The BC running back situation

By Robert Rousseau  |   Saturday, March 22, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Boston College Eagles
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Okay, here are the facts. The Boston College Eagles have lost their starting quarterback to the NFL. And in case you’ve been living in a bubble, the guy was pretty good. In fact, Matt Ryan just may be the first quarterback taken when the 2008 NFL Draft commences in April.

But that’s neither here nor there.

Of course, in cases such as this you’d like to be able to rely on a running back with experience. Unfortunately in Boston College’s case, that’s an impossibility as those backs with significant playing time last season—L.V. Whitworth (362 yards rushing and three touchdowns) and Andre Callender (989 yards rushing and nine touchdowns)—are gone.

So here’s the question: On a team with a new quarterback and no running backs with major college experience, who is going to be the guy that the team turns to in order to keep the other team’s offense off the field?

Well, it could be a freshman folks. His name is Josh Haden, and he’s a four star running back from Fort Washington, Maryland that runs the 40 yard dash in 4.41 seconds. If that sounds good, please understand that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Haden. Still, freshman rarely start in big time college football. So why is Haden already being tabbed as the Eagles starting running back by many?

Because he’s likely going to be the most talented of a bunch of players with very little experience at the position for Boston College in 2008.

Soon to be sophomore running back Jeff Smith (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) only managed four yards rushing last season for the club and wasn’t that highly ranked coming out of high school. In addition, he dealt with injuries last season. John Siravo, a 5-foot-10, 194 pound back doesn’t have any college experience and wasn’t highly ranked either. Then there’s Patrick Quinn, which by the way only offers more of the same.

Thus, when you break it down all that probably would’ve been left to stand in Haden’s way was soon to be junior A.J. Brooks (65 yards rushing last season), a 5-foot-11, 198 pounder that was considered the 51st best running back in the nation when he came out of high school in 2004. Unfortunately, he allegedly beat a 20 year old man in December, was suspended, and is unlikely to suit up for the club this season. Of course, when you compare his background to Haden, who is widely considered to be the third-best all-around back in the 2008 class and the No. 2 overall player coming out of Maryland, it just seems to fail in comparison anyway.

By the way, Josh Haden also so happens to bench press over 400 pounds and squats 600. Further, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his final two high school football seasons.

So who will we see starting at running back next season for the Eagles? Can’t be sure yet. But what we do know is that a favorite seems to have poked his head out. Interestingly, that favorite has never donned an Eagles uniform.

Should be interesting.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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