Spight takes roundabout path to ENMU

Staff writer

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PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University running back E’lon Spight spent the 2014 season running through and around defenders on his way to 1,611 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, both Greyhounds single season records.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Eastern New Mexico University running back E’lon Spight races past several West Texas A&M defenders during the Greyhoujnds’ Nov. 1 Lone Star Conference playoff game against the Buffaloes at Blackwater Draw. Spight set ENMU single-season records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns this fall.

His effort helped the Hounds to their second consecutive seven-win season. However, Spight, who grew up in St. Louis, traveled a long way to get to the program.

“In high school, I was hurt a lot, so I didn’t get to play much, so I went to junior college in San Diego to try and get a scholarship,” Spight said. “I played at a school called Grossmont College. The first year was good, but my second year I got hurt and only played in four games.”

Despite his injury history, he played well enough there to get attention from Eastern.

“We noticed him on his junior college tape and we brought him in on a visit,” said Greyhounds coach Josh Lynn. “It was really late, though, around early January. We offered him a scholarship, he accepted and a week later he was on campus.

“We liked him because he was a physical runner and we though he’d do a great job blocking and running for us.”

Spight spent his first season at ENMU as a tailback, but didn’t get a lot action with 65 carries for 290 yards and three TDs. After the season, Lynn decided a position switch to fullback to help Spight.

“When they told me they were going to move me to fullback, that motivated me,” said Spight, who will earn his degree in computer science later this year.

“They felt like it would be good for me, and I didn’t want to let them down because they put me in a position to get the ball a lot.”

For Lynn, the position switch was an easy call. Spight simply took off, gaining at least 100 yards rushing in nine games this season highlighted by a 217-yard outing against Texas A&M Kingsville.

“We knew he was a physical runner and decided to move him to fullback to get him more carries,” Lynn said. “And it was one of those situations where you put a player in the right position and he exploded.”

Now with his ENMU career at an end, one thing Spight knows is that St. Louis is not in his future plans.

“I don’t want to go back to St. Louis,” Spight said. “It’s not a good place for me. I like to go back to see family, but there’s too many distractions there, too easy to get in trouble.”

One of those distraction is the rioting and turmoil going on in suburban Ferguson over the shooting of a young black man by a police officer. Spight said he has mixed feelings about the situation.

“When something like that happens, things are going to get crazy,” Spight said. “But I feel like people aren’t handling it the best way they can. I think a lot of people are taking advantage of the situation as far as the rioting and the looting. Some people find it as an opportunity to rob stores or whatever.

“I believe there’s some people who really want justice, but I also think there’s a lot of people who want to benefit off of what’s happening,”

While Spight is now focusing on academics, he still hopes football is in his future.

“I’ve been thinking about my future a lot and I really haven’t came down to the one thing I want to do,” he said. “But I want to make sure I get my degree.”