white running backs

[jared]

Well I took a look on rivals to see how many white running backs have been recruited so far. I didn't include guys who would obviously be switched to fullback. most all of these guys were well under 6 feet tall and under 200 lbs. anyway.
JJ Diluigi, BYU *wasn't sure on the pictures I found of him because they weren't labeled.
Mitch Burroughs, Boise State
Phillip Morelli, Colorado State
Robbie Frey, Connecticut
Alan Vanderink, Kent
Scott Concannon, Northwestern
Dan Dierking, Purdue
Joe Martinek, Rutgers
Not bad so far.

 

[devans]

From the Rhode Island web site
[url]http://gorhody.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/uri-m-footbl-body.ht ml[/url]
Derek Cassidy rushes for two touchdowns and Jimmy Hughes rumbles for 108 yards, but it is the Blue Hens bouncing back for the victory in both teams' Atlantic 10 opener

 

[JoeV]

Jon DragerFrom Kent State, he has been hurt alot the past couple years and was just recently switched to tailback after being a d-back, but he has been getting alot of carries lately, and should see significant time in the battle for the wagon wheel against Akron today.

 

[backrow]

the service academies, despite Air Force's Fischer DeBerry's attitude regarding whites, continue to play quite a few talented white athletes. Navy "fullback" Adam Ballard is an outstanding running back. as with all their players, Navy does a terrible job of providing info on their website, so a link would be worthless. Here's what Fox sports has to say about Adam:

The 240-pound Ballard was an afterthought in the offense with Matt Hall getting all the work, and then Hall went down with a knee injury and Ballard exploded rushing for 167 yards against Temple, 192 against Army, and 129 against Colorado State finishing second on the team in rushing despite getting most of his work in the final three-and-a-half games. He's a battering ram of a blocker and a tough runner with the speed to break off the big play once he busts through the line.

Adam finished the season with 190 carries, 668 yds, 6.1 ypc, 6 TD, 5 catches, 78 yds, 15.6 ypc.


showing what would be called "breakaway speed" if he were black:

here's a quote from navy website:

"Postseason honors candidate ... ranked as the 11th best fullback in the country by The Sporting News ... enters the fall as Navy's starting fullback ... big, bruising runner that possesses outstanding speed ... played tailback in high school ... has dropped 17 pounds and should be even quicker to the hole this year ... became the first player in school history to rush for over 100 yards in the first-three starts of a career when he rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown against Temple, 192 yards and two touchdowns against Army and 129 yards against Colorado State ... has a chance to be a special player in this offense ... "

Adam is lighter and faster yet he hasn't lost any strength after shedding 17 pounds...
he has 439 yards so far this season (including 3 rushes for 87 (!) yards so far in a game vs Huskies) and 6.1 ypc average.

i wonder if Adam has a shot at NFL at all?Edited by: backrow

 

[white lightning]

How about Wake Forest with their running back Kevin Harris.He had 8 carries for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns today!This kid is going to be a monster when he gets the bulk load of the touches starting next year.I can't wait.He has the potential to lead the nation is rushing.Wake Forest was the only school that recruited him to be a running back.At least someone did and I hope he shows all of the other schools what they are missing out on!Great game Kevin.

 

[jaxvid]

Vinnie Perretta of Boise State rushed 12 times for 65 yards and a TD in their win over Utah. Perretta was listed as a WR but got nearly as many rushes as Ian Johnson who had 14. Anyone know what happened here? I see Johnson fumbled but Perretta's move to running back is encouraging especially as it is Boise St. The only article I found on him talked about his speed as a receiver.

 

[Leonardfan]

Adam Ballard of Navy had 3 carries for 88 yds

 

[Freedom]

Toby Gerhart hasn't played yet. Lets hope for 20 carries.

 

[white lightning]

How can they give Ballard only 3 carries.What a joke.Damn the madness continues.He's another Alstott.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Toby Gerhart is getting a lot of work in the first half against UCLA. 9 carries for 24 yards and a 14 yard catch so far.

 

[backrow]

i think despite of his last name Peretta might be mixed ethnically.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Gerhart ended up with 12 carries for 31 yards and a 14 yard grab in a shutout by UCLA. UCLA Freshman RB Chane Moline had 2 rushing TDs and a 5 yard catch.

 

[Leonardfan]

In addition to Kevin Harris (who runs a reported 4.48) they also have freshman Lucas Caparelli who runs a 4.4. Not sure if he will see the field this year however. I will be looking out for Kevin Harris and Caparelli for the rest of the season. I was not aware of Harris until this site brought him to my attention. Lets hope he has a big game tomorrow.

 

[white tornado]

Josiah Sears
RS Junior

Hometown:
Greenfield, Ind.

High School:
Greenfield Central

Height / Weight:
6-0 / 238

Rushed for 100 yards a one td last week on nine rushes, and has already has scored again this week. Not suprisingly he was a walk on.


Edited by: white tornado

 

[backrow]

How about Wake Forest with their running back Kevin Harris.He had 8 carries for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns today!This kid is going to be a monster when he gets the bulk load of the touches starting next year.I can't wait.He has the potential to lead the nation is rushing.Wake Forest was the only school that recruited him to be a running back.At least someone did and I hope he shows all of the other schools what they are missing out on!Great game Kevin.

he's having another great game today vs Clemson, 6 carries for 44 yards, avg of 7.3 in a first half!

Kevin TD vs Liberty

 

[Colonel_Reb]

He ended up with 12 for 50 yards. Its a shame they lost that game.

 

[white lightning]

I agree Colonel_Reb.They gave up 24 points in the 4th quarter.It looked like another easy win for them.Talk about the wheels falling off in a hurry.They need to get Kevin Harris the ball for around 20 plus times a game.He gets around 10 touches on the average and that is just not enough.This kid will be special.He is another Kyle Bell.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Adam Ballard is having a great day for Navy, with 117 yards on 24 runs with 11 minutes to go in the game. Chad Hall from Air Force has 9 carries for 58 yards.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Jacob Hester lead both teams in rushing in his game today. He had 9 carries for 43 yards plus 5 catches for 23 yards and a TD.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

VMI RB Sean Mizzer had his teams only score on a long one, 68 yards. He had 13 carries for 114 yards and a TD.

In other I-AA RB news, Kyle Steffes had 26 for 128 and a TD against Georgia Southern, who's white RB Chris Covington was held to 1 score and 22 yards on 12 carries.

Brown RB Brandon Markey was used sparingly, but had 9 runs and 14 yards while still trying to get back to 100% from an injury a couple of weeks ago.

Penn RB Joe Sandberg had 12 for 112 and a TD, and team-mate Sam Shepherd chipped in 10 yards on 2 runs.

Princeton RB R.C. Langomarsino had 14 carries for 39 yards, while team-mate RB Rob Toresco added 31 on 7 carries and a score.

Rhode Island star RB Joe Casey had 28 carries for 163 yards, and his team-mate Jimmy Hughes had 5 carries for 87 yards.

Way to go guys!

 

[Deus Vult]

Jacob Hester lead both teams in rushing in his game today. He had 9 carries for 43 yards plus 5 catches for 23 yards and a TD.

And he may have been cheated of a rushing TD. That was a close call. Then, on the 1 foot line, DuhMarcus Russell fumbled the ball and LSU never menaced the goal line again...

 

[whiteCB]

Wow I bet Clemson was shocked they actually had to tackle a white person running the ball and it wasn't the QB. That D must have been pumped up to hit Harris. I wonder why?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

some news sources are starting to recognize Vanderbilt's Jared Hawkins... somehow he's not getting the ball despite being incredibly explosive. the following article, despite including a few backhanded compliments, is very impressed by Jared's ability...

Give the ball to Hawkins
First, the running back situation has to get some serious attention. Cassen Jackson-Garrison is a stellar athlete with perhaps the biggest up-side of any Vandy running back of this decade. He has the physical stature of an SEC running back, and once he gets a head of steam he can steamroll a linebacker into the turf. But that's the problem: Cassen isn't getting a head of steam. He hesitates and stutter steps almost every time he is handed the ball, which gives opposing linebackers and safeties just enough time to make a quick adjustment and clog up the holes.

Against Ole Miss, Jackson-Garrison had 18 carries for 62 yards (not including a 17-yard loss that should be pinned on a terrible pitch by Adams). That's just about his season average of 65 yards, which is not going to make any SEC defensive coordinators shake in his Nikes.

By comparison, redshirt freshman running back Jared Hawkins has put up eye-popping numbers with a fraction of the touches. For the season, Hawkins has just 20 carries, but has gained 182 yards -- a nine yard average. Hawkins has three touchdowns, tied with Nickson for the team-high, and among his 20 carries is the team's longest run fron scrimmage, 41 yards.

So why isn't Hawkins getting more carries? The reasoning has been that Jackson-Garrison, he of much larger stature, is a more formiddable blocker. But, perhaps Vandy wouldn't need their starting tailback to chip block in the backfield if they were getting more third and shorts. Against Ole Miss, Vandy converted an astounding eight of 16 third downs, compared to Mississippi's one-for-12. But seven of this third downs were for middle or long yardage.

The book on Hawkins was always that he was too small and too "unathletic" to be a major conference tailback. When all the attention was lauded on fellow classmate Daniel Dufrene, all Hawkins did was bury him on the field. Dufrene, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, quit the team last spring after burning his redshirt season.

Hawkins may not look like a tough guy to bring down, but you don't have to be Mel Kiper to be able to see why he is succeeding. Whereas Jackson-Garrison could be faulted for stalling out plays with indecision, Hawkins makes quick reads and charges through holes. And, once he breaks through the line, Hawkins makes another quick read, and takes off like a rocket. Hawkins is quick, but he's no shrinking violet. He is a tough kid with a no nonsense attitude, and has consistently played through a series of undisclosed injuries without a complaint.

Hawkins came to Vanderbilt from talent-rich Texas after being snubbed by almost every Big 12 program. Vandy's coaches were credited with a real recruiting find, daring to look at his production rather than his stature. Now, perhaps Vandy's coaches should ask themselves if perhaps they are guilty of making the same misguided evaluations that landed Hawkins at VU in the first place. When you see what Hawkins has done, you have to ask yourself, what must he do to to improve his situation?

If Coach Johnson is going to make a change, the most obvious place to start is at running back. In this case, the numbers don't lie. Hawkins has earned the chance to see what he can do as the #1 tailback.

Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

some GREAT news out of LSU...

LSU's Hester shines in loss</font>
Tigers running back plays well in his first collegiate start.
October 7, 2006
By Glenn Guilbeau
gguilbeau@gannett.com

GAINESVILLE, Fla. "It may be too late for a Southeastern Conference West title, but LSU may have finally found the tailback it has been searching for all season in its 23-10 loss to Florida on Saturday.

Junior Jacob Hester, who started at fullback for the first five games, started the first game of his career at tailback and responded with 68 total yards. He rushed nine times for 43 yards and caught five passes for 25, including a 2-yard touchdown.

More importantly, he hit holes hard, ran hard and was harder to bring down than some of the other backs LSU has used this season.

"I just found out today at the hotel," said Hester, who gained 868 yards as a fullback his senior year at Evangel High in Shreveport. "I was pumped up "" my first start ever at tailback. Too bad it didn't have a better outcome."

Hester apparently gave LSU a 14-7 lead with an impressive 10-yard touchdown run through a quick-opening hole. He ran through Florida defenders Brian Crum and Reggie Nelson and pushed his way into the end zone. Officials said he was down at the 1-yard line, however, because his arm touched the ground while he was on top of one of the Gators. An replay review let the call stand and LSU had a second and goal from the 1. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell fumbled the snap over to Florida on the next play, and LSU never got close to the lead again.

"I sure thought I had a touchdown," Hester said. "To me it seemed like I was on top of the guy. I never touched the ground. Obviously, they felt different. I felt like I was on top of him the whole time and got into the end zone. I definitely thought I scored."

Florida, which intercepted Russell three times and recovered two fumbles, later drove 72 yards in nine plays to take a 14-7 lead into halftime that quickly grew to 23-7 early in the third quarter.

"We had mistakes that killed us," Hester said.

During LSU's 17-play, 75-yard drive that led up to Russell's fumble at the 1, Hester said he felt like the Tigers were about to dominate the game.

"Oh man, we felt like we could do anything," he said.

LSU had taken a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game by going 73 yards in nine plays with Hester gaining nine yards on two carries. In the ill-fated, 75-yard drive, Hester caught a 14-yard pass on third and 10 to keep it alive.

LSU outgained Florida 318 to 288. Russell completed 24-of-41 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown, but he was intercepted three times, including twice in the fourth quarter with one inside the Gators' 25 and the other at the goal line.

"It was like any time we touched the ball we moved it," Hester said. "It came down to finishing, and we didn't."

Jacob Hester runs in practice

 

[lumsdenpower]

He will be the starting RB for the rest of season?