Sam McGuffie

[celticdb15]

Draftdaddy just ran this article
Prized recruit that train-wreck Rich-Rod chased out of Michigan, tailback Sam McGuffie, excels at Conference USA Track & Field Championship.

http://riceowls.cstv.com/sports/m-track/spec-rel/051509aad.html

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Thanks C_Darwin! Nice article celtic!

 

[Fightingtowin]

Excellent article from SI. Seems like a really good kid. Besides missing his family and being home sick, wonder why he was so unhappy. Wonder if any of it was racial hostility. Tough to just conclude that considering the mass exodus from U of M the past two years of many unhappy players. That whole program just seems to be depressed right now. Yet I'd like to know if there is more to the story, especially to see if there is any kind of trend for white RBs like McGuffie and Sharp.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/03/29/mcguffie/index.html?eref=sihp

Edited by: Fightingtowin

 

[Leonardfan]

Sounds like McGuffie made the right decision transferring. Glad to see he will be the focal point of the offense and with a year of football under his belt and a year of strength training he should be fun to watch this year.Edited by: Leonardfan

 

[FootballDad]

Not to mention all of the work that he did with the Rice track team. It was a good article, seems like the white RB color barrier is developing a crack.

 

[white lightning]

What a great story. I love this kid. He is a stud but he still puts his family first. How many guys do that anymore? He will make a great father someday years from now. I hope he has a monster year. My only worry is that Rice will rarely be on tv. Hopefully ESPN will pick up some extra games since he is there now.

 

[whiteathlete33]

One article I was reading a few days ago listed McGuffie as an honorable mention as one of the fastest college athletes.

 

[whiteCB]

This could be a change ultimately for the better. Giving Sam that one transfer year to help mature him into a bigger, stronger, and faster young man will only help him in the long run. I just look at the transfer year as a way to gain an edge on all the other players.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Decent article from SI for a change! I hope Sam has a great season and career at Rice.

 

[JReb1]

Sam can crush the White RB myth for good if he lives up to his talents because there's NO way any DWF or so-called "experts" can convince anybody that Sam should be a FB. A White RB in the NFL with his athletic abilities would be awesome and open many doors. Hopefully Toby does really well and that will also make it easier for Sam (and other White RB's) in 3 years when he's NFL ready.

 

[FootballDad]

Roaming around on the internet I found out that during the Spring football game, he had a "breathtaking" 62-yard catch-and-run late in the game that blew everyone away.
I also found this article on the Rice website. I really look forward to seeing Sam play this year:

Finally Ready For Duty


With his transfer requirements behind him, Owls tailback Sam McGuffie is ready to run



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Sam McGuffie
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March 29, 2010





By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER


Want an image of Rice sophomore tailback Sam McGuffie more reflective of his personality than the famed YouTube video of his hurdling a hapless defender from his prep days at Cy-Fair High School?


By the middle of last week the monotony of spring practice was distracting everyone at Historic Rice Stadium. Players were shuttling in and out of the action at such a rapid rate that it was dangerously easy to lose track of personnel groupings, especially with position coaches locked in constant dialogue sharing teaching points with their players.


From the very onset of spring practice Rice coach David Bailiff set out to limit the repetitions for McGuffie, who after transferring to Rice from Michigan sat out the 2009 season to meet NCAA transfer requirements. McGuffie will play a central role in the Owls' offense this fall, and given his unbridled enthusiasm for football, Bailiff felt it best if McGuffie simply kept his engine warm. He was a proven commodity, so a few snaps would suffice. On one particular play, McGuffie felt otherwise.


With a number of third-string offensive linemen set to block and Bailiff calling for a tailback to fill a void in the backfield, McGuffie dashed into action as a most willing participant. The ball was snapped, McGuffie charged ahead, and Bailiff took a gasp as No. 3 did what came natural.


"Oh jeez," Bailiff said with an exasperated laugh. "He's in there with the 3s. So here is this rookie offensive line ... it was our (the coaches') fault.


"He wants more carries (and) he wants to be in there pass blocking. He doesn't care if he doesn't get the ball every snap, he just wants to play competitive football every snap. He is amazing because he's not worried about his carries. He just loves to practice, and if you watch him (on the field during scrimmages) and two or three plays later and he's back out, that's the only time you don't see Sam running fast. It's because we've asked him to come to the sideline and he does not want to go." <BR clear=left>
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Bailiff realizes that his is a good problem to have. Few coaches will complain when their most talented player just happens to be their most passionate, and McGuffie fits both descriptions. He was a local legend because of his exploits at Cy-Fair, and cast as an enigma due to his last minute second-guessing of his commitment to the Wolverines. But in the 15 months McGuffie has been on campus, he has proven to be nothing more than a humble and selfless teammate longing to keep his head down and work diligently at the game he loves, a game from which he was separated after opting to leave Michigan following one semester.


McGuffie was content in the knowledge that his eligibility would be restored after one season on the sideline, but he underestimated the withdrawal that nearly overwhelmed him as he bided his time. McGuffie ran track, he practically lived in the weight room, and he dove into his studies. Those endeavors were vital, but didn't scratch his football itch.


"When you've never had to sit out your whole life - ever - and you always played every season, go to practice and get the first-team reps and do everything to play on Saturdays, to not do that for a whole year was a bigger deal than I thought it would be at first," McGuffie said. "But here we are back at spring, and it seems like it flew by faster than I thought it would."


Reaching this point, where McGuffie could make a tangible impact on the program, was a challenge. When McGuffie enrolled in January 2009, Bailiff called upon his experiences from welcoming transfers while coaching at Texas State and solicited advice from cohorts in the business in developing a plan to keep McGuffie connected. His adage - `get them good as you can and get them to September' - belied the task at hand for Bailiff didn't want McGuffie taking so many snaps last spring that it cut into the reps reserved for players who were actually eligible, but he didn't want McGuffie just standing around bored out of his mind.


When spring practice opened last year, Bailiff put his plan in action. He is the first to admit that when McGuffie decided to participate with the track team, it made his job of keeping McGuffie preoccupied far easier.


"Last year we just tried to make sure he stayed into it, that he was learning football, that he was getting a couple of carries, but at the same time we were being very protective because he is extremely talented," Bailiff said. "You don't want to do anything to injure him, so we didn't give him too many carries. We gave him just enough reps to keep him involved and keep him sharp because his love for the game.


"Sam is such a competitive young man that when he made the decision last year to run track I thought that bought us time because it let Sam go over and compete and score some points for the track team (in sprints, long jump and high jump). That helped get him into the summer or I don't know that, as competitive as he is, he really could have handled it."


His track hobby notwithstanding, McGuffie viewed his most critical move as building a relationship with his teammates. His arrival on South Main was ballyhooed, but McGuffie did everything within his power to avoid heralding his own presence. He remained quiet and deferential, preferring to let the current team dynamic play itself out without interjecting or putting his personality front and center on a young team.


For McGuffie, there was no need to speak. He would not participate in 2009, so he felt it best to let veterans handle the team the way they saw fit. His day to chime in was to come, and until that day arrived, McGuffie did whatever was necessary to stay within his self-imposed boundaries.


"I was just a transfer, and last year that was their team," McGuffie said. "When you're a transfer you can't put your nose in there and start screaming at everybody. But now since that year is gone, I feel like I am part of the team. I'm going to do everything how I normally would do."


What McGuffie does is dazzle onlookers. His rare combination of speed, elusiveness and leaping ability was reputed before he showed up, but even after McGuffie began to showcase his athleticism in practice, jaws dropped. His tenacity prevents him from giving up on plays, and his quickness often allows McGuffie to gain an advantageous angle on a closing defender. His passion for the game, stoked by the hiatus, continues to push him through training and practice reps, both of which he approaches with a fervor beyond ordinary athletes who play football.


"He's like James Casey," Bailiff said of the former Rice tight end now with the Texans. "He loves to practice as much as he loves to play, and that's what makes those kinds of guys great. Every time he touches the ball he's trying to go to the end zone. He does that in ball security drills.


"You don't have to worry about Sam messing around and being late. Sam loves coming over here and wearing the uniform."


Said McGuffie: "I know that every rep I'm doing, every drill is trying to get me back in the swing of football. Lifting weights is good to maintain being strong and fast, but if you can't come out here and work hard that's not really going to help you. I take it as trying to do every drill as hard as I can and as fast as I can with the reps that I do get just because I know I do get to play next year and I'm not a transfer anymore."


That McGuffie is available excites the offensive staff, particularly the newcomers who weren't around when McGuffie flashed those occasional displays of brilliance in practice last year. Owls run game coordinator John Reagan was familiar with McGuffie from his prep days for while he was a Kansas assistant, the Jayhawks were among the first programs to offer McGuffie a scholarship. When Reagan got a firsthand glance at McGuffie, he admitted to experiencing a slight `wow' factor.


While McGuffie is unique, the attributes of greatness seem so familiar to Reagan. The athleticism, speed and attention to detail are eye opening, and while the easy correlation for Reagan is to compare McGuffie to another exceptional tailback, former Virginia Tech standout Kevin Jones, Reagan draws a closer parallel between McGuffie and former Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison, with whom Reagan shared a college roster.


"The best thing about Sam is that he works at it," Reagan said. "He loves to play, he loves to practice - he works at it. He's one of those guys you kind of dream about as a coach because he's first on the field last off the field, one of the hardest working guys through the entire practice, and he's talented. Guys like that give you a lot of options and opportunities."


Beneficially for the Owls, McGuffie isn't the same tailback Kansas hoped to sign, and he is a bigger, stronger and smarter version of the tailback who took the field at the Big House as a wide-eyed freshman against Utah in 2008. What McGuffie experienced with the Wolverines was invaluable, and after amassing 809 all-purpose yards as an undersized rookie challenging physical Big Ten defenses, McGuffie added 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot frame. He understands how to handle grand expectations better than he did while with the Wolverines, and is better equipped for the rigors of playing a dozen contests for an FBS program.


But McGuffie is still learning. Rice remains a relatively new school, Owls first-year offensive coordinator David Beaty has revamped the playbook, and the roster has turned over dramatically since his first visit during Texas Bowl preparations. So much of what is swirling about feels new, and McGuffie is taking it all in with a perspective shaped by wisdom. What was lost has been found, and now that McGuffie and football are joyously reunited, he won't take the union for granted.


"It's like that saying you never know what you have until it's gone," McGuffie said. "Even though it wasn't necessarily gone, it was out of my life for a year. I already knew I loved football before that, but now it's magnified to where I have a great respect for the game. I have a passion for the game. I love football, I love practice, and I love everything about the game.


"I know what I'm capable of. Now it's just time to put it on the field."

 

[SuperSpeed23]

Mcguffie is gonna run wild this season. i cant wait to watch!

 

[whiteathlete33]

Anyone read any of the comments under McGuffie's Youtube videos. The DWF's say he is nothing special and that he will never amount to anything because he's already had 3 concussions. The hate for this kid is incredible.

 

[celticdb15]

Breakout season on the way!!!! I cant wait

 

[SuperSpeed23]

Ive read the comments to. Hes the best white runningback in college football so it would only make sense for them to hate him the most.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

I have looked into this on various internet sources and message boards. McGuffie had one serious concussion. It was reported that a Michigan team doctor and trainers thought he could have had as many as 2 minor ones, but they were not certain.

So lets say he had one serious one, although not as serious as Tebow's last year and one minor one. With a whole year off and the extra 10-15 lbs. to his frame, he should be able to stay away from getting concussed again (if he uses his agility and instincts and braces himself when he gets hit). He won't get knocked back as hard with his extra 10-15 lbs- and his year off could have been a blessing in disguise b/c his head has had time to adjust to his concussion(s) and I'm sure he worked out his neck muscles in the weight room with trainers- which can only help. He's also increased his 3rd gear speed. He's improved his 100 meter time from 10.86 to 10.7 and even more impressive is that he had a near world class 60 meter time (sub 6.8?). And we already knew his 10 yard burst and agility is very Chris Johnson/ Danny Woodhead like. McGuffie is the real deal!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

His 60 meter time was actually 6.82. Here's what I previously posted:

In college track, the 60 meters would appear to be his event. Or he could give the 110 hurdles a try with his amazing finesse and leaping ability. With a PERSONAL BEST time of 10.86 in the 100 meters in H.S, which is fabulous for H.S meets, he will never win any COMPETITIVE Division IA meet in college unless he can start setting new PBs consistently.

As far as football is concerned: my guess would be that he has better top-end speed than 75% of the RBs WHO GET PLAYING TIME in the NFL, but it is his ACCELERATION that sets him apart. He'd probably be a 4.45 40 guy without the INSANE burst.

Compare Guff's 60 meter time to Pickering's best time this year of 6.57=0.25 sec difference=10/6*0.25 for 100 meters=0.42 seconds and add that to Pickering's best 100 meter time last year: 10.15 (If I recall) and Guff would be running a 10.57 with holding an equal top-end speed to Pickering. He probably actually has ACCELERATION in the same range of Pickering and other world-class sprinters in the world (even Bolt); that is how quickly Sam gets up to top speed (but, he doesn't have the same drive phase or top-end speed endurance).

Edited to add: And he should surely improve his 60 meter times; if he puts more time into track; which is hard to get really focused in with his football commitments. (Guff actually ran a 10.7 100 meter last year)

 

[JonCurtis]

The countdown begins to 11/13 when I get to witness Sam in person in the Superdome against Tulane. I hope he has a great game and I am there to view the person who can single handedly crush the slow white running back myth.

 

[backrow]

Sam is one of top 10 impact transfer according to Bleacher Report, shockingly they have a white WR, white TE and Sam on it in addition to few QBs. nice list, all in all.

 

[StarWars]

At Michigan McGuffie looked a bit immature and not very powerful, but his raw natural ability still allowed him to make some plays. He was still pretty impressive, even when he wasn't himself. His burst and cutting ability is simply unbelieveable.
A 6.82 in the 60 is quite impressive for a football guy. His 10.84 is not so impressive but still solid. In highschool I seem to remember him high jumping, hurdling, and long jumping very well. The more explosive and shorter the event, the better he does. His 24 ft 8 inch long jump has got to be one of the farthest long jumps ever by a football player. I can't wait to watch this guy play at Rice. He may not be as fast as Jake Sharp (or even close in the 100), but his explosive ability may even be better already. I predict a monster season, even Heisman worthy (though he won't get it no matter what).

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

McGuffie actually ran a 10.70 last year for the Rice track team in the Conference USA 100 meter semi finals. Jake Sharp and Hunter Furr were both 10.4x guys in H.S, but McGuffie still has good RB top end speed for the FBS level and would still be above average even for RBs who get playing time in the NFL.

I agree though- that it is his ankle braking moves, short area quickness and 10-20 yard burst that sets him apart. Hopefully his added 12-15 lbs. will allow him to fall forward better upon contact and reduce his chance of repeat concussions this year.

 

[FootballDad]

Sam was named second-team All Conference USA by caste Phil Steele's College Football Review. Although by the end of the year, he should be first team, based on performance, it's actually shocking that this caste whore mag would even MENTION a white RB as being all-conference anything.

 

[SuperSpeed23]

Im sure all the idiots will be shocked when sam puts up a heisman worthy season.

 

[FootballDad]

Now that the season is drawing near, it's time for a Sam McGuffie update. This is from the Houston Chronicle a few days ago, it's exciting to see this type of article in regards to a paleface running back. I'm hoping there are more RB's like Sam to come, and I really hope that he has a Heisman-quality season.


<DIV id=story->
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<H1 ="entry-title">Running under the spotlight</H1>
<H2>Rice coach David Bailiff hopes RB Sam McGuffie can live up to the hype and give the Owls' offense a much-needed boost</H2>
<H3>By JEFFREY MARTIN Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle</H3>
<H4><ABBR title=2010-08-08T02:35:00Z ="updated">Aug. 7, 2010, 9:35PM</ABBR></H4>
<DIV id=tool-bar-ad ="CHRON_ad">
<DIV ="deferredLoad">The arrival of running back Sam McGuffie, right, will bring a new dimension to Rice's offense.
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<DIV id=share-module ="module-container">
<DIV ="module-mast">The second question directed to Rice coach David Bailiff during Saturday's season-opening news conference was about Sam McGuffie, and it was surprising only because it wasn't asked first.
<DIV ="entry-">


Before Bailiff could respond, McGuffie, who was seated nearby, began to squirm. The transfer running back from Michigan, a YouTube sensation out of Cy-Fair, pulled the brim of his dark blue Owls baseball cap low, as if he were trying to hide.


"You've all seen his high school video,"Â￾ Bailiff said. "Coming from Michigan, Sam is one of the premier running backs â€" could be â€" in the country. We have to get Sam the football, create some space for him and let Sam do what Sam does best."Â￾


What he's done best for the past year or so, ever since he left Ann Arbor and enrolled at Rice, is represent hope. Gaining nearly 6,000 yards in high school in this state isn't done by accident, and neither is rushing 118 times for 486 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman in the Big Ten.


McGuffie says he's still all of that â€" and likely more.


"What I did at Michigan wasn't a good judge of what can really happen, what I can do,"Â￾ McGuffie said "I got hurt and I was smaller. Mentally, I wasn't there all the way. Where I was then, still being able to start, play and do all of that, I did OK. But in my eyes, it wasn't anything.


"It's totally different than I am now. Not sure if it's more mature, but it's like I fell into my shoes. In high school, I had no hair on my face â€" I was just a young blood. I didn't know anything. But that year of sitting back, I got to see and take everything in. It let me appreciate the game more."Â￾


Clearly, he didn't miss the media crush.



<H3>A sheepish savior </H3>


A throng of television cameras and digital recorders engulfed McGuffie, who sheepishly answered their queries, the dark blue cap still pulled low. He admitted he was embarrassed by all of the attention, although he had to expect it after transferring home.


"It's like the pope is here or something,"Â￾ he said.


Not quite, but it's fair to suggest that McGuffie is being viewed as some sort of savior for an offense that could use a considerable boost following a 2-10 season. New offensive coordinator David Beaty didn't address McGuffie by name, but it was nonetheless clear whom he was talking about.


"We have some great talent,"Â￾ Beaty said. "We're looking to getting the ball into guys' hands that can do something with it. We think we have some systems in place to be able to do that."Â￾


At Michigan, McGuffie said he'd go from playing the slot to running back on consecutive downs, and he isn't resistant to doing the same thing with the Owls. He's in great shape, as his bulging biceps will attest, and he's dreaming of a bowl bid.


Finally, Sam McGuffie is relaxed. He's also home.


"I didn't know jack,"Â￾ he said. "Looking back, I realized how dumb I was. That first year at Michigan and last year here were total contrasts â€" they put me right into the fire, and then they took me out.


"I have this year to balance it out, to see what I'm made of."Â￾



<H3>All work, now play </H3>


Beaty and Bailiff, who jokingly referred to McGuffie last year as a "one-man stimulus package,"Â￾ already have a good idea.


"It's been a tough year on him and us knowing he was over there and couldn't play, but he's so excited to get out there today,"Â￾ Bailiff said. "He's a lot like (former Rice tight end) James Casey â€" the first one here, the last to leave. He loves football and loves to practice.


"We can't wait to see him out there in the blue, carrying the ball."Â￾

 

[Highlander]

"What I did at Michigan wasn't a good judge of what can really happen, what I can do," McGuffie said "I got hurt and I was smaller. Mentally, I wasn't there all the way. Where I was then, still being able to start, play and do all of that, I did OK. But in my eyes, it wasn't anything."<div>

"It's totally different than I am now. Not sure if it's more mature, but it's like I fell into my shoes. In high school, I had no hair on my face â€" I was just a young blood. I didn't know anything. But that year of sitting back, I got to see and take everything in. It let me appreciate the game more."

Some more evidence that White's tend to physically mature later than blacks, on the whole. It would've been more beneficial for him (and other White males), IMO, to delay entering school by one year. Sounds like it would've helped McGuffie here. Anyway, I'm glad he's feeling great now and hope he has an excellent season.



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<div></div>Edited by: Highlander