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Kansas running back Jake Sharp runs past the Virginia Tech defense during the first half of the Orange Bowl in this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo. As the team's No. 2 running back last season, Sharp rushed for 821 yards and seven touchdowns.
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Sharp may see 1000 yards this season
He hasn't yet rushed for 1000 yards in his college career, but don't be surprised if Jake Sharp rumbles into four digit territory during this season alone.
Kansas running back Jake Sharp runs past the Virginia Tech defense during the first half of the Orange Bowl in this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo. As the team's No. 2 running back last season, Sharp rushed for 821 yards and seven touchdowns.
They seemed inevitable, really, these questions directed at Jake Sharp. With camera lenses, microphones and audio recorders swarming his space at Kansas University's football Media Day, Sharp figured it wouldn't be long before someone brought them up.
He barely had taken a seat in a front right corner of the Mrkonic Auditorium in the Anderson Family Football Complex when talk of him being the team's starting running back commenced. The questions hounded Sharp like a linebacker in dogged pursuit of a tackle.
"Do you feel you can carry the ball 25 times?" one reporter asked.
"Is this job at tailback already yours?" another inquired.
"What's your mentality knowing you're the guy right now?" a third press member queried.
That's what happens when your jersey number (one) finally reads the same as your spot on the running back depth chart just weeks before the first game of the year - particularly after the most successful football season in school history.
Holding down a starting offensive position second only to quarterback in the public-eye pecking order also tends to lend itself to these discussions.
Sharp's responses were humble and straightforward, traces of his Salina country roots evident.
"I can do whatever I'm asked to do," he said of carrying 25 times. "I wouldn't look for any one guy to shoulder the load," was his reply to being the starting tailback. "I'm going to do this to the best of my ability," he said of his mentality entering the season.
Frankly, Sharp would prefer to answer those questions with his play on the field. It's how he got to this position in the first place.
"Let me put it this way," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "He gives you everything he has, even on the practice field. He works so hard, at the end of practice, he's just fatigued. He's shot."
He's been outworking players since high school, where he rushed for 6,524 career yards and set a single-season state record with 63 touchdowns, winning a Class 5A state title at Salina Central High his senior season.
Since then, Sharp has had to bide his time, working diligently in the weight room and learning the offensive system behind seniors at KU. In his freshman season, he saw 21 carries while Jon Cornish started. Last year, Brandon McAnderson filled Cornish's void. Both seniors rushed for more than 1,000 yards.
Sharp finally got his first major opportunity as a sophomore last season in backup duty. He demonstrated a unique ability to slither through the line of scrimmage with deceptively quick footwork, scooting by would-be tacklers. As the team's No. 2 running back, he rushed for 821 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging just over 11 carries a game.
What's more, Sharp did it while often being one of the smallest players on the field. Listed at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds - which likely is being generous - he looks more suited for an athlete in one of his other favorite sports, freestyle motorcross.
"As an outsider, you certainly would be surprised just looking at him walk down the street," said John Reagan, KU's offensive line coach and run game coordinator. "But when you see what he does on the practice field, when you see the attention he pays to certain things and the competitive nature he has, it's not that surprising."
Chet Hartley, who is responsible for creating holes for Sharp to run through on the offensive line, said even he was stunned sometimes by what Sharp had been able to accomplish with his compact frame.
"You see him beside an offensive lineman, he just looks like a midget," Hartley said. "The kid, he works hard every day. He's got the strength, he's got the speed for sure."
Now, he's the most experienced tailback Kansas has left.
Sharp has appeared in all 25 KU games over the last two seasons with 950 rushing yards. No other running back on this year's team has played in one-fourth that many games or rushed for even 100 yards in a Jayhawk uniform.
In golf terms, consider Sharp the leader in the clubhouse - with one intense, grueling and competitive final round to go.
In the weeks leading up to the Jayhawks' August 30 home opener against Florida International, Sharp will have to use his sparkplug skill and knowledge of the playbook to earn the top running back spot. The addition of 6-1 running back Jocques Crawford - the reigning national junior college offensive player of the year - is expected to test Sharp. In the first week of team practices, Crawford already had begun splitting reps with Sharp and the first-stringers. Angus Quigley, a 6-2 junior listed as second on the depth chart heading into the fall, is in the mix for playing time as well.
Sharp said he was aware of Crawford's talent and didn't mind divvying up carries during games. By running a spread offense, Sharp said he actually expected several running backs to take handoffs, which is fine by him. He just wants to win. The same way he did at Salina Central and the same way he did at Kansas last year.
The questions about his mindset, his body and his competition probably will continue to surround Sharp until he proves himself in a larger capacity on the field.
For now, Sharp says he's ready to go in whatever role he is asked to perform. Even if he slips from the top of the depth chart, he'll be a key contributor in the backfield this year. And any slip won't be for lack of effort.
As Sharp put it, "I've never seen hard work do anybody wrong."
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Comments
HawkDigestCom (anonymous) says...
Last year duty was split pretty evenly between Sharp and B-Mac through the first half. B-Mac had more experience and seemed more effective in the second of the season.
I can see the same thing playing out this year. Sharp and Crawford split time through game eight and maybe Sharp with more conditioning/weightlifting and experience starts to really turn it on in the second half of the season.
August 13, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
swishymcjayhawk (anonymous) says...
Sharp and Crawford could be a deadly combo! Nice work, Jake.
August 13, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUFan90 (anonymous) says...
I think it will go the other way Hawk. I think Crawford will be hard to keep off the field, and he'll see the increased reps in the 2nd half of the season. Either way, best of luck for a great season for both of them...will be fun to watch it unfold.
August 13, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
troutsee (anonymous) says...
Don't forget about Angus. He has shown that he can run with power and determination. I think he has the makings of being a very good back.
August 13, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rivethead (anonymous) says...
Man, how can 5-10 190lbs block a 230lb LB blitzing? I think that's Jake's biggest weakness....he doesn't have the size to be an effective pass blocker (McAnderson was fantastic at this, as was Clark Green....Jon Cornish...so-so).
That's what will keep him off the field. Not his running ability.
August 13, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Displayhawk (anonymous) says...
If Donte Bean and Carmon Boyd-Anderson had half the work ethic of Jake Sharp, they wouldn't have had to worry about getting playing time and would still be on the team! Jake Sharp reminds me of that old saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!"
August 13, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KU (anonymous) says...
The first time I saw Jake Sharp practice as a freshman, I was astonished. Mangino wasn't blowing smoke when he said Sharp gives everything he's got. I saw that kid--he couldn't have been more than 5'9 and 175--running as hard as he could into the line. Even as a freshman, he preferred to run between the tackles than around the end. If I had to use one word to describe him it would be "fearless".
August 13, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
railer1122 (anonymous) says...
He has the best explosion that I have seen in a while. He can accelerate through the holes pretty well. Just imagine's BMac's and Sharp's production. But Joc is way better than BMac as in he has better speed and can get the ball in the flat and go. Whereas if BMac was in it was a run 95% of the time. Sharp was a stud in HS and he still has 2 years to go. And I'm sorry Angus was yet to run against quality competition.
And as for blocking it's mainly about leverage at this level. Its all about angles and how you hit them. Sharp is a beast, he has plenty of lifting records at Central over Terrence Newman and plenty other DI athletes. And with the spread its harder for defenses to get through the line, and the O Line has more time to react then the I formation. The RB's are running swing passes more than blocking on passes.
August 13, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lebowski (anonymous) says...
I'm surprised we having seen him get moved around more than he does... like using him in the slot as the 4th receiver.
I see that being the best situation. Joc in the backfield with Sharp in either slot, still easily accessible to run reverses or short, quick hitters in the flat to either side. Won't be a need for much max protection when you have a mobile qb and all that speed on the field at the same time.
August 13, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pleiker (anonymous) says...
fyi-
Everybody needs to buy their KU/MU tickets now from the KU ticket office before dirty Mizzou fans get them:
http://www.tigerboard.com/boards/miss...
August 13, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
N2sports (anonymous) says...
Donte Bean and Carmon are from Tx. neither one of these guys were given the same opportunity as Jake. Jake Sharp was a hometown hero. From what I've heard even when Donte was given a chance to perform, which was rare, it was usually behind the 2nd offense, going against the #1 defense. Seems to me failure was inevitable.
If you check, rivals had Bean ranked higher than Jake coming out of High school even with the three hundred + carries the yardage and Td's Jake had. My suggestion to a kid deciding on a college to attend, avoid those with a hometown hero coming in.
I believe KU had five great backs that could have performed somewhere on the field but, they decided to focus on a chosen few. You don't give a kid $130,000+ scholarship and not give him the same opportunity to succeed.
August 13, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
okjhok (anonymous) says...
Mangino doesn't give a sh!t about home town heroes...if you're not an insider with this program, you have no idea what goes on in practice, where the depth chart is created. Sharp has earned every chance he gets, as has every other player on this team. Personally, I don't give a rats ass who plays. I trust that the coaching staff will put the right players in the right places to succeed, and, in turn, give the team the best chance to win.
August 13, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KGphoto (anonymous) says...
N2: You're suggesting that Mangino gave Jake the upper hand because he was from Kansas? Ridiculous. If that were the case, then Kansas' Kerry Meier would still be the starting quarterback. Not Texas' Reesing.
August 13, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
okjhok (anonymous) says...
BTW, Sharp being from Salina does not make him a home town hero.
August 13, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
okjhok (anonymous) says...
I am a little confused though...I thought I remembered reading something earlier this week about Crawford getting more and more reps with the first team, and while it certainly wasn't a sure thing, it appeared likely that he was headed for the starting job. Then this comes out. Was a new depth chart just released? This looks like it was written on media day. I think a lot has changed since then.
August 13, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fabio (anonymous) says...
You guys realize, here in 2011 were gonna have one of one of our US Senate seats open up. Jake graduates in May 2010. I think he could steal quite a few KSU votes, being a Salina standout.
August 13, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
txrockchalk (anonymous) says...
plieker is right. This is a sad commentary from the KC Star:
----------------
Posted on Wed, Aug. 13, 2008
No public sale of Border War tickets from MU, Chiefs
By MIKE DEARMOND
The Kansas City Star
There will be no general public sale of Border War football tickets by Missouri, said Mark Alnutt, associate athletic director.
"The Chiefs do not have any for public sale either," Alnutt said.
As of midmorning on Wednesday, tickets were still on sale at the Kansas web site at www.kuathletics.com.
Last week Alnutt warned that Missouri's allotment of 30,000 tickets might be insufficient to warrant a previously planned Aug. 18 sale to the public through Ticketmaster.com.
In light of that, Missouri fans have been buying tickets from KU's allotment of 30,000 tickets for the Nov. 29 football game at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs, Alnutt said, hold an allotment of 20,000 tickets, those available first to season ticket holders and special interest groups associated with the NFL club.
The few remaining tickets from Missouri's allotment, Alnutt said, are being reserved for Tiger Scholarship Fund contributors and other financial boosters.
After KU's ticket supply is exhausted - which seems nearly assured - the only availability for a game in which Missouri claimed the Big 12 North title may be scalpers and ticket brokers.
http://www.kansascity.com/385/story/7...
----------------
August 13, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
N2sports (anonymous) says...
Well, hometown stud. Don't get me wrong Jake is a maniac on the field and a nice guy off. It's just when you have talent like Boyd and Bean you can't let it get away. these guys should've been used somewhere on the field. Hell, for all I know you could have had them bring Donuts for morning practice and snack cakes for the afternoon practice. Just get them ready and get them on the field. Good luck KU.
August 13, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
txrockchalk (anonymous) says...
N2sports - how do you know Boyd and Bean were willing to play in other positions on the field? I can guarantee you, if the KU staff saw them as hard working talents that could be well-utilized at other positions (ala Meier) they would have found spots for them. It sounds to me they were intent on starring at the running back position.
August 13, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KU (anonymous) says...
Lebowski.......I like your idea of getting Sharp on the field in other spots, sort of like what Methzoo does with Macklin. Put him in the slot for a wide receiver screen or streak him across in motion and hand the ball to him.
August 13, 2008 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barackchalkjhawk (anonymous) says...
There will be good KU attendance at Arrowhead, but let's face it, I and many others did not enjoy that game last year, regardless of the outcome. First, we have to play at Camarohead, a place of comfort for most Mizzurans since they just dust off their converted Chief's red school buses and head down the road a few miles from the trailer park. Second, it has become a "social event" enjoyed by corporate sponsors and others who claim to be fans for the day. And thrice, the game has been in MISSOURI the past two years, a place no self-respecting Kansan likes to frequent. Let's grin and bear one more year and hope to lay a win on them.
August 13, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
NH_JHawk (anonymous) says...
Wow! That is a very sad commentary txrockchalk.
It's hard to believe these haven't sold out yet given the magnitude and possible implications of this game. Maybe the average Kansas family doesn't want to expose their kids to the scores of drunk obnoxious Mizzery hillbillies? This was the general consensus from last year's game in Arrowhead.
N2 - Mangino has stated MANY times that he will always go with the best player in the game regardless. It has nothing to do with where you're from or what your status is.
August 13, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
txrockchalk (anonymous) says...
NH_JHawk - LOL! Yours and barackchalkjhawk's assessments of the Border War ticket situation are probably not far off the mark :)
August 13, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
From an objective standpoint, it looks like many KU fans are indeed eschewing KU/MU due to the fact that it is played at camarohead in Lovely Independence, Nowhere, and obnoxious mizzou people will be everywhere.
However, I feel like the situation has less to do with the above reasons and more to do with the outcome of last year's game. Had we won, we would be the ones sold out and buying MU's tix and they would be the ones saying "I don't want to go up there and deal with those chickenhawk snobs."
I am not going to be belligerent about it, but I am an advocate of having the KU/MU games on campus. That is just my opinion, not forcing it on anyone--but for my own reasons I like it better that way. Maybe this will make Lew take a closer look at whether he wants to agree to extend this deal.
Others share my view, some don't -- no matter how it plays out I will say that KU/MU at camarohead is what it is this year, nothing we can do about it, so we might as well bite the bullet and buy our share of tickets. Regardless of how you stand on KU/MU off-campus it's embarrassing to see MU people buying our allottment. C'mon hawk fans!
August 13, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
troutsee (anonymous) says...
I will always go to KU-MU game at Arrowhead because it gives me a chance to see the game every year. I would not be willing to go to Columbia to see the game surrounded by all their obnoxious fans. I fullly realize it is a sacrifice for KU to give up the advantage of a home game at Memorial, especially against them. Still, I and 12 members of my family are going to this year's game, and I can tell you for sure this would not have happened if the game were in Columbia.
Come on boys and buy the tickets. The Hawks need your support.
As for the running back defections.....and this too shall pass. I trust our coaches have given the PT to the best players. I still say these guys should have red shirted unless they, themselves, sensed or realized that they were not D-1 level players, and that indeed may have been the case.
August 13, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rockn_Chalkn_KU (anonymous) says...
Of course I hated that we lost the Border War last year, but it was still a lot of fun tailgating at Arrowhead before the game. Even with that, I'd rather attend at game at Memorial any day.
Even though it's supposed to be a neutral site, I am amazed that the KU players have to enter the stadium surrounded by Mizzou fans....both years. Getting trash thrown at you and being spit on each time you enter/leave the field doesn't seem like a neutral site to me. I had thought that they would even it out this year, but the seating chart shows that the player entry to the field is still surrounded by Mizzou seating.
It is what it is, and I'm pumped for the rematch. After that, I hope it's home and away here on out.
August 13, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawk4life1976 (anonymous) says...
They have already announced that it is going to be an 11:30AM or 2:30PM game this year and not 7PM like last season. That will give the Misery fans less time to sip on their moonshine. We need to give the "Fighting Mangino's" the support they deserve. Suck it up, leave the wife and kids home if you fear for their safety, and buy some tickets now! I've already reserved 4 for the game.
August 13, 2008 at 5:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prairie_dog (anonymous) says...
Here's my Jake problem: all that speed, all that shiftiness, he's never broken a long run to the house.
Where are the long touchdown runs?
August 13, 2008 at 7:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rhino11 (anonymous) says...
Prairie Dog, that's a fair criticism. I think we're all waiting for that.
August 13, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KU7679 (anonymous) says...
Sharp had a long TD catch in which he our ran Steve Octavian from NU (a.k.a., Bill Brasky) down the west sideline. He also broke a fairly long TD against KSU last season--it could have gone for 300 yards but he was only about 25 yards out.
And, so far, I wouldn't call Sharp all that shifty. He was very shifty in HS, but so far at KU he is more of a fast, tough runner, not a guy who is going to juke someone out of their jock. On the long TD against KSU, he hit the hole and broke an arm tackle before breaking into the open and outrunning the pursuit.
And remember how much experience counts with the offense. I don't remember Cornish doing anything as freshman or sophomore, and BMac didn't do as much as Sharp early in his career. If Jake improves anything like those two he will be one of my all time favorites.
OK, I'm biased, being from Salina. But you all gotta admit, Jake is a good kid, a good student and a good football player. And he is great for KU football.
August 14, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KU (anonymous) says...
KU7679......No doubt about it, Jake Sharp is great for KU football. If you took the top 5 Kansas kids measured first by HEART and then by athleticism every year and then added 10 kids each year from Texas and 7 or 8 from other parts of the country, you would have pretty good chemistry fueled by the home-state desire of the Kansas kids.
August 15, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )