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18 // VARSITY February 27, 2014 Gordon said. "He has got to do what is best for his family, and I under- stood that." On how Hammock impacted his development, Gordon said, "Just the mentality on how you practice, how you compete when you're condi- tioning and in the weight room, and how you prepare yourself for a game. He pushed me since I was a freshman to where I'm, mentally, a lot stronger." Simon has been exploring differ- ent ways to push both Gordon and freshman tailback Corey Clement during the offseason. Gordon has already put on five "solid" pounds and weighs 208. Simon would like to see him get up to 215, at the heaviest, going into the season; the same for Clement. After coming across a top-10 list ― the top 10 running back duos in college football history ― Simon showed the list to Gordon and Clement and challenged them to stay "committed the way they're committed" and to "work the way they know how to work" and to "push each other each day." If they do, Simon said they "have the potential to be something re- ally special" within the team con- text and "the next time someone chooses to write an article like that" maybe they could put themselves on that list. "The greatness is in front of them to be grabbed," he said. It's in this vein that head coach Gary Andersen wants his running backs to take on more of a leader- ship role. "You have to practice to be the leaders in the huddle," he said. While their reps may be lim- ited in the spring, he insisted they should be able to lead "when not getting the ball all the time." Gordon is definitely buying into what Andersen is saying. "It's about time I step up and be a leader in our group, and I'm ready and excited to step on the field with these guys as a leader," he said. "Coming in as a freshman, I remem- ber being that guy that sat in the back of the room and watched the leaders set the example. "Now it's my turn. I've learned from a lot of guys like Aaron Henry and Shelton Johnson even though they were from different positions (both were defensive backs). I've learned from Montee (Ball) and James (White) and Chris Borland (a linebacker). I've taken bits and pieces from all of them." "Obviously ever leader is differ- ent. I'm more of a leader through my actions. But I'm trying to be more vocal with our group." One of the many things that he feels that he can accomplish with another year of college seasoning. Continued from Page 16 BY MIKE LUCAS // UWBADGERS.COM LUCAS AT LARGE JOHN FISHER