MORGANTOWN - Maxwell Anderson had been a part of West Virginia's football program for what seemed like about 15 minutes before he had already left a lasting impression.

It seemed like only another 15 minutes before he had all but been forgotten.

Now comes the tricky part - trying to make sure his initial 15 minutes of fame isn't his last.

If anyone has trouble remembering Anderson, don't feel too bad. After all, he's a West Virginia fullback, which until Owen Schmitt transformed the position had been a very forgettable part of recent Mountaineer football teams.

Anderson came along at right about the time Schmitt was exploding into a cult hero. It was early in the 2006 season and the true freshman walk-on from Morgantown High School proved himself valuable enough in his first month with the team that he not only played right away, but earned a quick scholarship.

Played? Shoot, in the first month of the season he earned one of the team's hammer awards for a nasty hit against East Carolina.

Even though Schmitt still had the better part of two seasons remaining, already there was talk - not to mention some compelling evidence - that Anderson was the heir apparent.

Fast forward now almost two years later. "Schmitt Happens'' is no longer relevant at West Virginia, having become "O. Schmitt'' in Seattle. And his successor as West Virginia's fullback?

Well, there's converted wide receiver Will Johnson, whose job it is apparently to lose.

There is incoming freshman Tyler Urban, who will get a chance to see what he and his 6-foot-4, 240-pound bulldozer frame can do.

And then there's Maxwell Anderson, the forgotten man.

"Yeah, you kind of feel forgotten,'' Anderson said. "But everyone's always looking for somebody new. I actually like that, though, because it makes me work harder.''

Anderson's problems were two-fold. For starters, he was never going to be more than an intriguing backup as long as Schmitt was around.

He played a little fullback and some special teams and that was it. It didn't help, either, that before his sophomore season of 2007 he developed mononucleosis and fell behind in summer workouts and then in fall camp.

More significantly, when he did get back into playing shape Anderson went down in practice the week before last season's Louisville game with a torn ACL in his left knee. He tried to play through it for a few practices before finally giving up and having surgery.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, in January he had his tonsils removed.

Needless to say, he missed spring practice this year, but given the reconstructed knee and the tonsillectomy, Anderson feels like a new man.

"The knee feels great and I couldn't believe what a difference having my tonsils taken out would make,'' Anderson said. "It opened up my airways, I breathe easier and it helped me gain weight.''

Again, though, now comes the tough part - working his way back to relevance. He has been working out during the summer and isn't taking second-semester summer school classes so that he can concentrate only on football.

If nothing else, he has learned to appreciate what he did as a true freshman.

"You gain a better respect for everything being out,'' Anderson said. "One minute you're playing as a freshman and the next you're just watching everyone else.''

Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.