Nfl National Football League
The National Football League: Peyton Hillis Running Wild!
Peyton Hillis was drafted in the seventh round (227th overall) of the 2008 draft by the Denver Broncos and was primarily going to be used as a fullback. In their careers at Arkansas Hillis, McFadden, and Jones recorded 959, 4,590, and 2,956 yards respectively. However, Hillis’ senior year was by far his best where he averaged 5.6 yards per carry (same as McFadden) and added seven total touchdowns. What is the point of all this you ask? Well, here are the arguments I am trying to make today:
The University of Arkansas had the best backfield in NCAA history in 2007
Peyton Hillis was overlooked because…of his skin color?
Before the 2010 NFL season started Peyton Hillis was traded for a third string quarterback, Brady Quinn. Chump change. Hillis currently has 726 rushing yards and eight touchdowns (all stats and projections gathered from ESPN.com) and is projected for 1,291 yards and 14 touchdowns. Felix Jones, one of the men who scouts surely looked at over Hillis in 2007, has 353 rushing yards and 0 touchdowns, and is projected for only 628 yards. Jones was drafted 205 spots ahead of Hillis in 2008. Now, McFadden is having a breakout year as well and currently has 757 yards with four touchdowns. McFadden is projected for 1,346 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. He was drafted 223 spots ahead of Hillis.
So again, how does a man who is an absolute beast not receive the attention he deserves when there are so many “experts” scouting these players?
Could it be because of the color of one’s skin?
I chalk this up to the fact that owners want to sell tickets and for this reason players like Danny Woodhead (all time leading rusher in NCAA history), Danny Amendola (released by Cowboys), Jacob Hester (led LSU to a title with 106 rushing yards in the 2007 NCAA Championship) and the aforementioned Peyton Hillis do not receive a just chance because of the color of their skin and the misconceptions this leads fans and front office people to believe.
So Peyton Hillis isn’t the fastest (was Jerome Bettis?), the most agile (was Emmit Smith?) or the best pass catcher (was Jim Brown?) in the league, so what? Many players have come before him and have had much lesser skill but have been given the chance to start because of the hype built around them. Name the last time a white running back was thought to be the starter going into the preseason? If it wasn’t for a couple of running backs getting injured ahead of Peyton Hillis he probably wouldn’t have gotten his shot.
Not only do players like Hillis help their teams win but they are also starting to become flashier due to their production in fantasy football leagues. Was Danny Amendola not good enough, or not sexy enough to play in Dallas? Was Danny Woodhead not talented enough to be the third-down back or special teams player? Is Jacob Hester really a fullback and did his talents disappear overnight? Did Peyton Hillis really not deserve to start over Montario Hardesty before the preseason? Come on man…
John Riggins, Larry Csonka, Jim Taylor and Craig James (the last white 1,000 yard rusher) would all be overlooked today and the people who say otherwise are just plain ignorant! I commend the likes of Eric Mangini (and Mike Holmgren) for not panicking when they were left with Hillis as their starter, and Bill Belichick for seeing the talents in Danny Woodhead and finding a place for him on the field, and Steve Spagnuolo for allowing the undersized Danny Amendola to be one of his go-to-guys at the receiver position.
Jerry Jones could take a lesson from these fellas in realizing that talent and ticket sales aren’t as clear as black and white. Reaching on an electric running back in college (who was/is talented) doesn’t always translate to wins and ticket sales, winning games does! And so does Peyton Hillis!
Peyton Hillis is on pace to be the first white running back to rush for over 1,000 yards since Craig James did it in 1985.
About the Author
Zac has been writing for several years, while concentrating on the sports genre. Zac is an avid fantasy sports player hand has vast knowledge in baseball, football, and basketball. Feel free to ask questions whether regarding start/sit, game promotions, or simply anything having to do with sports.
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