A few folks on here (including some folks with Pinewood ties) expressed surprise when Ryan Steed chose football at Furman over basketball at Harvard or elsewhere.

Thus far, it appears that just maybe Mr. Steed knew what he was doing. As a barely 18 year old true freshman, Ryan has appeared in all 4 Furman games and has 3 solo tackles. More impressively, he has two interceptions for 48 return yards - a 15 yard INT return in his first college game ever and a 33 yard INT return yesterday that helped the Paladins upset 6th ranked Delaware.

As an unobjective observer, I'd say the future looks bright for Ryan Steed and Furman University football.

quote:

Originally posted by OldSchool Pinewood:
A few folks on here (including some folks with Pinewood ties) expressed surprise when Ryan Steed chose football at Furman over basketball at Harvard or elsewhere.

Thus far, it appears that just maybe Mr. Steed knew what he was doing. As a barely 18 year old true freshman, Ryan has appeared in all 4 Furman games and has 3 solo tackles. More impressively, he has two interceptions for 48 return yards - a 15 yard INT return in his first college game ever and a 33 yard INT return yesterday that helped the Paladins upset 6th ranked Delaware.

As an unobjective observer, I'd say the future looks bright for Ryan Steed and Furman University football.

Great to hear of Ryan's early success at Furman!!!

Still don't agree with the Furman decision, but glad that he is excelling on the field.

November 22, we'll see. Good to hear a SCISA athlete doing well though.

He's a stud!

Steed had 2 solo tackles and blocked a punt that was returned for a TD yesterday in Furman's rout of Chattanooga. If he keeps working as hard as he always has, I have little doubt Ryan will be a starter next season as a 19 year old true sophomore.

Stallion, I just may have to trek up to Sparkle City on November 22. It looks like the little yip-yap dogs will have a game on their hands.

Congrats to Steeds success. Take nothing away from him. But insider, I see what you are saying. Harvard education speaks for itself. Furman is an excellent school, but not in Harvards category by any means. Harvard is Division I in basketball. Furman is at a lower division in football. Division IAA. Cant fault him either way, and its a heck of an acomplishment to have those two options.

Congrats to Ryan Steed. He was one of the best competitors in SCISA last year. He will be a star at Furman.

Steed is a competitor. He will succeed in whatever he tries. He is a good young man too. I hope he continues to excel at Furman.

As a Furman fan I can tell Ryan will fit right in with the Paladin program and make a positive contribution to their success.

Steed went from jump shots to blocked punts
By Jeff Hartsell
The Post and Courier
Thursday, October 16, 2008


Furman freshman DB Ryan Steed was best known as a basketball star in high school at Pinewood Prep.

If things had gone according to the original plan, Ryan Steed would be preparing this week to begin basketball practice at some ACC or SEC school.

Pursuit of a basketball scholarship is one reason Steed, who is from Mount Pleasant, transferred from First Baptist to private school basketball powerhouse Pinewood Prep during his high school career. It's why he didn't play football as a junior at Pinewood Prep.

"I thought I was going to play basketball in college," Steed said this week. "That was the plan."

The plan has changed, and neither Steed nor Furman football coach Bobby Lamb is complaining. Steed, a 5-11, 180-pound freshman, has made an early impact on Paladins football this season, and Lamb wound up with a player who should be a three-year starter at cornerback.

"Ryan really has a bright future here," Lamb said this week.

Steed, who is playing backup cornerback and on special teams for Furman this season, already has two interceptions and two blocked punts for the

FCS 19th-ranked Paladins, who play host to FCS No. 24 The Citadel on Saturday.

He picked off a pass to help Furman upset Delaware, 23-21, on Sept. 20, and blocked a punt in last week's 27-21 win over Western Carolina.

"Coming in as a freshman, I didn't think I was going to register that many snaps this year," Steed said. "But I've been able to make a couple of plays to help the team, and I would not change anything at this point."

Steed began his high school career as a basketball standout at First Baptist.

"We played Pinewood Prep my freshman year, and we lost by about 70," Steed recalled. "I said, 'That's where I need to be.' "

Steed transferred to Pinewood Prep to play for basketball coach Pat Eidson, and helped the Panthers win two SCISA state championships. He also played football as a sophomore, but decided to give up the sport as a junior.

"I wanted to concentrate on basketball," he said. "But after my junior year, I had a change of heart. I talked to some people who said I had a better future in football, and my mom said football would have a better result for me down the road.

"So I decided to give football another try."

As a senior, he played quarterback, running back, receiver and cornerback for Pinewood coach Pinckney Guerard, the longtime assistant to John McKissick at Summerville High School. Steed led the team to a 6-5 record and was named second-team All-Lowcountry by The Post and Courier.

But Steed's year away from football, and his absence from any major camps, made him a hidden gem in recruiting. He received offers from Furman, The Citadel and Charleston Southern.

"No one really knew I was playing football," he said. "I remember after I committed to Furman, I got a call from one school and they said, 'We didn't even know you were going to play football in college.'

"If I had gone to some camps and things like that, I might have gone to a bigger school. But now, I wouldn't turn down being here at Furman for anything."

But he did turn down The Citadel.

"I just didn't want to deal with the military lifestyle," he said. "I just felt Furman was my best offer. Furman is usually pretty dominant in the Southern Conference, and they have sent some guys to the NFL. There is more opportunity to get noticed."

And no matter the sport, that is the plan.