Most college football teams have their starting lineups finalized by the closing weeks of fall camp.
Many starting positions on Florida State’s depth chart have indeed been filled out by the coaching staff, but one vital position remains up for grabs.
That position is running back, where sophomore Chris Thompson and junior Jermaine Thomas are at the forefront of a stable of backs all working hard to earn the starting role in the Seminoles’ 2010 opener Sept. 4 against Samford.
The battle between Thompson and Thomas for the starting spot is far from a new experience, as the two have been taking turns running with the first-team offense dating back to spring practice. As of right now, it appears Thompson may have the slight edge over Thomas for the starting role due to impressive play in spring practice that has carried over into fall camp.
This may come as a shock to fans, given Thomas’ production the past two seasons. Thomas showed flashes of brilliance his freshman year in 2008 with limited opportunity, carrying the ball only 69 times but averaging 7.0 yards per carry to go along with three touchdowns. Last season, in a much more featured role, Thomas again delivered solid numbers, rushing for 832 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
So how is Thompson, who had just 23 carries for 120 yards a season ago, the alleged front-runner to be the opening day starter? It could be attributed to his sound work ethic.
“My mindset is just to work harder than anybody else on the team,” Thompson said. “Once I came in last year, I just had a whole different mindset about the team and doing whatever I needed to do to make this team better.”
That mindset hasn’t only benefitted Thompson himself, but his mates in the backfield as well—Thomas included.
Thompson’s mentality is mirrored by Thomas, as each of them enjoy being pushed by the other to try to make each other better. Thomas is the type of athlete who welcomes a little healthy competition.
“We’re a team, and there’s nothing in football like competing,” Thomas said. “That’s what I love. I’ve had to do it from Pop Warner all the way up to now, so it’s nothing really new. We’re just pushing all our guys to let each other know that whatever happens, we’re all out there trying our best and that it’s for the team.”
Regardless whether Thompson or Thomas gets the start, both are aware that they won’t be the only ones carrying the ball for the Seminoles on Saturdays this season.
Many consider Florida State to have one of the deepest stables of running backs in the country this season. Along with Thompson and Thomas, the ’Noles will feature sophomore Lonnie Pryor, who averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season and had a 50-yard touchdown run in FSU’s 29-26 win over Maryland, as well as junior college transfer Debrale Smiley, whose 6-foot, 230-pound frame will provide a nice change of pace to the fleet-footed running styles of Thompson and Thomas.
Thompson is confident and excited to see how he and his fellow running backs will perform when called upon this season.
“I think it will be a good rotation [of running backs],” Thompson said. “We’re always competing everyday and it’s really because we love and each other and want to make each other better, so pretty much whoever ends up being the man by the time the season starts, it’ll be good.”
Through the whole experience, it could have been easy for Thomas to get upset over potentially not being the feature back in the offense after having such a productive 2009 season, but the junior has remained grounded and is using Thompson’s competition as motivation to get better each day in practice.
“Sometimes [competition] is what certain guys need, and sometimes it’s not,” Thomas said. “But for it to happen, it gives me that energy to go out everyday with a purpose and get the job done.”