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Patter of Footsteps. On offense, Schloredt is a ground-gaining runner. "He's a blacksmith type of boy," says Assistant Coach Tipps. "He's used to running into folks and he don't mind it a bit." Adds Schloredt: "I've always had strong legs. And there's something about the way I run that gives the illusion of slowness, so that a lot of people have tried to tackle me after I was already past them. It's nothing I invented. It's just an illusion."
On defense, there is nothing illusory about Schloredt. "There's an art to being aggressive," he says. "The idea is that if you can soften up the other guy, he'll be thinking about you. Take a big end. If his passes are good, he'll outreach you and pull them in. And if you just tackle him around the shoetops, he'll fall down, all right. But that's not good enough. You've got to tackle him so he thinks your helmet is going to tear right through him. Next time he comes down, he won't want to stretch so far. He'll be thinking about you and wondering where you are. That'll take his mind off the ball he's supposed to catch. We call that 'making them hear footsteps.' "
Despite making All-America last year, Schloredt remains one of his own toughest critics: "There were times last year when I did something everyone said was great. But all the time I knew that I maybe couldn't do it again and maybe I did it only accidentally in the first place. It's uncomfortable to know that." Coach Owens is well satisfied to have a quarterback who plays a good game instead of talking one. "A lot of quarterbacks are fiery, holler guys, temperamental guys," says Owens. "Bob, though, leads by example."