Vincent Webb’s performances on the football field over the past two weeks indicate a bright future for the Panthers and himself.

Webb has taken advantage of an opportunity to prove himself after an unfortunate injury to senior Honorable Mention All-American Andre Raymond.

The 5-foot-10-inch, 191-pound red-shirt freshman may be surprising his fellow teammates, but is not surprising the Panther coaching staff.

Webb’s 273 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in Eastern’s 29-12 homecoming victory over Tennessee-Martin Saturday earned the native St. Louisan Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer Of The Week honors and ranks as the 14th-best single game performance in Panther football history.

Head coach Bob Spoo said Webb’s performances on the field over the past week are not unexpected.

“Vincent is a slashing style runner and a good north to south runner with excellent balance, quickness and speed,” he said.

Growing up and living in St. Louis with his father, who was a boxer before suffering a career-ending injury, Webb began boxing under his father’s direction at the age of five and started playing organized football when he was 6 years old.

Webb said he was a safety when he began playing football at the age of 6, but after running down a player in the clear, the coaches noticed his speed. He said he has been a tailback since then.

Webb’s athleticism isn’t the only thing noticed by the Panther coaching staff.

“Vincent has a very good work ethic and is very well-mannered,” offensive coordinator Jon Carr said.

Webb credits his humility and manners to the discipline his father instilled in him when he was a child.

“I learned a lot of discipline from my father,” Webb said. “My dad has always been my role model. I picked up a lot of his traits.”

Webb’s father’s background as a boxer has also played an important role in his off-season preparation.

In the off-season, Webb utilized a workout program similar to one a boxer would use when preparing for a fight.

“The boxing training was hard, but all in all, it worked out for me and I think it’s showing on the field,” Webb said.

Being from St. Louis, Webb is a big Rams fan and models his style of play after two of the most prolific runners in the history of the NFL and the Rams franchise.

Webb said he styles his play on the football field after Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk and has learned a lot from former Panther All-American J.R. Taylor and the player he is filling in for.

“Andre (Raymond) has taught me a lot about staying focused and humble,” Webb said.

Despite his recent success, Webb is still hoping to improve his play on the field.

Spoo said Webb is doing a tremendous job filling in and Carr echoed Spoo’s sentiments.

“I want Vincent to continue to work hard, and I can see him making an impact for this team in the future,” Carr said.