This article in the Denver Post is all about race but never considers the Caste aspect:
Hillis adds dimension
In Peyton Hillis, the Broncos may have the next Great White Hope.
At a time when America has crossed racial barriers by electing Barack Obama as its next president, Hillis can skip over the same line, from the opposite direction, by becoming a rare NFL starting tailback who is white.
Hillis hasn't much considered the deeper meaning of a white man playing tailback, not when he's so concerned with relearning the nuances of the position. But he understands the story.
"I won't mind because I know what I can do," Hillis said. "I will be successful at it. I have that mind-set. I think if I do get a whole week of practice at tailback, people will see a lot of difference in me."
Maybe the next time Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall celebrates multicultural unity after a touchdown, he can pull out a left-handed glove for Obama and a right-handed glove for Hillis.
A fullback by trade, Hillis could be the Broncos' starting tailback next Sunday at Atlanta, where the Falcons have the league's No. 1 rushing offense. Should Hillis start ahead of Selvin Young, who has been hampered the past month with a groin injury, he'd be the first white tailback to be so honored since St. Louis' Brian Leonard filled in for an injured Steven Jackson early last season.
Hillis is like Leonard and San Diego's Jacob Hester in that they are white, fullback/halfback/H-back hybrids with a heavy emphasis on fullback.
"That's what seems to be happening," Hillis said. "Right now, Selvin and I are pretty much all we've got, and the good coaches that we have, they'll work with us and they're not going to steer us wrong. They're going to do what's best for the team."
Where have you gone, John Cappelletti? In 1974, he became the last white tailback drafted in the first round. The last white tailback to have a 1,000-yard rushing season was Craig James in 1985.
Jim Taylor was the last white running back to lead the NFL in rushing, in 1962. Taylor, by the way, was a fullback.
Leonard, listed as a fullback, is the last white tailback to have a 100-yard rushing performance, in Game 5 last season against Arizona.
In 2004, Carolina's Nick Goings became the last white tailback to lead his team in rushing with 821 yards. The Broncos haven't been led by a white rusher since Jim Jensen topped a backfield that included Jon Keyworth and Rob Lytle with 476 yards in 1980. Jensen was a fullback. Lytle, a tailback, never rushed for more than 408 yards in his seven Broncos seasons. Joe Dudek had two nice games for the Broncos in 1987, but two is all he played.
Maybe, if more white tailbacks were more productive, there would be more white tailbacks.
Leonard and Hester were exceptional tailbacks in college. Hillis was an All-America tailback in high school and stayed at the position as a true freshman at Arkansas. But then his Razorbacks recruited rushers named Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and, sure enough, Hillis became a sophomore fullback.
He remained in the blocking slot until the Broncos' last two remaining tailbacks, Ryan Torain and Young, suffered first-half injuries Thursday night in Cleveland. Hillis finished with eight carries for only 24 yards, but the Broncos would not have rallied for a 34-30 win without him.
Hillis started the Broncos' decisive, late-game drive from their 20 with a 10-yard run. Later, on fourth-and-1 from the Broncos' 45-yard line, Hillis broke a tackle to turn what would have been a drive-ending, game-losing, 2-yard loss into a drive-sustaining, 2-yard gain.
"I feel like I can do really well at it, honestly," Hillis said. "It's just that Thursday night I was a little bit rusty. It's been a while since I've been back there at tailback. Every week I'm put back at that position I'll be a lot better at it, I promise you that. It's going to depend on how long I can fit the position, or how long they would want me there."
The Broncos will likely sign another tailback Monday, but whoever he is won't be ready to play in Atlanta. The league could well have one of the most appealing billboard matchups in sports: The No. 1 rushing team in the world vs. the Great White Hope.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
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