Trent Steelman in a rush to push Army past Navy

• Trent Steelman hopes to power Army's rushing attack to a win vs. Navy on Saturday.
• Steelman already has a school-record 44 career rushing TDs, ahead of Heisman winner Glenn Davis.
• Saturday marks Steelman's last attempt to beat Navy, which has won the series' last 10 games.

PHILADELPHIA — As a high school quarterback in Kentucky, Trent Steelman started for three seasons in a spread offense and threw for 52 touchdowns. But he also ran for 30 more and knew he basically was a ground guy.

"I've always been a stronger runner than I have been anything else," says Steelman, a four-year starting quarterback in Army's triple-option offense who will finish his college career Saturday against Navy.

Despite its 2-9 record, Army leads FBS in rushing (369.82 yards a game) this season. Steelman, a sturdy 6-0, 207-pounder, leads the way.

He tops the Black Knights this season with 1,152 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He's topped 100 yards rushing in his last five games.

In four seasons, he's run for an Army-record 44 touchdowns, surpassing the 43 by Glenn "Mr. Outside" Davis, the Heisman Trophy winner in 1946.

Steelman is taking no individual bows.

"Honestly, I really don't look at that stuff," says Steelman. "Without my teammates and my coaches, plus the opportunity to play as many games as I have, it would have never happened. So I look back, and I'm just very blessed with everything that has gone my way."

At Bowling Green (Ky.) High, Steelman's team won 36 of the 40 games he started.

He says he drew recruiting interest some FCS schools and from Western Kentucky, located in Bowling Green, which had not yet made its jump to FBS (formerly Division I-A).

Army was his lone FBS offer. He took it.

"I told myself from the get-go that I was going to play for somebody who wanted me," says Steelman.

At Army, Steelman has run for more yards (3,224) than he has passed (2,605).

He has one touchdown pass this season and 14 in his Army career. He threw for seven of those in 2010 when he also threw for a career-high 995 yards.

His primary roles are to make split-second decisions in Army's triple option, run the ball himself when the opportunity is there and take the pounding that comes often for an option quarterback.

He's a leader. Army coach Rich Ellerson calls him a "force multiplier" who makes others around him better.

"Trent's challenge is to stay within himself and make sure he's just playing the game and being Trent because that's when he's his best," says Ellerson.

"That's when his teammates feed off him the most. He doesn't have to come out and have an out-of-body experience to be a fierce competitor or a good football player. He's all that."

Army linebacker Nate Combs, who attended a high school in Indiana, played against Steelman when they were in high school.

"He had a good receiving corps. He was a much different quarterback than he is now," says Combs. "Now, he's burning you with his legs and his toughness. Back then, he was scrawny, maybe 180."

Navy has beaten Army 10 times in a row. Steelman has been on the losing end the past three, including a 27-21 defeat last year.

"It's winding down to one more chance," says Steelman.