Messer, Mathews: 2 stars, 1 number

Posted at 10:49 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

They aren't twins. Not even close.

Dale Messer is 72 years old now. He gave the cushioning parts of his left knee and right ankle to the game. Both throb when he walks too far. He's had surgery on one shoulder and went in for an MRI on the other this week. He thinks those are related to age more than football.

Messer wore No. 21 at Fresno State back in the late 1950s, before it mattered what number you wore.

"It was just given to me," he says. "I didn't request any number. In those days, you didn't really think you could request a number."

Ryan Mathews wears No. 21 at Fresno State now, when the limits of what players are aware of seem endless. It is a game with the same genes -- similar rules, mission statements, dimensions -- but related only distantly.

We could talk about the money or the media coverage or the fan interest or technology or stadium size or sports agents, but maybe this says plenty: After three years at Fresno State, Messer eventually reached 170 pounds. Ryan Mathews, playing the same position, came to Fresno State at 200 pounds and in his third season is a bulging 225.

In the '50s, Mathews wouldn't have been a running back, he'd have been Mr. Universe.

"His arm is probably as big as my leg," Messer says. "I had linemen his size."

Messer played two seasons at College of the Sequoias, then chose Fresno State instead of Cal, mostly because in those days you could go to junior college and still have three more seasons at Fresno State.

He wanted to be a teacher, so he needed three more years of school anyway.

His final two seasons were certainly great. He broke a number of long runs. He scored four touchdowns against San Diego State. He was drafted in the fourth round by the 49ers and got a pretty decent signing bonus: $1,000.

Mathews' junior season has been beyond decent, all that potential and talent coming together so dramatically that he's approaching one of the greatest in the school's history. Maybe at any position. Maybe in any sport.

His 1,459 yards lead all of Division I by nearly 250 yards. With what would be just an average game for him, Mathews could break Fresno State's career single-season rushing record Saturday at Nevada. And he would still have three games left, assuming the Bulldogs made a bowl. (Rodney Davis set the record of 1,586 yards in 2002.)

He's already set the Fresno State records for most consecutive 100-yard games, and most 100-yard games in a season. He is four rushing touchdowns from having the most in a season and two away from having the most in a career.

This will sound insane, since he's only played the equivalent of two full seasons, but Mathews has an outside shot at breaking the school's career rushing record of 3,584. This season.

This is of course why coach Pat Hill felt fairly comfortable calling Dale Messer a couple of years back, when Mathews first arrived at Fresno State and said he'd like to have the number he's been wearing since youth football, No. 21.

"I'm not going to unretire a jersey for just anybody," Hill says.

Says Mathews now: "I was a little nervous about [asking]."

It's not all that uncommon, even though Fresno State has only six retired numbers. Freshman Robbie Rouse asked to wear David Carr's retired No. 8 this season and Carr agreed. Already, a 2010 recruit has asked for Trent Dilfer's No. 12.

What was unique is that when Messer was asked, he didn't say yes. He wanted to meet Mathews. It's hard to blame him. A retired jersey is about the most prestigious honor you can get. No one on offense had worn No. 21 in 46 seasons of Fresno State football.