Iowa football: Expect Hampton to contend for rushing title, analyst says
Jewel Hampton, right, shown during practice on Aug. 14, is expected to contribute this season at running back after missing last season because of injury. He is suspended for the Hawkeyes' opener because of an arrest. Photo by Dan Williamson/Press-Citizen
Remember Jewel Hampton?
The sophomore running back missed all of last season after knee surgery — and will sit out Saturday’s season opener against Eastern Illinois because of a one-game suspension — but Big Ten Network analyst Howard Griffith said Iowa football fans should get reacquainted with Hampton’s breakaway potential.
“He looks like his quickness is back,” Griffith said after watching the Hawkeyes practice. “I believe he can probably be one of the competitors for the Big Ten rushing title.”
Adam Robinson, who led the Hawkeyes last fall with 834 rushing yards, will get the starting nod this weekend. But Griffith expects Hampton, who ran for 463 yards as a backup in 2008, to emerge as the primary ball carrier for ninth-ranked Iowa.
“I expect him to be No. 1 at some point,” said Griffith, a former fullback for Illinois. “He just gives you that dimension that the other guys don’t have. … Quickness.”
Hampton was the projected replacement for all-American Shonn Greene until his offseason injury put his college career on hold.
“I started playing football when I was 4 or 5. That’s the longest I’ve ever been out,” Hampton said this month. “It’s kind of weird.”
While Hampton went though the healing process, the Hawkeyes rolled to an 11-2 record, including a 24-14 victory over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
Robinson and Brandon Wegher combined to average 4.3 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns.
It was easy for Hampton to feel like a forgotten man.
“I watched every game, and just envision myself, that I could be doing that,” he said. “I knew that I was hurt and I knew I just had to get past that, rehab and get better.”
Hampton’s comeback was delayed an additional week after he pleaded guilty to public intoxication, stemming from a June incident in downtown Iowa City.
He’ll rejoin his teammates for a Sept. 11 showdown against Iowa State.
“I’m looking forward to getting back,” Hampton said, “hitting the ground running.”
Hampton averaged 5.1 yards per rush his freshman season in a limited role. With the absence of Wegher, who left the team for personal reasons, Iowa is down to two experienced tailbacks.
“Obviously, with numbers there is more confidence,” Griffith said. “The more capable running backs you have, it’s going to make the job easier in case you have injuries. But if Wegher does not come back, then I think they’re going to be in fine shape.”
Hampton appears to be fine physically. His next step is to repair any psychological hesitancy.
“I think you have to get over the fear of re-injuring it,” Griffith said. “The mental aspect becomes the issue, and from my opinion, it didn’t look like he was concerned about that.”
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
