Do you get out much? I'm guessing you never saw Thomas who is arguably the best athlete to ever play in Eastern KY. I'm also guessing you never saw Hutt who many would argue is #1 back ever in Eastern KY. How in the world can you leave West off the list? He is arguably the best back ever in Eastern KY too. Go back and look at the KHSAA record books. He is around the top in most rushing category's ever. 3 straight 2,000+ seasons!

 

I would place all three of them as being some of the best that ever played in this area :thumb:

The best all around back in eastern kentucky that i have ever seen in high school was Arliss Beach. He had the body of a D1 back and had good speed and good agility. I think that the reason alot of back from eastern kentucky tend to fizzle away is a combination of two things, work ethic and stamina.

 

In high school, you have alot of back that can run a 4.6 forty and rush for 2000 yds in a season in HIGH SCHOOL. In college, you have tons of speed at every position therefore making in harder for back that relies on speed to be successful at the next level. A running back now has to put more time into the wieght room than what they are used to and has to train alot more than they are used to. It is hard to convince most kids that they are going to have to do all these to succeed when they have had they way with high school teams for the past 2 or 3 years and only know success.

 

Also at the college level, you have alot of guys that have good size and good strength. In a common offense attack, you can count on a running back to get anywhere from 15-25 carries and alot of those are up the middle. Most DL and LB in college have bench presses over or around 400 lbs. Imagine taking hits from those guys 5 days a week in practice and on gameday. The running back position is the most physically demanding position in football and it shows. Therefore alot of the backs here from eastern kentucky that are not used to hits and opposition like the will see in college therefore not making them prepared for what they will face at the next level.

 

We have had alot of great running backs in high school, but the college game is a make more demanding game both physically and mentally therefore only a very small portion will ever succeed at that level.

I don't think it is just Eastern Ky...I don't think our state turns out a multitude of ELITE running backs...Alexander is playing in the NFL right now but I don't think you can come up with all that long a list of Ky high school running backs that have REALLY made a huge impact at the D1 level over the last 20 years... Certainly not BIG TIME D1...

 

I can easily think of two great running backs who are currently having a big impact at the D1 Level: Michael Bush (Male & Louisville) and Chris Barclay (Male & Wake Forest). :ylsuper:

I can easily think of two great running backs who are currently having a big impact at the D1 Level: Michael Bush (Male & Louisville) and Chris Barclay (Male & Wake Forest). :ylsuper:

:thumb:

 

Barclay is missing a lot of respect because of the school he plays for, but he's tearing it up in the ACC.

I'm surprised no one took offense to this. Slow, white hillbillies? :laugh:

 

I did Blumedad, but I'm a slow, white hillbilly and it took awhile to react (lol). He may have a point though. I guess its 'cause one leg is shorter than the other.

I did Blumedad, but I'm a slow, white hillbilly and it took awhile to react (lol). He may have a point though. I guess its 'cause one leg is shorter than the other.

:lol:

:thumb:

 

Barclay is missing a lot of respect because of the school he plays for, but he's tearing it up in the ACC.

Barclay has totally been overshadowed by Jones and Bush. He threw a TD this weekend at Wake on a trick play by the way:)

Marc Higgs had a heck of a career and did well at both the college level and in the NFL. What about Pinner, is he still with the Lions?

Travis Prentise- DuPont Manual Louisville KY. Set records at Miami of Ohio, brief stint in the NFL with Browns and Vikings.

The record he set was the NCAA Career TD leader with 73 TD's.

We're scootin' farther and farther west. Bubby here was talkin' about East Kentucky.

My son has had one of the best HIGH SCHOOL careers and he can be added to the list. BUT, I for one see the reality of things and realize he will not play at a D-1 college at first; maybe his junior or senior year transfer from a D-2 or D-3 college. But, I tell you this and promise you, he will make some noise some where.

Does anybody remember Ben Delong or Moe Spradlin. They were the running backs on the powerhouse Sheldon Clark teams in 1998-2000. They were both very talented athletes. Ben had the size to play D1 ball but not the heart. He was about 6'2 225 and ran a 4.5 but it is a classic example of how most good football players from eastern kentucky don't really do anything after high school except work in the coal mines or something. Most division 1 programs are recruiting out of Texas, Florida, Georgia (mostly Atlanta) and the Virginia beach area. For some reason these areas are putting out great athletes, take Virginia Tech for example they are always a power house Division 1 program and most of their starting line up come from Virginia Beach, Hampton, New Port News area. example- Mike and Marcus Vick.

Here's one: Marc Washington (Ashland 90-92) played for Princeton and set Ivy League records while he was there. Ivy League schools are classified DI AA. I think that is making a mark.

 

I don't know of any others not already mentioned.

:thumb:

one word SPEED

Another word is qualifying also.