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Top 10 Returning Running Backs in FCS

He donated bone marrow to save a 6 year old boy in Argentina. I've never known anyone personally who has done that so I'm curious how this will affect his playing. Maybe it's a minor procedure, and I hope it doesn't affect him in his senior season. Either way big props to Rocker for doing this.
I haven't gotten a call to donate either, but I asked a buddy of mine and he said you're back to completely normal within a month.
 
I haven't gotten a call to donate either, but I asked a buddy of mine and he said you're back to completely normal within a month.
Pretty easy recovery. The procedure only take a couple of days. They pump you full of growth hormones which promote T-cell growth. They then hook you up to a machine (much like a dialysis machine). Blood leaves one arm, enters the machine which strips the t-cells from the blood and it is infused back into the other arm. Those cells are collected in a IV bag and are given to the recipient in an IV.
Stevie is giving a child another chance to live. There is nothing more honorable than that. Great work Stevie. I am a fan of yours for live
 
He donated bone marrow to save a 6 year old boy in Argentina. I've never known anyone personally who has done that so I'm curious how this will affect his playing. Maybe it's a minor procedure, and I hope it doesn't affect him in his senior season. Either way big props to Rocker for doing this.
oh yeah. I think it's fairly invasive, IIRC. Hopefully he'll be back full force come September.
 
Pretty easy recovery. The procedure only take a couple of days. They pump you full of growth hormones which promote T-cell growth. They then hook you up to a machine (much like a dialysis machine). Blood leaves one arm, enters the machine which strips the t-cells from the blood and it is infused back into the other arm. Those cells are collected in a IV bag and are given to the recipient in an IV.
Stevie is giving a child another chance to live. There is nothing more honorable than that. Great work Stevie. I am a fan of yours for live
That is really interesting. For some reason I thought it was much more invasive and painful, but clearly I didn't go to medical school
 
I always thought the coaches would use Eli more as he got older. There may have been an over-correction after Ostmo's experience which had him thinking of hanging up his cleats early.
I asked Bobby Hauck about this directly last season and he elaborated as much as he ever has about any question I've ever asked him in the nearly 20 total years I've spent covering him....


From this article last year: https://skylinesportsmt.com/footbal...ig-sky-running-backs-favor-in-last-few-years/

Although Gillman has talent that’s apparent to everyone in the stadium, Hauck is still mitigating his total carries. Gillman has never had more than 19 carries in a game in his career and his high this season is 15 totes.

It’s hard to get Hauck to elaborate or talk in depth about much of anything. But ask him about his theories on preserving running backs — he coached against Pumphrey and Penny for two years while at UNLV and then coached on the San Diego State staff in 2015 and 2016 when they were piling up yards — and he’ll give his full opinion.

In the old I formation, pro set – it was I formation, it was pro, it was twins or slot, whatever you want to call it – and those guys were running the power, run the toss, run the lead and they got their carries. Whether that was, you know, 20 or 30 or 35 carries, they would get those carries,” Hauck said. “But that was kind of it. With the evolution of one-back offense, the guys are in a collision of some sort, generally speaking, every play they’re in the game. Whether it’s protection or carrying the ball, they’re in a physical battle.


“So I think it’s really become a highly volatile position. A lot of the players are smaller. You think back to the Earl Campbells, Walter Paytons, those were big men. I mean, Earl Campbell’s a giant back, 250 pounds, maybe 260.

“I believe you have to have depth at that position to hold up. And especially early in the season, the goal is not to play your best football in September. It’s to play it in November.

“In order to do that, you have to have your players too, and that’s where, if you can stay healthy, you get a better chance of winning at the end of the year. Having depth at the running back position, I think it’s highly productive.”
 
Yes most definitely, I think Rocker should be in the mix. I just wasn't sure of how people adjust after having the type of surgery he's had. But we definitely need to utilize our rbs more in the passing game. Reminds me of the 99 Rams who were one of the first to utilize Marshall Faulk in the passing game and he couldn't be stopped.
I think the niners and Craig did a pretty good job too.
 
I get the durability angle - need EG for the whole season...

But, we've questioned limited touches for playmakers for several seasons now. I think it's a fine line between preserving talent and propelling talent. Not sure the coaches always have the right balance in this regard.
 
I asked Bobby Hauck about this directly last season and he elaborated as much as he ever has about any question I've ever asked him in the nearly 20 total years I've spent covering him....


From this article last year: https://skylinesportsmt.com/footbal...ig-sky-running-backs-favor-in-last-few-years/

Although Gillman has talent that’s apparent to everyone in the stadium, Hauck is still mitigating his total carries. Gillman has never had more than 19 carries in a game in his career and his high this season is 15 totes.

It’s hard to get Hauck to elaborate or talk in depth about much of anything. But ask him about his theories on preserving running backs — he coached against Pumphrey and Penny for two years while at UNLV and then coached on the San Diego State staff in 2015 and 2016 when they were piling up yards — and he’ll give his full opinion.

In the old I formation, pro set – it was I formation, it was pro, it was twins or slot, whatever you want to call it – and those guys were running the power, run the toss, run the lead and they got their carries. Whether that was, you know, 20 or 30 or 35 carries, they would get those carries,” Hauck said. “But that was kind of it. With the evolution of one-back offense, the guys are in a collision of some sort, generally speaking, every play they’re in the game. Whether it’s protection or carrying the ball, they’re in a physical battle.


“So I think it’s really become a highly volatile position. A lot of the players are smaller. You think back to the Earl Campbells, Walter Paytons, those were big men. I mean, Earl Campbell’s a giant back, 250 pounds, maybe 260.

“I believe you have to have depth at that position to hold up. And especially early in the season, the goal is not to play your best football in September. It’s to play it in November.


“In order to do that, you have to have your players too, and that’s where, if you can stay healthy, you get a better chance of winning at the end of the year. Having depth at the running back position, I think it’s highly productive.”
This was perfect for informational purposes. Really glad to have you posting here lately, man.
 
This was perfect for informational purposes. Really glad to have you posting here lately, man.
One thing Andrew Schmidt and I talk about all the time is that, while this rationale seems rational, what about Bobby Hauck has changed since 2009 when it comes to running back carries?

Chase Reynolds, who is tough as nails but would never be considered a big back, would get 30+ carries all the time, including 38 carries in a playoff game against Texas State.

Is it the game that has changed? Or athletes? Or is Bobby more aware? Or should the studs be getting more touches? It's a really interesting discussion!
 
One thing Andrew Schmidt and I talk about all the time is that, while this rationale seems rational, what about Bobby Hauck has changed since 2009 when it comes to running back carries?

Chase Reynolds, who is tough as nails but would never be considered a big back, would get 30+ carries all the time, including 38 carries in a playoff game against Texas State.

Is it the game that has changed? Or athletes? Or is Bobby more aware? Or should the studs be getting more touches? It's a really interesting discussion!
It is a bit odd, because even in that quote you shared he seems to acknowledge the evolution of football and the game being different today. I'm searching for the right word, but he has always seemed rigid to me as a coach. In some ways he has adapted, even in that quote you shared with him talking about guys getting less carries these days because they are always in a collision, but it is as if he then renews his rigidity around the new philosophy he has adopted. I don't know the man personally outside of brief interactions, but it is really interesting to me to see Bobby 2.0 as having both shown adaptability while retaining rigid philosophies on how he wants to do things.

It is an interesting discussion! Personally, in an imaginary world where I know enough to run a college football team, I like spreading the ball around among the RBs. It really does take a toll, and with your example of Chase Reynolds, that dude was beaten up badly by the end of those seasons. I'm very partial to keeping guys fresh, but I would actually MORE hope that the staff is seeing the strengths of different guys and putting them in position to be successful based on their individual abilities.

We have an absolute embarrassment of riches at RB. I'd be wanting to share the carries among them, too, but I do hear Reinell's point that some suggest Eli needs more carries to stick around. The kid may possibly have NFL talent, and I would understand him wanting to be featured from his perspective.
 
I asked Bobby Hauck about this directly last season and he elaborated as much as he ever has about any question I've ever asked him in the nearly 20 total years I've spent covering him....


From this article last year: https://skylinesportsmt.com/footbal...ig-sky-running-backs-favor-in-last-few-years/

Although Gillman has talent that’s apparent to everyone in the stadium, Hauck is still mitigating his total carries. Gillman has never had more than 19 carries in a game in his career and his high this season is 15 totes.

It’s hard to get Hauck to elaborate or talk in depth about much of anything. But ask him about his theories on preserving running backs — he coached against Pumphrey and Penny for two years while at UNLV and then coached on the San Diego State staff in 2015 and 2016 when they were piling up yards — and he’ll give his full opinion.

In the old I formation, pro set – it was I formation, it was pro, it was twins or slot, whatever you want to call it – and those guys were running the power, run the toss, run the lead and they got their carries. Whether that was, you know, 20 or 30 or 35 carries, they would get those carries,” Hauck said. “But that was kind of it. With the evolution of one-back offense, the guys are in a collision of some sort, generally speaking, every play they’re in the game. Whether it’s protection or carrying the ball, they’re in a physical battle.


“So I think it’s really become a highly volatile position. A lot of the players are smaller. You think back to the Earl Campbells, Walter Paytons, those were big men. I mean, Earl Campbell’s a giant back, 250 pounds, maybe 260.

“I believe you have to have depth at that position to hold up. And especially early in the season, the goal is not to play your best football in September. It’s to play it in November.


“In order to do that, you have to have your players too, and that’s where, if you can stay healthy, you get a better chance of winning at the end of the year. Having depth at the running back position, I think it’s highly productive.”
Goodness - he responded like Bill Bellicheck did when asked about the importance and versatility of a fullback!
 
It is a bit odd, because even in that quote you shared he seems to acknowledge the evolution of football and the game being different today. I'm searching for the right word, but he has always seemed rigid to me as a coach. In some ways he has adapted, even in that quote you shared with him talking about guys getting less carries these days because they are always in a collision, but it is as if he then renews his rigidity around the new philosophy he has adopted. I don't know the man personally outside of brief interactions, but it is really interesting to me to see Bobby 2.0 as having both shown adaptability while retaining rigid philosophies on how he wants to do things.

It is an interesting discussion! Personally, in an imaginary world where I know enough to run a college football team, I like spreading the ball around among the RBs. It really does take a toll, and with your example of Chase Reynolds, that dude was beaten up badly by the end of those seasons. I'm very partial to keeping guys fresh, but I would actually MORE hope that the staff is seeing the strengths of different guys and putting them in position to be successful based on their individual abilities.

We have an absolute embarrassment of riches at RB. I'd be wanting to share the carries among them, too, but I do hear Reinell's point that some suggest Eli needs more carries to stick around. The kid may possibly have NFL talent, and I would understand him wanting to be featured from his perspective.
Only knowing Eli from interviews and other people’s stories, I’m guessing he’s the type of person that understands that he’s probably gonna get a lot of the same NFL looks after it’s all said and done wether he carries the ball 15 times a game or 25 times a game. He’s already been getting some national exposure with his Rice award, the Griz making deep playoff runs, and his production to touches ratios. Im guessing also he’s probably wise enough to understand and appreciate being in a program that has the ability to distribute some of the workload to others and save wear on his body for when it’s time to earn his real pay day, not just some NIL deals that go away in a couple years. We are truly blessed to have this generational talent. Hell, he’ll still break every school record when he’s done.
 
Good discussion on all of this. I think most people do like to see a running back get more carries, if he is capable. However, saving them for the full season is wise, and does make sense. Ever since Knight joined the program in 2019, there has been a large surge in production and efficient running backs, for sure. The last six years has shown a running game that has been as good as anywhere in the country at times. Go Griz.
 
Only knowing Eli from interviews and other people’s stories, I’m guessing he’s the type of person that understands that he’s probably gonna get a lot of the same NFL looks after it’s all said and done wether he carries the ball 15 times a game or 25 times a game. He’s already been getting some national exposure with his Rice award, the Griz making deep playoff runs, and his production to touches ratios. Im guessing also he’s probably wise enough to understand and appreciate being in a program that has the ability to distribute some of the workload to others and save wear on his body for when it’s time to earn his real pay day, not just some NIL deals that go away in a couple years. We are truly blessed to have this generational talent. Hell, he’ll still break every school record when he’s done.
Eli loves football, loves competing, and had a team first attitude in high school. When he was in high school, he could have received the football every play and had an unbelievable high school career. He had that quiet confidence that he knew what he could do on the football field while, at the same time, he wanted to see his teammates excel more. He celebrated more when his teammates scored touchdowns than when he scored them. The kids at Dassel-Cokato respected him not just because of his success on the football field but more because of the type of person he was.
 
He donated bone marrow to save a 6 year old boy in Argentina. I've never known anyone personally who has done that so I'm curious how this will affect his playing. Maybe it's a minor procedure, and I hope it doesn't affect him in his senior season. Either way big props to Rocker for doing this.
Stevie is an all around great guy & I can certainly see him doing this. Over the years, several Griz players have tested for a match, which doesn't happen often.

Back in 2013, Coach Green was matched with a 9 year old girl for stem cell replacement. From the Griz publication then::
The procedure that Green will have - a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation - is a serious commitment and a strenuous process.

The donation involves six to eight hours of apheresis, a procedure where blood is removed with a sterile needle from one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood stem cells. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm. For four days prior to the collection and on the first day of collection, the donor receives a daily injection of a synthetic protein called filgrastim that increases the blood stem cell count.

"I had no idea what might happen, because I was told that even though you are a match it doesn't mean necessarily that everything is going to work out," Green said. "They told me they'd have to do a bunch of more tests on my blood to make sure everything was OK. I did that about three weeks ago in Seattle. They actually flew me in that morning and I flew out that night.


There is something to be said about picking young men with character.
 
IMO you save Eli and use him as needed.We have the talent at running back and if we can develop a good o line ( we will see) there is no reason not to use several running backs.Looking in from the outside it appears they are trying hard to develop a quality o line.Not only will it be good for the running backs but it offers more protection for our QB. We should not need a Cliff if the talent and coaching are there.I do not think Eli is going anywhere.He will finish his college career at Montana.As far as pro ball goes if I were a pro team looking for a RB Eli he would be high on my list.I hope he gets drafted so no team tries to sneak in and grab him like the seahawks do with some.
 
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Stevie is an all around great guy & I can certainly see him doing this. Over the years, several Griz players have tested for a match, which doesn't happen often.

Back in 2013, Coach Green was matched with a 9 year old girl for stem cell replacement. From the Griz publication then::
The procedure that Green will have - a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation - is a serious commitment and a strenuous process.

The donation involves six to eight hours of apheresis, a procedure where blood is removed with a sterile needle from one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood stem cells. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm. For four days prior to the collection and on the first day of collection, the donor receives a daily injection of a synthetic protein called filgrastim that increases the blood stem cell count.

"I had no idea what might happen, because I was told that even though you are a match it doesn't mean necessarily that everything is going to work out," Green said. "They told me they'd have to do a bunch of more tests on my blood to make sure everything was OK. I did that about three weeks ago in Seattle. They actually flew me in that morning and I flew out that night.


There is something to be said about picking young men with character.
One thing I am REALLY proud of with this program is not just the way the team drives into the drive to get doners registered every year (and they seem to do it with actual passion), but how many of them are also joining the donor registry and taking the time to make the donation when they themselves are a match. Not a lot of young people have their head on their shoulder. I was pretty selfishly minded at that age, and certainly wasn't going out of my way to do this stuff at that age.

The whole University community should be proud of the lives that are being saved by UM students and athletes.
 
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