Cal fullback has staying power

Unheralded senior Manderino has started 38 straight games for Bears
By Dave Newhouse, STAFF WRITER Daily Californian
BERKELEY — Pop quiz time. Which Cal player has started the most games for Jeff Tedford? If you get the answer, you receive one free hug from Oski.
Give up? Well, this player likely is the last Bear you would think of, because he might be Tedford's most unheralded starter.
Time's up. It's Chris Manderino.
Manderino. Fullback. No. 27. Blocked for Adimchinobe Echemandu, J.J. Arrington, and now Marshawn Lynch. Extemely solid, very unnoticed.
Manderino, a 6-1, 230-pound senior from Newport Beach, has started every game for Tedford, or 38 games. No other Bear is even close.
Tedford needed a fullback for the Baylor opener in 2002, and he chose Manderino, a redshirt freshman who wasn't considered a blue-chipper. Manderino rewarded his coach that day with an 18-yard touchdown reception.
What did Tedford see in Manderino?
"He's very, very tough," the coach said. "He very rarely makes any mental mistakes. He can sort things out, he has a great feel for the game, and he's a coach on the field."
Manderino's also, well, there. He hasn't missed a start at Cal. Though he has only 33 carries in three years, he's averaging 4.2 yards a carry. And he's virtually an automatic first down on third-and-short.
"He's good inside," Tedford said. "He's quick, he's physical, he's got good feet. He catches the ball, blocks great. He's very reliable."
Echemandu rushed for 1,195 yards two years ago. Arrington rushed for a school-record 2,018 yards last year. Manderino was their lead blocker.
Tedford nearly became emotional Thursday talking about Manderino.
"He's probably the most unsung player," said Tedford. "He just kind of blends in and does his job. You never hear him say too much. I have a very strong tie to Chris. I really respect him a lot for what he stands for and the things that he does. He's what it's all about."
Tedford was impressed mightily when Manderino broke his jaw in the spring on a clean hit by Worrell Williams, then wanted to keep playing.
Manderino knows how to persevere. He rushed for 2,200 career yards at Newport Harbor High, with 31 touchdowns as a senior. Now he's a role player.
"I find personal gratification in what I do," he said. "Unsung or unnoticed might be from the outside, but my teammates know what I can do. I'm a very fundamental football player ... contributing to the whole of the team. Hopefully, I'll see bigger numbers this year, but the only thing that matters to me is that we're having success."
The biggest satisfaction Manderino could receive, in his mind, wouldn't be personal numbers, but the "trust" of his teammates and coaches. Thirty-eight starts, though, has made him feel "elderly" at 22.
Terrell Williams is the Cal running back who has played with Manderino the longest.
"Mando is a student of the game every day," said Williams. "He doesn't put himself above anybody else. He learns from seniors and freshmen. Coaches understand he's that kind of person.
"On and off the field, he tries to better himself and the environment around him. He'll have team functions. He's smart, so he helps out academic-wise. He's just an all-around good person."
BEAR TRACKS: Saturday is Fan Appreciation Day from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. Cal players will be available for autographs and photos. Bears merchandise will be available. Complimentary food will be served. Fans should enter the stadium through the north tunnel. Stadium parking is $7. ... Fox Sports Network Bay Area has produced a two-hour magazine-style show on Cal football that will debut Saturday at 4:30 p.m.