2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeNational | Diminutive Jarvis still runs to prove big schools wrong
By Didier Morais
Posted: 11/5/08, 11:46 PM EST Section: Sports
Eugene Jarvis is the NCAA's leading returning rusher, yet he still feels the need to prove himself worthy to play for a major collegiate program. That's because, at one point, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Bowling Green never thought he could due to his diminutive stature.
It's been three years since all three universities passed up on the 5-foot-5, 170-pound Jarvis during the recruiting process, and the Kent State running back remains bitter about being snubbed.
"Every game I play, I go out there playing with a chip on my shoulder," Jarvis said. "Through that whole process I knew everybody was going to say something about my size. Size helps with a lot of things. But you have to look at the other intangibles I have as a running back. They just got caught up with the size because they didn't look at all the other things that I would bring to the table."
Despite his unconventional size, Jarvis still rushed for 1,669 yards and 13 total touchdowns (10 on the ground) on only 279 carries last season for Kent State. His rushing yards were the seventh-highest total in the NCAA last season.
The six running backs ahead of him - Kevin Smith (Central Florida), Matt Forte (Tulane), Ray Rice (Rutgers), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon) and Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) - were all taken in last year's NFL Draft, leaving Jarvis as the top returning back statistically for this season.
Jarvis hasn't had an ideal 2008. An ankle injury cost him three games in October. So far this season he has 451 yards and five touchdowns in six games for the Golden Flashes (2-7).
Even when Jarvis is on his game, his accomplishments go mostly unnoticed because he plays in the Mid-American Conference, one of the weakest conferences in college football.
But Jarvis is used to flying under the radar - he's done it throughout his entire career. Coming out of Central Catholic High School (Pa.), he was a two-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year and rushed for 2,196 yards and 38 touchdowns during his senior year.
With those statistics, one would assume that Jarvis would incite a recruiting frenzy. Instead, it was quite the opposite. The number of scholarship offers decreased rather than increased.
Prior to the season, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Bowling Green, Temple, Akron and Kent State were all heavily recruiting Jarvis. But as commitment deadlines approached, Jarvis' stock gradually started to wane. Coaches second-guessed their decisions about the Central Catholic prospect, citing his size as a primary concern.
Pittsburgh became the first school to pull the trigger. After seriously pursuing the homegrown running back, the Panthers coaching staff decided to rescind Jarvis' offer in favor of running backs LaRod Stephens-Howling - who was two inches taller - and Irv Brown. But what irked Jarvis was the coaching staff's unwillingness to personally inform him of their decision.
"They never told me," Jarvis said. "They went to my high school coach to tell me that they pulled my scholarship because another guy committed. When they offered (the scholarship) to me they invited me to their office to tell me, but when they pulled it they never did the same thing."
The news kept turning worse for Jarvis. Soon after the rejection, West Virginia notified him that they too were withdrawing his scholarship offer.
Bowling Green still seemed like a viable option. But by that time, the Falcons coaching staff had completely abandoned him. After offering him a scholarship, they suddenly ended all contact with the prospective recruit. To this day, Jarvis has not received an explanation from the university.
Through it all, Kent State never wavered away from Jarvis. The Golden Flashes staff immediately recognized his potential and made an effort to establish themselves as the front-runner by developing a personal rapport with Jarvis' family.
Now Jarvis is carrying the Golden Flashes' offense.
"(Size) isn't the most important thing when it comes to recruiting a running back," said Kent State running backs coach Jerry McManus. "And a lot of times you overlook some size with some guys. You have to see 'Does he have toughness, does he have vision, and those things.' Fortunately for Eugene, he falls in all those categories. … He's certainly proven he can play in the Division I level."
Golden Flashes quarterback Julian Edelman agrees with McManus' assessment. Edelman has worked with Jarvis inside the huddle enough times to notice that his height has served more as a benefit than a hindrance in the running game.
"He has adapted to what he has," Edelman said. "He's short so he hides behind the linemen and uses his vision. A lot of people don't understand that he really can run inside the tackles very well because he is so low to the ground. He's powerful in that little body he has."
Despite silencing some of his critics, Jarvis still desires to avenge himself to the coaches who passed him up. But at the same time, there are also moments when Jarvis can't help but reflect on his past.
"If it all worked out, I would probably be in West Virginia right now," Jarvis said. "All I needed was an opportunity to showcase myself. But I'm at Kent State right now and that's all I'm looking forward to. They stuck with me from the beginning, so that's why I came here."
Fulmer Volunteers to Step Aside
In 1998, Phillip Fulmer was on top of the college football world, having coached Tennessee to a conference title and national championship. Now, 10 years removed from his glory days, Fulmer has become the latest college head coach to lose his job, ending his 17-year run with the Volunteers.
But Tennessee lost more than just a coach. They lost a family member. Fulmer spent more than 30 years at the university, serving as a player, offensive coordinator, associate head coach, and ultimately head coach. During his tenure with the Volunteers, he also developed an excellent recruiting reputation, discovering several NFL talents such as Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Peerless Price, Leonard Little and Albert Haynesworth.
Game to Watch: No. 1 Alabama at No. 15 LSU
Nick Saban is making his return to LSU, the program he once led to a national championship in 2003. This time, he's coaching No. 1 Alabama on the opposing sideline. The homecoming will be an emotional moment for Saban, who notched a 48-16 record in five seasons with the Tigers.
Still, the pressure to preserve the Crimson Tide's No. 1 ranking will be heavy on his mind. So far this season, teams atop the polls have not faired well. Both Oklahoma and Texas suffered devastating losses shortly after acquiring the top spot, and Saban hopes his team can buck that trend.
dsmorais@syr.edu
It's been three years since all three universities passed up on the 5-foot-5, 170-pound Jarvis during the recruiting process, and the Kent State running back remains bitter about being snubbed.
"Every game I play, I go out there playing with a chip on my shoulder," Jarvis said. "Through that whole process I knew everybody was going to say something about my size. Size helps with a lot of things. But you have to look at the other intangibles I have as a running back. They just got caught up with the size because they didn't look at all the other things that I would bring to the table."
Despite his unconventional size, Jarvis still rushed for 1,669 yards and 13 total touchdowns (10 on the ground) on only 279 carries last season for Kent State. His rushing yards were the seventh-highest total in the NCAA last season.
The six running backs ahead of him - Kevin Smith (Central Florida), Matt Forte (Tulane), Ray Rice (Rutgers), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon) and Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) - were all taken in last year's NFL Draft, leaving Jarvis as the top returning back statistically for this season.
Jarvis hasn't had an ideal 2008. An ankle injury cost him three games in October. So far this season he has 451 yards and five touchdowns in six games for the Golden Flashes (2-7).
Even when Jarvis is on his game, his accomplishments go mostly unnoticed because he plays in the Mid-American Conference, one of the weakest conferences in college football.
But Jarvis is used to flying under the radar - he's done it throughout his entire career. Coming out of Central Catholic High School (Pa.), he was a two-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year and rushed for 2,196 yards and 38 touchdowns during his senior year.
With those statistics, one would assume that Jarvis would incite a recruiting frenzy. Instead, it was quite the opposite. The number of scholarship offers decreased rather than increased.
Prior to the season, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Bowling Green, Temple, Akron and Kent State were all heavily recruiting Jarvis. But as commitment deadlines approached, Jarvis' stock gradually started to wane. Coaches second-guessed their decisions about the Central Catholic prospect, citing his size as a primary concern.
Pittsburgh became the first school to pull the trigger. After seriously pursuing the homegrown running back, the Panthers coaching staff decided to rescind Jarvis' offer in favor of running backs LaRod Stephens-Howling - who was two inches taller - and Irv Brown. But what irked Jarvis was the coaching staff's unwillingness to personally inform him of their decision.
"They never told me," Jarvis said. "They went to my high school coach to tell me that they pulled my scholarship because another guy committed. When they offered (the scholarship) to me they invited me to their office to tell me, but when they pulled it they never did the same thing."
The news kept turning worse for Jarvis. Soon after the rejection, West Virginia notified him that they too were withdrawing his scholarship offer.
Bowling Green still seemed like a viable option. But by that time, the Falcons coaching staff had completely abandoned him. After offering him a scholarship, they suddenly ended all contact with the prospective recruit. To this day, Jarvis has not received an explanation from the university.
Through it all, Kent State never wavered away from Jarvis. The Golden Flashes staff immediately recognized his potential and made an effort to establish themselves as the front-runner by developing a personal rapport with Jarvis' family.
Now Jarvis is carrying the Golden Flashes' offense.
"(Size) isn't the most important thing when it comes to recruiting a running back," said Kent State running backs coach Jerry McManus. "And a lot of times you overlook some size with some guys. You have to see 'Does he have toughness, does he have vision, and those things.' Fortunately for Eugene, he falls in all those categories. … He's certainly proven he can play in the Division I level."
Golden Flashes quarterback Julian Edelman agrees with McManus' assessment. Edelman has worked with Jarvis inside the huddle enough times to notice that his height has served more as a benefit than a hindrance in the running game.
"He has adapted to what he has," Edelman said. "He's short so he hides behind the linemen and uses his vision. A lot of people don't understand that he really can run inside the tackles very well because he is so low to the ground. He's powerful in that little body he has."
Despite silencing some of his critics, Jarvis still desires to avenge himself to the coaches who passed him up. But at the same time, there are also moments when Jarvis can't help but reflect on his past.
"If it all worked out, I would probably be in West Virginia right now," Jarvis said. "All I needed was an opportunity to showcase myself. But I'm at Kent State right now and that's all I'm looking forward to. They stuck with me from the beginning, so that's why I came here."
Fulmer Volunteers to Step Aside
In 1998, Phillip Fulmer was on top of the college football world, having coached Tennessee to a conference title and national championship. Now, 10 years removed from his glory days, Fulmer has become the latest college head coach to lose his job, ending his 17-year run with the Volunteers.
But Tennessee lost more than just a coach. They lost a family member. Fulmer spent more than 30 years at the university, serving as a player, offensive coordinator, associate head coach, and ultimately head coach. During his tenure with the Volunteers, he also developed an excellent recruiting reputation, discovering several NFL talents such as Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Peerless Price, Leonard Little and Albert Haynesworth.
Game to Watch: No. 1 Alabama at No. 15 LSU
Nick Saban is making his return to LSU, the program he once led to a national championship in 2003. This time, he's coaching No. 1 Alabama on the opposing sideline. The homecoming will be an emotional moment for Saban, who notched a 48-16 record in five seasons with the Tigers.
Still, the pressure to preserve the Crimson Tide's No. 1 ranking will be heavy on his mind. So far this season, teams atop the polls have not faired well. Both Oklahoma and Texas suffered devastating losses shortly after acquiring the top spot, and Saban hopes his team can buck that trend.
dsmorais@syr.edu
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