Winston-Salem State has a storied tradition in sports. No matter what sports they play, the new generation of Rams have to live up to the challenge of following in the footsteps of past greats like Earl Monroe, Timmy Newsome and others.
One of those athletes, Brandon McRae of Washington, D.C., is a running back for the Rams football team. He has what some coaches believe to be the tools to write his name in the record books along with former WSSU greats such as Jed Bines and Martin Hicks. Lately, McRae has even been mentioned in the same sentence with Coach Kermit Blount as being similar to the outstanding player he was at WSSU.
A 2005 graduate of Charles Herbert Flowers High School in D.C., McRae led the Jaguars in rushing for three separate rooms. He rushed for 846 yards in his junior season and 1,500 yards his senior year. McRae placed first in touchdowns and second in rushing in the District of Columbia his senior season. He was named First-Team All-County in football and track and field, Second-Team All-State as a running back and named Second-Team All-State in the 55 meters in 2005. He turned in the fifth fastest time in the 55-meters in the nation with a 6.32.
McRae had a solid season as a redshirt freshman, playing in 10 games and finishing the season as the team’s leading rusher with 623 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 62.3 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry in his first season. He also led the team in rushing attempts with 118. His longest run of the season was a 52-yard sprint against Florida A&M. McRae had his best individual game at Savannah State when he rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a pair of touchdowns against rival North Carolina A&T in the Rams 41-14 win.
McRae started last season off on a good note, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown against A&T. But in just the third game of the season against Morgan State he injured his knee. Since then, McRae has spent all his time rehabbing and preparing himself to not just share time at back but to carry the load completely next season.
McRae said his family has played a key part in his recovery.
“My family is really supportive of me, especially since the injury … I got down a little waiting and watching my teammates, knowing I could help,” he said.
WSSU running back coach Cody Crill said he expects McRae to be an integral part of the team next year.
“He’s definitely a leader,” Crill said. “No one doubts he can carry the load along with the backs that we have. As long as Coach Blount’s here and McRae is healthy, he has all of the intangibles needed to be mentioned in the same category as the greats. We also have two or three more backs looking to follow in McRae’s footsteps of success.”
Despite being out the majority of last season, McRae is optimistic that his return will be successful.
“I’m ready. I’ve been waiting since the injury,” he said. “I’ve been rehabilitating over the off season, and I’ll be ready for next year.”