Graney: Former local standout finds home in Pats backfield

Leon Evans remembers that sophomore season. The one when Rhamondre Stevenson began working with the varsity football team at Centennial High.

Remembers how easy things came for the kid. How none of it seemed all that challenging.

“Mondre played with such an ease,” said Evans, now the coach at Rancho. “He always thought he was playing football in the backyard with his buddies. He was so fluid. A very talented guy.”

Skill that has taken him to the highest of heights.

Stevenson is a second-year running back with the Patriots, but his has hardly been the most common of journeys. He didn’t qualify academically out of high school, took the junior-college route and landed at Oklahoma.

“The last (four) years have been big jumps for Mondre,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Coming home

Talent was never a question. Neither was a physical style. Stevenson is 6-foot and all of 230 pounds. Fast. Shifty. A definite burst. He was also New England’s best back at the end of his rookie season.

He spent the last few days here, returning home for two joint practices with the Raiders before the teams meet Friday night at Allegiant Stadium.

Where his city now features one of just 32 franchises. He’s also one of two Patriots with Las Vegas ties. Veteran defensive lineman Lawrence Guy attended Western High.

“It’s exciting to be out there,” said Stevenson, a fourth-round pick whose family moved to the Valley when he was 3. “When I was driving over in the bus, I was thinking, ‘I’m going to an NFL practice in Vegas.’

“Not a lot of people from Vegas get to the NFL. This all makes it worthwhile. I’m just trying to be one of those guys and make it worth it.”

It won’t be for a lack of hard work.

He was injured for part of his senior season at Centennial, took a year off and worked in a sandwich shop with his brother. He also attended education classes to improve his GPA and be eligible by NCAA standards.

Then a friend mentioned he would be attending Cerritos (Calif.) College.

Then the spark to compete returned.

Coaches didn’t know of Stevenson to start but soon learned. He would rush for more than 2,600 yards and 19 touchdowns at Cerritos in two seasons. He followed that with more than 1,400 yards in two more at Oklahoma.

“He almost gave up until we had a couple talks,” said Stevenson’s father, Robert, who attended the joint practices. “I don’t think he ever didn’t believe in himself. Most people would have quit. He stuck in there with it, and he’s working just as hard now.

“He even went out and ran hills after practice (Tuesday). He never stops.”

It’s likely Damien Harris — 929 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns last season — will open as New England’s starting running back. But he began splitting carries with Stevenson in Week 8 and has been somewhat injury-prone in three years with the Patriots.

It opens the door for Stevenson, whom Belichick praised for his improvement, for better understanding the NFL, for what the Patriots do, what opponents do, and for learning how to navigate a certain pace of game and season.

In a system that has more than not been running-back-by-committee, the player from Las Vegas could find himself as a three-down option.

His rookie numbers: 133 carries, 606 yards.

And it all began years ago across the youth fields of Las Vegas.

‘Separated himself’

All hail, Green Machine.

It was the monster of a team for which Stevenson played, already far ahead of his age group. One of his younger teammates was Brevin Jordan, a former Bishop Gorman star and now tight end with the Texans.

Not a bad collection of 8-to-10-year-olds.

“Mondre’s physicality was something different,” said Kevin Walker, who coached the team. “He separated himself early. Size. Speed. Not a surprise he is where he is now. He always wanted to be great.

“And here he is.”

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.