The Kenny Irons Effect

[mrjohnnynofear]

In Auburn, Tre Smith looked like he was going to be the starter when lo' and behold Kenny Irons comes from the University of South Carolina and takes his spot. This is no knock on Kenny Irons as he is a good RB but Tre Smith was running wild in the Spring the way Auburn told it and was more consistent. No one will ever know how good Tre could have been.

They gave every chance for Kenny to take the spot from Tre Smith and Brad Lester. Even when he had a bad game later that year and lost the starting job, they gave him another chance and he took the starting nod from Brad Lester. This is probably the most famous case of this (hence the name). I remember when I was a kid, when Missouri High School legend Brock Olivo played for Mizzou (later drafted by the Detroit Lions and left football), people were screaming for african-american Devin West to start over Brock. West was decent from what I could remember but was not as good as Olivo. This was even after Brock became the all-time leading Mizzou rusher at the time. Sure enough Devin ended up starting later in the season...These stories below makes me sick because it was one of the first times that made me realize there was a invisible brick wall for white RB's.

http://atmizzou.missouri.edu/sep03/Olivo.htm

The Olivo spot is about halfway down this blog...

http://turntwo.mlblogs.com/daddy_raised_a_cardinals_/2006/05 /are_we_still_ta.html





Fast forward to today...Now that Keiland Williams finally had a good game, are they going to start pulling Jacob Hester's carries? Even though Keiland is as reliable as a broken watch to have a good game? Other than Kyle Bell, why is it never the other way around? It's happened to Hillis at Arkansas and to a certain point Owen Schmitt at West Virginia now that they have Noel Devine as the new 3rd option...Are there any other cases of a deserving white RB who has proven themselves (known or unknown to us. Past, present, or possibly future. Pro or college) who should get the starter spot or significant ammount of carries but they are having to wait (sometimes 2 times in a college/pro career) behind an african-american, good or not, that was unproven given chance and chance to succeed? I know that would be a lot. Just interested on hearing someone else give their point of view.Edited by: mrjohnnynofear

 

[whiteCB]

Slowing but surely they'll transform hester into a full time blocking FB for Williams. Thats just the way it is.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Dan Burks should have stayed the main guy at UAB. He had a good year a few years back and then got injured the next year and low and behold he was never "the featured runner" again. Not quite as bad as the Tre situation though.

And how about Kevin Harris getting screwed this year, he appears to be 4th on the depth chart. He lead the team in YPC last year filling in for an injured Micah Andrews. Micah Andrews sucks again this year, so they have brought in Josh Adams and some other underclassman now as the third guy.

And how about Jared Hawkins, he looked phenomenal last year, and posted almost 7 YPC mostly against teams that were overpowering the Vandy O-line. I thought he had at least earned the role of scat or third down HB this year, but he isn't getting playing time. I think this thread if it is used will get long in a hurry.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins