Published: August 26, 2009 11:49 pm      

Johnstown grad continues to impress in NFL camp

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals’ smallest player is making a big impression in the preseason.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, a 5-foot-7 rookie running back from Johnstown, is making a strong bid for a spot on the regular-season roster.

“He’s doing what he has to do,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We still have two games. I’d like to see him continue with the way he’s been playing, but LaRod’s got a great shot at making our team just because of what he’s done consistently on the practice field as well as in the games.”

Stephens-Howling, filling in for the injured Steve Breaston, had kickoff returns of 89 and

63 yards in Saturday night’s

17-6 loss to San Diego.

Nothing has come easy for the seventh-round draft pick out of Pitt, who played behind LeSean McCoy his last two years in college and isn’t taking anything for granted.

“It was just one game,” Stephens-Howling said. “You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low. You’ve got to try to stay level and try to get better every day. There are two more preseason games left, a lot of film that the coaches get to look at.”

He was the 240th overall selection in this year’s draft, and broke down with emotion that day when he talked with Arizona reporters during a conference call.

“This has been a dream all my life,” he said at the time. “I’ve been told so many times that I could never do it because of my size. I’m ready to go train right now.”

That attitude has served him well in camp, where he drew immediate attention for his work ethic and shifty style. It’s easy to lose him on a field dominated by giants.

Whisenhunt said NFL coaches know small players can make it in the league, if they have enough ability.

“You saw a guy on the field Saturday night, Darren Sproles, who’s done that, shown that he can be a very substantive, very special contributor in games,” Whisenhunt said.

When Stephens-Howling arrived in Arizona, he was determined.

“I knew I had to come here and prove something, being a seventh-round pick and being undersized,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to get here and show off what I can do. I’m just trying to make the best of this, take advantage of any opportunity I have on the field, whether it’s special teams or offense.”

To keep Stephens-Howling, Whisenhunt might have to play with four running backs on the roster, with the diminutive rookie joining Tim Hightower, first-round draft pick Beanie Wells and free-agent signee Jason Wright. That could mean keeping only one fullback.

Kurt Warner talked as if Stephens-Howling was already a sure thing, saying he could help fill the void left by the loss of J.J. Arrington, the speed back whose role increased as last season progressed. Warner was one of the first on the field to congratulate Stephens-Howling after his second long kickoff return.

“You’re always excited, especially about little guys like that that have their backs to the wall,” Warner said. “Everybody’s looking for an excuse of why they can’t play, so you’re always pulling for guys like that. But the added bonus to this is he’s going to help us. He’s an added dimension that we really don’t have in our other backs.”