Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
Joe Hansley is a sophomore wideout for the Rams, but his story is an intriguing example of the Caste System in action.
Hansley was born to play tailback. after all, his dad was a running back at Indiana, and his grandpa was a running back at Ohio State. in high school, Hansley was the 2011 Gatorade and Scout.com Player of the Year in the state of Colorado, where he was a record-setting running back, defensive back, and returner. you can click on his CSU bio that i linked above to see the eye-popping numbers that he put up, illustrating that not only was he a game-changer with the ball in his hands, but that he might've been better suited at cornerback at the collegiate level than on the offensive side of the ball. at any rate, it's hard to expect a high school athlete to put up better numbers in a bid to get the "talent" "scouts" to take notice.
check out his high school highlights: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/84058/
the recruiting "experts" were unimpressed, however, as he received exactly two Division I offers. that's right. two.
that pathetic total exceeds the number that many White athletes receive, though, and at least Hansley was able to take his game to nearby Colorado State.
as a true freshman a year ago, Hansley emerged as such a talent on the CSU roster that the coaching staff decided to not redshirt him, despite A) wideout being their "deepest position" and B) Joe having never played the position before. Hansley went on to tie for the team lead with 3 touchdown catches, as he caught 21 balls on the year for 274 yards (both good for 4th on the team). his playmaking and versatility also saw him carry the ball 22 times for 122 yards, and a team-leading 5.5 yards-per-carry. just as icing on the cake, he returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown; it was the longest punt return at CSU in 15 years.
but since this is the world of the Caste System, the record-setting high school tailback (and team-leading collegiate runner) wouldn't be considered to play tailback this season. no, the CSU coaching staff preferred to go with a juco player who wasn't academically eligible coming out of high school.
so far this season, Hansley is the team's second-leading receiver, albeit for a team that isn't very good throwing the ball (he only has 28 catches for 342 yards). he's also thrown a touchdown pass, returned another punt for a touchdown (this one from 92 yards) and is averaging over 6 yards-per-carry (albeit in a very limited sample).
one wonders what the multi-talented Hansley would accomplish should the ball be in his hands more than 4 times per game ...
if coaches actually did put the best players in their best position to make plays then we would know. as it is, affirmative action in sport (aka, the Caste System) prohibits Hansley from plying his trade at his natural position(s).