Glory and Gore

[djp73]

GRIFFITH BLASTS A WOULD-BE TACKLER
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The video I'm watching on the screen is grainy and washed out. It’s Pop Warner football footage, ten or so years old. One kid, number 28 on the Bears, is just dominating. He plays runningback and linebacker. After the game a woman, presumably his mother asks “Who’s the best football player in the world?” “I am.” He replies, matter-of-factly and without a seconds hesitation.

“He never said that before.” Yolanda Griffith says with a laugh. “He always said Curtis Martin before that day. It’s like he knew after that game. He killed ‘em that game.”

“He” is University of Miami tailback Mychal Griffith, and he may be the best runningback in all of college football. As a Sophomore last season he led the ACC in yards per game while only playing four games the entire season. Academic issues kept him off the field for the bulk of the season.

Griffith stands six foot tall and was listed at 230 pounds on last year’s roster. At 20 years old he looks like he could already be a star in the NFL.

“He’s got a combination of size and speed that we’re comparing to Adrian Peterson in his prime.” One NFL head scout tells me. For a player who has only played in four games that’s lofty praise.

Griffith was the number one runningback recruit in the nation after rewriting the Florida state high school record book while at Miami Jackson High School. He had his choice of schools but chose to stay local and accepted a scholarship to Miami, despite not being slated as a starter his freshman year. He played sparingly as a freshman, learning the system in preparation to take the reigns as the starter last season.

That plan came crumbling down when Griffith was ruled academically ineligible to start the season. It took him until the November 16th game at Duke to get his eligibility back in order. He had missed the team’s first nine games of the season.

“That tore him up.” His mother tells me. “He took real classes, he wanted to get an education. It was just too much for him.”

After working with a tutor Mychal got his grades up enough to make his debut in Miami's 48-30 loss at Duke on November 16th. Griffith carried the ball 12 times, picking up 113 yards and a touchdown. The following week he got the start as the Canes hosted Virginia. On 21 carries he gained 201 yards and scored three touchdowns. The next week at Pittsburgh, the last game of the regular season, he carried the ball 28 times for 263 yards and scored four touchdowns.

“That string of three games was incredible to watch. I'd have to look at the tape to be certain but I don't think he had a single carry where he lost yards. He just dominated.” Head Coach Al Golden told me with a big grin. He's obviously excited for what Griffith will do in 2014.

Following nearly a month off the Canes squared off against Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Griffith carried the ball on Miami's first offensive play, bouncing a dive outside after the middle was clogged up. He juked a linebacker off his feet before bowling over a safety. After the dust settled Griffith had gained 36 yards. Following the whistle he stayed on the turf, clutching his ankle. The injury was later determined to be a sever ankle sprain, but it kept him out of the rest of the game. Louisville won 36-9.

“I hated it.” Mychal said. “Sitting on the sideline while the team was getting whooped. I wanted to be out there.”

Despite his obvious physical gifts some scouts are most excited about his determination.

“You see a lot of kids that say they hate losing. With Mychal we know he does. He wants to win every play, not just every game. But he handles it right too. That's important.” Coach Golden explains.

Mychal recovered from the ankle injury in a few weeks and starting talking about 2014 immediately.

“He was pretty upset about how 2013 worked out. He started talking about this season pretty early, like early March. We saw him in the gym pretty much every day.” A Miami assistant coach told me.

In late April, during Miami's spring break, another threat to Mychal's career popped up. Mychal was brought in and questioned by the Miami Metro Police in connection with the murder of a gang member earlier in the month. Initially the department wouldn't divulge if Griffith was a suspect or merely someone they wanted to talk to. Eventually, after speaking with him for several hours, he was released. Miami Metro would not answer any questions about the investigation when we contacted them. Mychal has been very hesitant to speak about the situation and we didn't press the issue.

“If nothing else it will make teams very cautious when they think about drafting him. They can't afford not to be. When you look at guys in the past that have had troubles like that, you've got to be diligent.” One NFL team' security liaison explained. “You can't have another Aaron Hernandez situation.

“I had nothing to do with that. I wasn't a suspect and they just wanted to talk to me because I used to run with some of those guys in high school.” Was Griffith's explanation of the situation when he spoke with Miami's athletic director Blake James.

“We had a very in depth conversation after that. Mychal was very forthcoming with the information I felt I needed and I was beyond satisfied with his answers when we were done. Mychal is a great kid and we're proud to have him represent our university.” James stated via a press release.

If Mychal can duplicate his performance from that stretch of three games last season and stay out of trouble off the field he could very well find himself in Heisman talk later this season, though to call him any more than a dark horse at this time is unwise.

“I'm just ready to get out there and play my game, dominate like I know I can and help this team win.” He said when asked about his Heisman chances. “I can't control that stuff. That's on you guys.”

If it all comes together for him Mychal will be trying to prove that his 10 year old self was right and that he is the best player in the world.

[Cheese2121]

Very interesting piece. Sounds like off the field issues would be the only thing that will slow down his career.

[djp73]

we've seen that a few times over the years haven't we?
thanks again for the posts.
think i'll get another article up today or tomorrow

[djp73]

HART HAULS IN A PASS
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Danny Hart is only 22 but he's already played for three different colleges. Add the fact that he went to two different high schools and he fits the definition of a journeyman.

Danny's family relocated from Dover, New Hampshire to Worchester, Massachusetts following his sophomore year at Dover High School. He had been a varsity starter at wide receiver and safety for two years. When he arrived at North High in Worchester the team was very top heavy at both positions.

“I told the coaches I would play anywhere they needed me.” Danny tells me. “I played all over the place as a junior. Tailback, receiver, some qb. Defense too, all over.”

Danny had a solid season as a junior but it wasn't until his senior season, when he was the teams number one receiver, that the big schools started calling. Hart set state records for receptions and touchdowns in a single season. He was a yard short of the yardage record as well.
Hart accepted a scholarship to Boston College, choosing the local school over the likes of UConn, Rutgers and UMass. “It just seemed like the place for me.” He says.
Danny's career at BC was derailed before it even started. Shortly after the football season ended Danny came down with mononucleosis, causing him to miss all but the last few weeks of the remaining school year.

“Fortunately I was able to keep my grades up enough to graduate, but they weren't good enough to start at BC.”

Danny looked into junior colleges and enrolled at Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine. The same junior college that Giants star receiver Victor Cruz attended before UMass.

“When I found out Cruz went there I decided that's where I would go. It worked out pretty well for him.”

After a dominant freshman season at Bridgton Academy Danny's grades were high enough to move onto Boston College.

“We really thought about staying another year, I really liked it there. The coaching staff was great. Ultimately the goal was to get to BC so that's what I decided on eventually. Looking back I probably should have stayed, but I can't dwell on that.”

Danny's sophomore season at BC was a bust, his words, not mine.

“It was bad. I barely saw the field. It was tough cause I knew I could make things happen out there. The coaches had their guys and I never really got a shot.”

As a junior it was likely that Danny would get his shot.

“It was too late for me, I had that bad taste in my mouth and I knew I had to move on.”

For Danny sitting out an entire season to move to another FBS school was never an option.

“No way. No way I was sitting out. I needed to play.”

After a short decision-making process Danny chose the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. UNH is 10 minutes from Dover High School.

“It felt like I was going home, so many people there were so excited to have me there. I knew this is where I belong.”

Danny had a fantastic junior season for UNH and is hoping to build on it this upcoming season.

“The NFL has always been a goal for me. I got discouraged with the detours I've been through but after last season I'm confident that I'll get my chance at it.”

Danny has drawn numerous comparisons to Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, two of the leagues top slot receivers over the past years. Hart is slightly taller and faster than each of them and has played inside and out throughout his career. He is also useful on special teams, scoring on a pair of kick return touchdowns and a punt return touchdown last season.

“We're keeping a close eye on him.” One NFL GM says. “Anytime you can get a small school guy who's as talented as the big school guys but fell because he didn't go to Alabama or USC that's a big plus. We like what he's shown us so far.”

Danny says that the adversity he's faced thus far has taught him some valuable lessons.

“Don't get discouraged. That's a big one. There was definitely plenty of chances to throw in the towel.” He says his year of being a jack of all trades taught him more about the game as a whole than any other year he's played. “Getting to see things play out from different places on the field, having to know all the plays for three or four different positions. That really helped me understand the game as a whole a lot better. Knowing how me doing my job effects how well my teammates are able to do theirs. I learned a lot that season.”

While most players would view playing in so many different style offenses in such a short time Danny feels the opposite.

“Getting to run all those different offenses, the west coast, the spread and the kind of traditional NFL offense now has helped me a bunch too. Wherever I end up after this year I feel like I will be ahead of the game cause I'm basically guaranteed to know at least the basics of the system.”

I asked Danny what his goals are for the 2014 season at UNH. “Just to get better every day. That's my only personal goal. I'm not a big numbers guy. As a team, we want to win a championship, we got pretty close last year so you're always shooting to make that next step.”
UNH lost to North Dakota State, the eventual champions, 52-14 in last year's semifinals.
“So close...” He says, trailing off.

“It doesn't matter how I get there. It's all about what I do once I'm there.” He replies when I ask him when he hopes he'll get drafted. “If I'm the first pick or I go undrafted, that part doesn't matter. I'm going to give it my all either way. Maybe lower is better.” He says with a smile. “Keep that chip on my shoulder, keep me hungry.”

[Cheese2121]

I will be very curious to see where you take all these great characters you have developed.

[djp73]

Quote: Originally Posted by cheese2121

I will be very curious to see where you take all these great characters you have developed.

Should be a fun ride.

[djp73]

trying to decide if i want to add another character or not. should have another post up this week either way. will either be another character piece or the first game action. thanks for following along.

[djp73]

College Football Report
09-01-14
GRIFFITH LEADS CANES PAST LOUISVILLE

GRIFFITH SCORES THE GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN IN THE FOURTH QUARTER

In his first action since an ankle injury on the first play of the Russell Athletic Bowl Miami runningback Mychal Griffith finished what he started in that game. His lone carry against Louisville went for 36 yards the last time the two teams faced off and it was more of the same yesterday as Griffith helped the Canes score the upset.

Griffith carried the ball 27 times, racking up 176 yards and four touchdowns, including the game winning 22 yarder late in the fourth quarter. Louisville had no answer for Griffith all day.

"He had a great game, the type of game you see from guys who are going to be making plays on Sunday." One NFL scout who attended the game said.

Griffith also caught 3 passes for 26 yards in the 34-31 win.

Miami will host Florida A&M and Arkansas State in their next two games, Griffith should have plenty of opportunity to pad his stats in those two contests.