It lacked a shred of significance, considering it took place in a Kansas University spring football practice.
But near the end of an hourlong scrimmage session last week at KU’s practice field, running back Gary Green took a handoff, darted right with impressive quickness, cut left about 10 yards upfield, broke a tackle, spun, zig-zagged back right and waltzed into the end zone after a jaw-dropping 30-yard touchdown run against KU’s rugged, experienced defense.
Players from both sidelines hooted and hollered, and Green jumped into the arms of two teammates to celebrate, as if the run he unleashed just put the Jayhawks up in the Orange Bowl.
Not quite, but his teammates know Green has more electric plays stored away, ready to throw at opponents when the games really do matter.
“He’s exciting, isn’t he?” quarterback Adam Barmann said. “Gary’s a good player. He’s real shifty, a real fast guy. Everybody around here is real excited about him and real high on him.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Green took a red shirt in 2004, so all his juking and jiving was done on the scout team during closed practices. Jayhawk fans caught their first glimpse of him last week during KU’s only open practice of the spring, and while he wasn’t amazing throughout, that one touchdown had many bubbling about what could come of his skills.
“I compare him to someone like Darren Sproles,” linebacker Banks Floodman said, referring to the former Kansas State All-American. “He’s a smaller back that’s just very elusive. He does that on a constant basis at practice. He’s been working as hard as anybody in the offseason, and he’s got some talent.”
It will be needed. Once thought of as the most solid piece of the offensive puzzle returning, the running back fleet took a major blow last week when John Randle was dismissed from the team for rules violations stemming from his fourth arrest while at KU. Randle was KU’s leading rusher in 2004, gaining 540 yards on the ground in an injury-plagued season.
That bumped the remaining running backs up the depth chart, meaning Clark Green and Gary Green (no relation) likely will go into the fall 1-2 at the tailback position.
Clark Green, a senior, already has established himself, running for more than 2,000 yards in his first three seasons. He was the featured back on KU’s 2003 Tangerine Bowl team, gaining 968 rushing yards and being named honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference.
But Gary Green is the unknown variable, which makes him an even more intriguing figure this spring. He was a ballyhooed recruit out of James Madison High in San Antonio, where he rushed for 3,496 yards and 44 touchdowns his last two years. Rivals.com rated him the seventh-best all-purpose running back in the nation in 2004, and he chose KU over Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and UCLA.
Since his arrival in Lawrence, though, his skills have been shielded by closed practices and a red-shirt season. Now, with the window of opportunity open wide, Gary Green is ready to show off his stuff.
“What Gary brings is great vision and the ability to cut,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “He can make a big play out of a small space. He’s learning. He’s just a red-shirt freshman, but he’s gaining confidence every day. I’m very pleased with his progress.”
6Sports video: KU’s Green is short but quick
Bio: Gary Green