NOTEBOOK: Preseason SWAC Player of the Year Lenard Tillery has rushing record in sight

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Southern running back Lenard Tillery isn’t really sure how close he is to breaking Destry Wright’s 17-year old Southwestern Athletic Conference’s career rushing record.

But his offensive linemen are probably well aware that the magic number is 968 to tie Wright’s 4,050-yard total, 969 to make history.

“I don’t really think too much about records, I just try to be productive for my team,” Tillery said. “But my offensive line, they really think about it more than anything. They were the ones that were keeping me up to date when I was reaching the Southern (record).

“The offensive line, the offensive line coach, they want me to have it. They’re anticipating it.”

Other people seem to be anticipating it, too. Tillery was named the SWAC’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year Friday after rushing for 1,102 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015.

He’s topped 1,100 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons, and if he puts together a similar year in 2016, he’d have the SWAC’s all-time lead around week eight or nine.

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