With the ball on the Virginia 23-yard line, it was second down and 10 yards to go for the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter against N.C. State on Saturday. As the rain poured from the sky, the hand off went to Virginia sophomore tailback Marquis Weeks, who exploded off the line of scrimmage.
He was eventually tackled by an N.C. State defender, but not before rattling off 32 yards of offense.
When the final whistle blew, Weeks had racked up 129 rushing yards in a normally pass-oriented offense.
Saturday was only the second career start for the 206-pound tailback, after starting the first game of the season against Colorado State. With this strong performance, Weeks has solidified his worth in the Cavalier offense and earned himself ACC Player of the Week honors.
The Berwyn, Pa. native is only in his second season with the program, but he has been making large strides. He leads all kickoff returners this season with 341 yards and had a career long 100-yard second half kickoff return for a touchdown against UNC earlier this season. His touchdown sparked the Cavaliers' second-half comeback in that matchup.
"We all discover our strengths and our flaws as the season goes on," Virginia Head Coach Al Groh said.
Last season, Weeks saw action in all 12 regular season games, mostly on special teams. He carried the ball only four times for 16 yards in his freshman season. That experience has proven invaluable.
If there is one word to describe Weeks, it would have to be humble. After starting the first game of the season, Weeks took a secondary role on the team but did so understanding that he could be called on to step up in a game situation. This was exactly the case against N.C. State, after fellow sophomore tailback Alvin Pearman was injured the week before against Penn State.
"To come back out and still have that drive to do that and step up like he did was great," senior tackle Mike Mullins said.
Football was not always this sophomore's first sport. "I mean my favorite sport was soccer," Weeks said. "I started playing football when I was in fourth grade, I was about 9 years old and my friend asked me if I wanted to play." It was not until after Weeks moved to Philadelphia that he began to focus on football.
"As soon as I started playing I fell in love with it," Weeks said.
Starting out as a cornerback, he developed his skills and slowly began to increase his knowledge of the game.
Weeks was a three-year starter at Conestoga High School, where he was the team's offensive MVP three times. While at Conestoga, he rushed 808 times for 6,193 yards and 71 touchdowns. As a senior he ran for 2,305 yards and 24 touchdowns, breaking previous school records. The four-year letter winner was a 1999 SuperPrep All-American and was a three-time selection to the All-Central League first team. Weeks also was named the Suburban Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Even so, when he first came to the Virginia football scene, he admits that he was unsure of himself.
"When I first came here I wasn't sure how to run the ball," Weeks said.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, Weeks learned fast.
"My first spring game I played in I had a long run for 16 yards and I guess after that I started feeling a little better," Weeks said.
Weeks has taken his time on the sidelines to re-evaluate his position on the team, and his performance against N.C. State could be only one of many to come for this sophomore. He should see more time at tailback if he continues his strong performance against Maryland and Virginia Tech in the last two games of the season.
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