Thursday, May 08, 2008 | Posted by Anthony Bialy

Getting arrested was only the second-worst thing that happened to Indianapolis Colts running back Kenton Keith in late April. While he has to deal with a medium-length roster of charges after he supposedly failed to comply with a police order to vacate a nightclub’s parking lot, what’s even more unpleasant for him is that he may lose his job this summer. Specifically, Mike Hart, Indy's sixth-round selection, provides an immediate challenge to Keith for the Colts’ backup running back role as a player whose spirited determination outshines his unimposing capacity for acceleration.

Court hearings and a character smudge aren’t the most damaging things with which Keith has to cope. Even considering his average of 4.4 yards per attempt in 2007, his rookie competitor will make it tough for him to maintain his grasp on the reserve spot. At 5-foot-9 and currently weighing 206 pounds according to the Colts’ Web site, Hart is two inches shorter and four pounds lighter than the incumbent second-stringer, but his university productivity captivated Colts overlord Bill Polian enough to bring him aboard despite the fact that he’s basically a slightly smaller version of Keith.

It’s the draftee’s play rather than his combine stats that got him a shot. Hart is not speedy, but he is quick: He might not own a collection of track medals, but he does move instinctually well on the playing field that’s often surrounded by a track. On top of that, while he may be unable to blow past safeties after busting through the line, Hart carries the reputation of owning enough power to bust through the initial level. What use is a player’s speed if he can’t first manage to smash through the line of scrimmage muck?

He’s not just adept at hitting when he’s holding the ball, either. The Michigan product also established a solid reputation as a blocker during his school years, both in anticipating where rushers would be and physically holding them up when they met. The Syracuse, N.Y., native could even be possibly considered for a fullback-type role where he and undisputed starter Joseph Addai simultaneously line up in the backfield. If he builds on his collegiate-level demonstration of abilities, Hart should be able to clear, as well as follow paths.

At the same time, it’s not that Hart was precisely a slouch after taking handoffs. The most repeated fact about the back is that he is Michigan’s all-time rushing leader, advancing 5,040 yards on the ground over his Ann Arbor career. What caused his drop to the 202nd spot during last month’s draft was the fact that he may not have gotten those yards quickly enough: His 40-yard dash time in the 4.6-plus-second range during his last visit to Indianapolis scared away numerous general managers, as some obviously feel that he possesses a questionable level of pace for anyone with elite aspirations.

He may be unable to effectively lean on his other talents as he did when he beat college defenders who of course tend to be far more limited both physically and in terms of game vision than NFLers; football scholars call that the Ron Dayne Law. But, even if he isn’t blessed with the total package that a rusher manufactured in a laboratory would be equipped with, Hart can overcome the restrictions by focusing on his more renowned skills that propelled him to brilliant levels of Big Ten success.

As a hard worker who can pass block and who seems to relish contact when he gets his touches, he’ll get his chances with a team that doesn’t waste draft picks. If it’s too obviously cutesy to say Hart has heart, it’s still true, and his spirited nature is more valuable than what any stopwatch read.

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