| April 18, 2005 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 11:28 AM |
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| Starter- Willis McGahee Backup- With Willis McGahee stepping up and salvaging the Bills running attack (and season) it has made Travis Henry expendable. Refusing to submit to a backup role, the Bills have granted the gritty back the opportunity to shop himself around the league. The Bills seem to have found a trading partner with Arizona, with OT L.J. Shelton coming to the Bills. Just as with the QB position, the Bills will need to find a durable and reliable backup for McGahee. The 2005 draft is deep at running back, while the RB market in NFL free agency is quickly drying up. Look for the Bills to make attempts to sign a veteran backup for Willis at a reasonable price, while drafting a RB on day one is also a very strong possibility. |
Few teams in college football have ever had a running back tandem with the ability and production that Auburn received from Ronnie and Carnell Williams. Brown, blessed with the size of a fullback and the speed of a sprinter, is an excellent receiver, in addition to his skills as a power runner. Ronnie had his most productive season in 2002 and he gained a career-high 1008 yards with thirteen touchdowns on 175 carries (5.8 avg). He also snared nine passes for 166 yards (18.4 avg) and a score. With Williams healthy and junior college sensation Brandon Jacobs also on the roster, Ronnie’s figures dipped in 2003. He ranked third on the squad with 95 attempts for 446 yards (4.7 avg) and five touchdowns. He also had eight receptions for 80 yards. The crowded backfield from 2003 was reduced by one in 2004, as Jacobs transferred to Southern Illinois. Brown again shared duties with Williams, starting seven games as he totaled 913 yards on 153 carries (6.0 avg) and scored eight times. He ranked second on the team with 34 catches for 313 yards (9.2 avg) and a touchdown. Despite starting only 21 of 47 games for the Tigers, he finished his career ranked seventh with 2707 yards rushing and an average of 5.28 yards per carry. He ranks fifth in school annals with 28 rushing touchdowns, having carried the ball 513 times. Brown also had 58 receptions for 668 yards (11.5 avg) and two scores, adding 15 yards on a kickoff return. His 180 points scored rank tied for eighth on Auburn’s all-time record list. 
Cedric is a quick, elusive and physical back who models his game after his hero, 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. He also possesses great vision and balance. “Cedric runs big, doesn't get knocked off his feet very easily and hits the hole quickly,” offensive coordinator Greg Davis says. Benson is a product of the Longhorns’ renowned training room, and has gotten bigger and stronger each year, gaining more than 20 pounds since arriving at the university as a freshman. As a senior, Benson was the winner of the 2004 Doak Walker Award and Cingular ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year Award. He was a semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award and earned first-team All-American honors from ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Cedric was a unanimous firstteam All-Big Twelve selection and earned conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Austin-American Statesman. He started all year, rushing for 1,834 yards (third-best on the UT single-season list) and 19 touchdowns (fourth-best 4 on the UT single-season list), while catching 22 passes for 179 yards. In 49 games, Cedric carried 1,112 times for 5.540 yards (5.0 avg) and 64 touchdowns. His 5540 yards rank sixth on the NCAA Division 1-A career-record list and is topped only by Ricky Williams (6279, 1995-98) on the Longhorns’ all-time record chart. He is only the fifth back in NCAA history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons. His 64 touchdowns are surpassed only by Williams (72) and Travis Prentice of Miami, Ohio (73, 1996-99) on the NCAA’s career-record list. He also set an NCAA record by scoring at least once in 37 games. In the 25 games that Cedric ran for over 100 yards, the Longhorns won every contest. Benson also caught 69 passes for 621 yards (9.0 avg) and three scores. His 6161 all-purpose yards rank second in school annals, surpassed only by Ricky Williams (7206). He is one of three players in NCAA history to rush for 5,000 yards and score 400 points. 262 of his 1,112 career carries have gone for first downs (23.6%) and Cedric gained 3,108 of his 5,540 career rushing yards (56.1%) after contact. Only 84 of his 1,112 career carries have resulted in lost yardage (once every 13.2 carries). His 404 career points rank second in Texas history and fourth in NCAA annals among non-kickers.
Carnell teamed with Ronnie Brown to give the Tigers the premier running back tandem in college football. While most teams would love to have one franchise runner, the Tigers boasted two, and found ways to utilize both of their skills. They both pushed each other to succeed, as there was no animosity between the two best friends over shared playing time. In 2004, he garnered All-American honors and was named to the All-Southeastern Conference first-team as both a running back and return specialist. Williams led the team in rushing for the third time in his career. He carried 239 times for 1165 yards (4.9 avg) and made marked improvement as a receiver, catching 21 passes for 152 yards (7.2 avg) and a score. He returned eight kickoffs for 150 yards (18.8 avg) and totaled 251 yards on 22 attempts (11.4 avg) in his first venture into handling punt returns. He also completed his only pass attempt for a 29-yard touchdown. Carnell closed out the season with 1718 all-purpose yards. Only James Brooks (1800 yards in 1979) and Bo Jackson (1859 in 1985) gained more all-purpose yards in a season for the Tigers. In 42 games at Auburn, Carnell rushed 741 times for 3831 yards (5.2 avg) and 45 touch-downs, breaking the old school career-records of 657 rushing attempts by Joe Cribbs (1976-79) and 43 scores by Bo Jackson (1982-85). Only Jackson (4303) gained more yards on the ground in school history. He added 342 yards on 45 receptions (7.6 avg) with a touchdown, returned 22 punts for 251 yards (11.4 avg), had 29 kickoff returns for 609 yards (21.0 avg) and completed both pass attempts for 48 yards and a score. Williams scored a school career-record 276 points, topping the old mark of 274 points by Bo Jackson. He finished his career with 5033 all-purpose yards, ranking second in school annals behind James Brooks (5596, 1977-80). 
A model of consistency, Ciatrick played in every game during his career (38), earning fifteen starts. He became the first Florida runner to lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing since 1993. Ciatrick is also only the seventh player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He saw action in every game as a true freshman in 2002, but only carried the ball nine times for 27 yards and a score. Despite sharing playing time with Ran Carthon and starting only two games, Fason ranked second on the team with 583 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries (6.9 avg) in 2003. He also gained 142 yards with three scores on eleven receptions (12.9 avg). Fason took over the starting tailback duties in 2004. He earned All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors from the Associated Press, as he led the conference in rushing. He had the sixth-best rushing total in school history with 1267 yards on 222 carries (5.7 avg), adding ten touchdowns on the ground. He ranked third on the squad with 35 receptions for 266 yards (7.6 avg) and a pair of scores. Fason closed out his career with 315 carries for 1877 yards (6.0 avg) and fourteen touchdowns. He also hauled in 46 passes for 408 yards (8.9 avg) and five scores. 
Kay-Jay is a physical running back with great vision. He is a big, fast runner who has worked to become a more durable ball carrier and shows plenty of big-play potential. Harris transferred to West Virginia in 2003, where he played behind Quincy Wilson. Despite not starting any games, he totaled 524 yards and four touchdowns on 91 attempts (5.8 avg). He also caught five passes for 111 yards (22.2 avg) and returned 18 kickoffs for 372 yards (20.7 avg). He totaled 1483 yards on 256 carries (5.8 avg) with fourteen touch-downs in 23 games with the Mountaineers. Harris also snatched 25 passes for 292 yards (11.7 avg) and three scores, adding 372 yards on 18 kickoff returns (20.7 avg). For his entire collegiate career, he boasts an impressive average of 6.7 yards per carry. In 40 games, he amassed 3428 yards and 33 touchdowns on 508 rushing attempts. He also gained 1111 yards on 44 kickoff returns (25.3 avg) and a score. 
Eric is a bruising scoring machine whose style of play has been compared to Pittsburgh Steelers standout Jerome Bettis. He is a big, physical inside runner who shows very nimble feet for a player of his size. Eric played as a true freshman at Florida State in 2001, finishing fourth on the team with 29 carries for 130 yards (4.5 avg) and a score. But, after the regular season, he sat down with coach Bobby Bowden and requested his release, which he was granted. He transferred to Louisville, sitting out the 2002 season under NCAA transfer rules. In 2003, Eric collected 790 yards with ten scores on 166 attempts (4.8 avg). In a fierce preseason battle, he wrestled the starting tailback job from Lionel Gates. Shelton would go on to lead the team with 146 carries for 938 yards (6.4 avg) and 20 touchdowns, ranking sixth in the nation in scoring with 120 points. His 20 scores tied the school season-record that was first set by Lenny Lyles in 1957. Eric added 35 yards on six catches (5.8 avg). In 22 games with the Cardinals, he totaled 1728 yards on 312 carries (5.5 avg) and had 30 touchdown runs. Only Lenny Lyles (43, 1954-57) had more scores on the ground in school history. He also gained 54 yards on seven receptions (7.7 avg). Including his 2001 season at Florida State, Eric accounted for 341 rushing attempts for 1858 yards (5.4 avg) and 30 scores in 33 contests. 
Vernand is an explosive and talented back who showed the college football world what he was capable of at the end of the 2003 season. When starter Tatum Bell was sidelined with minor injuries, Morency answered with an exclamation point. He continued to excel on the football field in 2004. When head coach Les Miles departed the program to take over at Louisiana State, Vernand, at age 25, decided the time was right for him to test his wares in the National Football League. He arrived on Oklahoma State’s campus in 2002, playing in six games as a true freshman. Morency gained 269 yards on 58 carries (4.6 avg) with three touchdowns, but missed the last five games with a high ankle sprain. The following season, Vernand ranked second on the team with 918 yards and eight touchdowns on 135 carries (6.8 avg), starting the final two regular season games when Tatum Bell was injured. In 2004, Vernand amassed 1474 yards with twelve touchdowns on 258 carries (5.7 avg). He also gained 101 yards on five catches with a score. He closed out his career with 451 rushing attempts for 2661 yards (5.9 avg) and 23 touchdowns. His 2661 yards rank eighth on the school’s career-record list. He also had eleven receptions for 119 yards (10.8 avg), including a score and returned ten kickoffs for 224 yards (22.4 avg) while appearing in thirty games. 
J.J. is an emerging talent who unleashed one of the greatest rushing seasons in Pac-10 Conference history and arguably the most productive of any 2004 running back in the nation. He was voted a consensus first-team All-American and was the country’s only 2,000-yard rusher. He not only led the NCAA in total rushing yards and yards per carry, but was also the only player to rush for 100+ yards in every game, as he gained the most yards by a Pac-10 rusher since Marcus Allen of Southern California totaled 2427 yards in 1981. Arrington transferred to California for the 2003 season, sharing halfback duties with Adimchinobe Echemandu. He started twice, gaining 607 yards with five touchdowns on 107 carries (5.7 avg). He also caught 21 passes for 178 yards (8.5 avg) and three scores, adding 39 yards on a pair of kickoff returns. J.J. earned All-American, All-Pac 10 Conference and Pop Warner Award (top player on the West Coast) honors as a senior. He led the nation in rushing with a school season-record 2018 yards on 289 carries (7.0 avg) and fifteen touchdowns. His 2018 yards topped the old school record of 1460 yards by Chuck Muncie in 1975, while his 289 carries broke the previous Cal record of 241 by Russell White in 1991. His 15 touchdowns surpassed the old record of fourteen, first set by White in 1991 and matched by Lindsey Chapman in 1993. Only Marcus Allen of Southern California (2427 in 1981) gained more yards rushing in a season in Pac-10 Conference history. Arrington also caught 21 passes for 121 yards (5.8 avg), finishing with a school season-record 2139 all-purpose yards. That figure topped the previous mark of 1871 yards by Muncie in 1975. In 25 games with the Bears, J.J. amassed 2625 yards with 20 touchdowns on 396 carries (6.6 avg). He added 299 yards and three scores on 42 receptions (7.1 avg) and 39 yards on two kickoff returns. His 2963 all-purpose yards rank eleventh on the school’s careerrecord list. 
Perhaps the most highly touted transfer in Southern Illinois history, Brandon joined fellow transfers Terry Jackson (Minnesota) and Arkee Whitlock (Coffeyville Community College) in forming the most explosive backfield in college football at any level. Jacobs led a running corps that accounted for 42 of the team's 65 touchdowns and 3404 of the squad;s 6032 yards in total offense during his only season with the Salukis. Brandon enrolled at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in 2001 and rushed for 927 yards and thirteen touchdowns on 130 carries (7.1 avg) in ten regular season games, adding 422 yards and four scores in playoff action en route to being named to the All-Jayhawk Conference team. In 2002, he led the conference in rushing with 1638 yards and 17 touchdowns on 243 carries (6.7 avg), adding another 258 yards and three scores on 24 carries in the playoffs. Brandon enrolled at Auburn for the 2003 season. He was part of a shuttling system at halfback, sharing time with Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams. He finished the year ranked second on the team with 72 carries for 446 yards (6.2 avg) and three touchdowns. Hoping to get an opportunity for more playing time, Jacobs again transferred, arriving on Southern Illinois' campus prior to the 2004 season. Even though he still had to split time with Terry Jackson and Arkee Whitlock, he totaled 992 yards with sixteen touchdowns on 150 carries (6.6 avg), adding 83 yards on eight receptions (10.4 avg) and 140 yards on six kickoff returns (23.3 avg). In three collegiate stops, Brandon performed in 42 games. He gained a total of 4003 yards with 52 touchdowns on 595 carries (6.7 avg), caught twelve passes for 136 yards (11.3 avg) and returned six kickoffs for 140 yards (23.3 avg). 
The son of former NFLer, Marion Barber, Jr., the younger Barber’s style of play is quite similar to his father – a quick, power runner with good receiving skills who also adds value as a punt returner. It was fitting that in his last game as a Gopher that Marion surpassed his father for second place on the school’s career-record list with 35 touchdowns rushing. In 2004 he started eleven games, he finished second on the team with 1269 yards and eleven touchdowns on 231 carries (5.5 avg). He added 110 yards on 19 punt returns (5.8 avg) and 206 yards on ten kickoff returns (20.6 avg), as he totaled 1612 all-purpose yards. In 38 games with the Gophers, Marion carried the ball 575 times for 3276 yards (5.7 avg) and 35 touchdowns. He also gained 190 yards on 21 receptions (9.0 avg), 515 yards on 47 punt returns (11.0 avg) and 514 yards on 23 kickoff returns (22.3 avg). His 4495 all-purpose yards rank second in school history behind Thompson (5109). He also completed four of seven pass attempts for 59 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. 
Ryan is a jitterbug type of runner with excellent quickness through the rush lanes. The WAC Player of the Year had a banner season in 2004. He led the conference and ranked seventh in the nation in rushing. Ryan set school season-records with 288 carries for 1774 yards and 18 touchdowns, topping the previous marks of 281 attempts by Derrick Douglas (1989), 1351 yards by Jason Davis (1991) and 17 scores by Arry Moody (1976). His 1890 all-purpose yards set another Tech record, as he added 116 yards and a score on 15 catches. In 34 games with the Bulldogs, Ryan started 22 times. He finished with 499 carries for 3176 yards (6.4 avg) and 28 touchdowns. His 499 runs rank seventh on the school’s all-time record list. His 28 scoring runs are surpassed only by Arry Moody (36) and Charles McDaniel (52, 1971-74). He also caught 48 passes for 441 yards (9.2 avg) and two scores, adding 4 yards on a blocked punt and 75 yards on four kickoff returns. Moats totaled 3696 all-purpose yards as a Bulldog. 
Not a flashy player, but was consistently strong while at Tennessee...Has good size for a tailback with the power to push the pile up the middle and the speed to bounce a run outside...Showed good hands and outstanding awareness as a receiver...A willing blocker who understands his responsibilities in blitz situations...Did struggle with injury in college, so durability is an area of concern heading into this draft...Needs to do a better job of holding onto the ball...Was never a 30 carry per game guy at UT...Ran for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior despite sharing snaps with Gerald Riggs...Hopes to follow in a long line of Tennessee backs who have gone on to productive NFL careers 
One of the most prolific runners and all-purpose performers in college football history, Darren rushed for a Kansas State career-record 4,979 yards, a figure that ranks eleventh all-time on the NCAA career rushing chart and third on the Big Twelve Conference career-record list. He also totaled a conference record 6,812 all-purpose yards, which ranks sixth on the NCAA's career list. In all, Sproles set 23 records while at Kansas State, including virtually every career, singleseason and single-game mark for both rushing and all-purpose yards. He holds the KSU records for both career touchdowns (48) and career rushing touchdowns (45). Darren totaled an incredible 24 career 100-yard rushing games, with five 200-yard rushing performances, and averaged 110.6 yards per game during his career.Darren possesses an incredible work ethic and was referred to as “Dudley Dooright” by quarterback Dylan Meier because he always seems to do the right thing. He is extremely quick in and out of the hole, causing The Sporting News to call him the Big Twelve’s “fastest running back.” Sproles also served two seasons as a player representative and his senior campaign as one of five team captains.Sproles finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy with 134 votes (15 first-place, 30 second and 29 third) and third in The Associated Press Player of the Year voting in 2003. He was runnerup for the Doak Walker Award and named the Big Twelve Conference Player of the Year by College Football News. Darren led the nation in total rushing yards with a K-State single-season record 1,986 on 306 carries (6.5 avg). He ranked third on the NCAA's rushing-yards-per-game chart at 132.4 and also led the nation in all-purpose yardage with a KSU record 2,735 yards (182.3 ypg). The Associated Press named Sproles first-team All-Big Twelve in 2004. He finished the regular season ranked eleventh nationally in rushing yards per game (119.82) and third in all-purpose yards per game (187.91). In addition to his 4979 yards and 45 touchdowns on 815 carries (6.1 avg), Darren collected 609 yards and two scores on 66 receptions during his career. He also returned 40 punts for 378 yards (9.4 avg) and a touchdown and had 35 kickoff returns for 846 yards (24.2 avg).
Frank is a breakaway threat who is also a tough inside runner, often knocking back would-be tacklers on his way to the end zone. As a true freshman for Miami in 2001, he totaled 562 yards with five touchdowns on 62 carries (9.1 avg), the third-best season total in school history by a freshman. In 2003, Gore rushed 89 times for 468 yards (5.3 avg) and four scores, adding 105 yards on twelve receptions. For the 2004 season, Gore looked to change his luck and also changed his uniform number, discarding #32 for #3. He started eleven of twelve games, lining up at tailback for ten contests and at fullback vs. Clemson. He led the team with 945 yards and eight touchdowns on 197 carries (4.8 avg). He also snared ten passes for 106 yards (10.6 avg). In 28 games with the Hurricanes, Frank rushed 348 times for 1975 yards (5.7 avg) and seventeen touchdowns. His 1975 yards rank seventh on the school’s career-record list and his seventeen scores are tied for tenth. He also caught 23 passes for 225 yards (9.8 avg), returned two kickoffs for 48 yards and recorded five tackles on special teams. 
Tristian is a bruising tailback who has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy, but has battled injury problems throughout his career. He is a punishing inside runner who also provides great value as a safety valve receiver. T.A. immediately became the focal point of North Carolina State’s offense as a freshman in 2002, earning Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year honors and became only the tenth freshman in ACC annals to earn All-Conference first-team honors. That year, he led the team with 1101 yards on 245 carries (4.5 avg), setting school season-records with 18 touchdowns, adding 354 yards on 42 receptions (8.4 avg). In 2004, he managed to lead the team in rushing for the third-straight year, gaining 770 yards on 167 carries (4.6 avg) with six touchdowns. T.A. also grabbed eleven passes for 136 yards (12.4 avg) and a score. In 32 games, T.A. started 23 times. He carried the ball 542 times for 2479 yards (4.6 avg) and 33 touchdowns. His 2479 yards rank eighth, his 542 attempts rank fifth and his 33 scores third on the school’s career-record lists. McLendon added 858 yards and three scores on 93 receptions (9.2 avg). Gained 3337 all-purpose yards, the ninth-best career total at the school. 
Talented athlete who showed in 2002 that he had the ability to energize the Buckeyes in their march to the national title. Maurice display ed the ability to run over, around or by defenders with amazing vision and patience for a player of such a young age. Maurice was regarded as the best prep player in the country while at Harding High, earning USA Today Ohio Player of the Year honors after rushing for 2194 yards and 38 touchdowns, adding 19 catches for 351 yards and six scores as a senior. He also rushed for 785 yards and eight touchdowns in the playoffs, including 401 yards and five scores in the regional semi-finals. During his time at Harding, he totaled 65 scores on 4675 yards rushing. In just one short season with the Buckeyes, he gained 1237 yards with 16 touchdowns on 222 carries (5.6 avg) and averaged 121.9 all-purpose yards per game. Issues off the field and a failed lawsuit to gain access to the NFL have kept Clarett off the field for the past 2 seasons.
