Jamario shares award's watch list

BubbaGreen · June 22, 2006

Not sure if this has been posted yet....

Brad McDonnell

Issue date: 6/22/06 Section: SPORTS

Mean Green running back Jamario Thomas, recently named to the Maxwell Award watch list, is among several of the nation's rushers entering their junior year who are looking to recapture the success they enjoyed as freshmen.

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A sub-par, injury-riddled 2005 season did not keep Jamario Thomas off his second-straight Maxwell Award watch list.

The NT running back was among 60 Division-1A football players named to the list on June 13. The Maxwell Award is given to the college Player of the Year, similar to an MVP award in professional sports.

Thomas appeared in only eight games for the Mean Green last season after prolonged injuries, combined with a bulk of the playing time being given to former NT running back Patrick Cobbs, hampered a repeat of a successful freshman season.

Thomas rushed for only 285 yards in 2005, nearly one-fifth of his production as a freshman in 2004 when the tailback totaled 1,801 rushing yards and led the nation with 180.1 yards per game.

The 21-year-old junior joins 22 other tailbacks (21 RB, 1 FB) on the list, 10 of which are juniors.

The 2004 season featured an array of standout performances from freshman running backs, including Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and Michigan's Michael Hart. Both players also made the watch list.

Peterson and Hart, along with Thomas, ranked among the top-10 in rushing yards as freshmen. However, their sophomore seasons were not on the same level as all three players suffered various setbacks.

Peterson was slowed by an ankle injury, while Hart nursed a bothered hamstring.

The three runners appear to be on track for the upcoming 2006 season, and, health permitting, will be the focal points of their teams' offense.

The Mean Green will turn to Thomas to continue a lengthy stretch of success at the position.

NT has produced a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past five seasons. Cobbs ran for 1,158 yards last year and 1,680 yards in 2003. Kevin Galbreath had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for the Mean Green in 2001 and 2002.