver Drew Carter said.
That makes more sense. LeFors grew up in Baton Rouge, La., 50 miles east of the home of Carolina starting quarterback Jake Delhomme. He also went to a small Catholic high school, just like Delhomme.
They both speak with a Cajun accent, although LeFors says his is not nearly as deep.
At times LeFors even looks like Delhomme when he scrambles around the field trying to make something happen.
Such was the case during Saturday night's exhibition opener. LeFors, who is battling Rod Rutherford for the third-string job, threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 28-10 victory against the Washington Redskins.
The first was a routine 1-yard toss to Carter. The second, a 26-yarder to Aaron Boone, was the type of throw that made the Panthers spend a fourth-round pick on the 6-foot, 201-pounder who many experts considered a gamble because of his height.
"It was a downfield play," LeFors recalled. "We had a guy run down the middle of the field. I thought he was covered. My clock in my head went off, so I went to the left. I'm a lefty, so I'm going to go to my left.
"Aaron saw me scrambling and did what he was supposed to do, and he was open. We made a play."
Making plays is what LeFors did so often at Louisville. He was college football's top-rated passer a year ago, completing 74.5 percent of his passes for 2,596 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He also set a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback, scrambling for 756 yards and six touchdowns.
"The guy was a playmaker at a high level," Carolina coach John Fox said. "There is something sparky about the guy. That is what we saw, and that's why we drafted him in the first place."
LeFors' play-making ability doesn't always manifest itself in practice. He often looks average in a controlled environment in which his job is to execute the play and the whistles from coaches keep him from ad-libbing.
Game situations, where he is not confined by a red shirt that keeps defenses off his back, are different. He threw two touchdowns during an intrasquad scrimmage two weeks ago at Bank of America Stadium, then went 5-for-8 for 51 yards against the Redskins.
"He's a gamer," Carter said. "He always steps it up during the game. In practice he works hard every day, but in the game he's all of a sudden ...you notice him."
Delhomme understands. He had the same reputation seven years ago as an undrafted rookie with the New Orleans Saints.
"Late in preseason games, if you're in his situation, that's what you have to do," Delhomme said, recalling how game plans tend to fall apart with the third and fourth units. "That's all I ever played in for my first six or seven years in the league, and you've got to take advantage of it. You've got to run around and make some plays, and that's what he did."
LeFors and Delhomme recently discovered that they are related, although neither is sure how.
"Because of my wife, somehow we're related through marriage," LeFors said. "It's wild."
LeFors met Delhomme for the first time at a family gathering in Breaux Bridge, La., over the Easter holidays. They shared broiled crawfish.
Neither had an idea they soon would become teammates, although LeFors' wife suggested it would be great to go to Carolina as they left Delhomme's home.
A month later, Carolina selected LeFors with its first pick on the Day 2 of the draft.
But there are differences between Delhomme and LeFors. Aside from being two inches shorter than Delhomme, LeFors grew up with deaf parents, a deaf brother and deaf grandparents. He also has aunts and uncles who are deaf.
His parents and grandparents were in the stands Saturday when he made his NFL debut.
"I just had fun, and I'm sure they had fun as well," LeFors said. "It was a rush."
SPARTANBURG - Rookie Stefan LeFors rolled to his left, avoided a tackle, then sprinted past defenders like another left-handed quarterback a few hundred miles down Interstate 85 who has given the Carolina Panthers fits the past few years.
"Baby Vick", somebody said from the sideline.
LeFors is fast, but comparing his speed to Michael Vick's is like comparing a Mini Cooper to a Ferrari. And LeFors' arm isn't so strong that it's featured in commercials tossing footballs the length of a stadium.
Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith must have realized this when he came up with another nickname for LeFors that is much more fitting.
"Baby Jake," wide receiver Drew Carter said.
That makes more sense. LeFors grew up in Baton Rouge, La., 50 miles east of the home of Carolina starting quarterback Jake Delhomme. He also went to a small Catholic high school, just like Delhomme.
They both speak with a Cajun accent, although LeFors says his is not nearly as deep.
At times LeFors even looks like Delhomme when he scrambles around the field trying to make something happen.
Such was the case during Saturday night's exhibition opener. LeFors, who is battling Rod Rutherford for the third-string job, threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 28-10 victory against the Washington Redskins.
The first was a routine 1-yard toss to Carter. The second, a 26-yarder to Aaron Boone, was the type of throw that made the Panthers spend a fourth-round pick on the 6-foot, 201-pounder who many experts considered a gamble because of his height.
"It was a downfield play," LeFors recalled. "We had a guy run down the middle of the field. I thought he was covered. My clock in my head went off, so I went to the left. I'm a lefty, so I'm going to go to my left.
"Aaron saw me scrambling and did what he was supposed to do, and he was open. We made a play."
Making plays is what LeFors did so often at Louisville. He was college football's top-rated passer a year ago, completing 74.5 percent of his passes for 2,596 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He also set a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback, scrambling for 756 yards and six touchdowns.
"The guy was a playmaker at a high level," Carolina coach John Fox said. "There is something sparky about the guy. That is what we saw, and that's why we drafted him in the first place."
LeFors' play-making ability doesn't always manifest itself in practice. He often looks average in a controlled environment in which his job is to execute the play and the whistles from coaches keep him from ad-libbing.
Game situations, where he is not confined by a red shirt that keeps defenses off his back, are different. He threw two touchdowns during an intrasquad scrimmage two weeks ago at Bank of America Stadium, then went 5-for-8 for 51 yards against the Redskins.
"He's a gamer," Carter said. "He always steps it up during the game. In practice he works hard every day, but in the game he's all of a sudden ...you notice him."
Delhomme understands. He had the same reputation seven years ago as an undrafted rookie with the New Orleans Saints.
"Late in preseason games, if you're in his situation, that's what you have to do," Delhomme said, recalling how game plans tend to fall apart with the third and fourth units. "That's all I ever played in for my first six or seven years in the league, and you've got to take advantage of it. You've got to run around and make some plays, and that's what he did."
LeFors and Delhomme recently discovered that they are related, although neither is sure how.
"Because of my wife, somehow we're related through marriage," LeFors said. "It's wild."
LeFors met Delhomme for the first time at a family gathering in Breaux Bridge, La., over the Easter holidays. They shared broiled crawfish.
Neither had an idea they soon would become teammates, although LeFors' wife suggested it would be great to go to Carolina as they left Delhomme's home.
A month later, Carolina selected LeFors with its first pick on the Day 2 of the draft.
But there are differences between Delhomme and LeFors. Aside from being two inches shorter than Delhomme, LeFors grew up with deaf parents, a deaf brother and deaf grandparents. He also has aunts and uncles who are deaf.
His parents and grandparents were in the stands Saturday when he made his NFL debut.
"I just had fun, and I'm sure they had fun as well," LeFors said. "It was a rush."