As former Trojan Werden grows, so do the Phoenix

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Elon's Chris Werden played at James Island High School.

The unnamed Georgia Southern defensive end picked up redshirt freshman offensive tackle Chris Werden and launched him into the Elon quarterback.

"He sacked our quarterback without ever actually touching the quarterback," marveled Elon coach Pete Lembo. "I still remember that play."

Werden has come a long way since that game in 2006. And so have the Phoenix, who come to The Citadel's Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday as the fastest-rising team in the Southern Conference.

In many ways, the growth of Werden from a relatively skinny 240-pound freshman from James Island High School to a 6-5, 300-pound preseason All-SoCon pick mirrors the growth of Elon football under Lembo. Elon joined the SoCon in 2003 and won just three of its first 22 league games. This season, Lembo's third, the Phoenix are 5-1 overall, 3-0 in the SoCon and ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation in FCS.

"Chris does exemplify how we are slowly growing up as a program," Lembo said this week.

Werden is the son of former Middleton High School coach Jim Werden and grew up on the Razorbacks' sideline, serving as a ball boy and accompanying his dad to Shrine Bowls and North-South All-Star Games. He played his high school ball for the James Island Trojans, where his dad was defensive coordinator and Citadel tackle Daniel DeHaven was one of his best friends.

"I used to eat at Chris' house all the time," DeHaven said. "His mom's cookies, they were fresh baked and they popped out of the oven all day long."

But when it came time for college, the buddies went their separate ways. DeHaven came to The Citadel after a year at Fork Union Military Academy, while Werden was recruited by coach Paul Hamilton to Elon. Werden redshirted as Elon suffered through a 3-8 record in 2005, and Hamilton was let go after the Phoenix went 0-7 in the SoCon.

When Lembo arrived at Elon in December 2005, there were about six linemen in the program. Two of them were tackles, and one of those was the 240-pound Werden.

"Chris was the starter, whether he liked it or not, and whether I liked it or not," Lembo said. "And sometimes that fall, he got exposed."

But as Lembo, who worked for and succeeded Citadel coach Kevin Higgins at Lehigh, weeded out the players who did not buy into his system, the Phoenix got better. Elon was 5-6 and won two SoCon games in 2006 as Werden started all 11 games. In 2007, Elon was 7-4 and finished tied for third in the SoCon at 4-3, and Werden was named the team's most outstanding lineman.

Last week, the Phoenix defeated Furman, 31-10, to get off to their best start since 1999. Werden was Elon's offensive player of the game.

"It's been pretty exciting," Werden said. "When I got here, we were not very good at all. Coach Lembo came in and said we'd be competing for a championship. I didn't believe it at first, but he's really turned it around. He came in and cleaned house and got rid of some of the cancers on the team, as he called them, and that has made a difference."

So has the growth of Werden and his fellow linemen, who include four juniors and a sophomore and average 6-3 and 288 pounds. After ranking last in the SoCon in rushing yards last season with 64.5 per game, Elon is averaging 139.3 rushing yards this year. Sophomore running back Brandon Newsome rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown against Furman.

"We've got a line now that's mostly juniors, and they've been playing two or three years each," Lembo said. "We're running a lot of the same stuff we have since we've been here; we're just better at it."

One task that has eluded Werden and Lembo is beating The Citadel. The Bulldogs have won the last three against Elon, giving buddy bragging rights to DeHaven.

"I'm ready to get a little revenge," said Werden, "for when I come back home and hang out with Dan."

Maybe the winner will get a plate of Mrs. Werden's cookies.