Fred Jackson at it again.

Submitted by drewro02 on

"Thomas Rawls, to me, is a combination of Anthony Thomas and Chris Perry, but he's faster than both of them," Jackson said. "He's got their feet, their power, and he's got a running style more like Chris', because he really sinks before he hits you."

Gotta love Coach Jackson!

 

Edit- Yet more from Coach Jackson-

"No doubt," Jackson said. "I saw him play enough. The kid's got the right stuff. He's just like [Alabama's Mark Ingram], but he's faster than Ingram. He ran 10.65 in the 100 meters, at 220 pounds. Just think about that."

michgoblue

February 2nd, 2011 at 5:24 PM ^

Maybe I have been reading too much of Coach Jackson's comments lately, but when I saw some of the video of Rawls yesterday, the first thought that I had was that he reminded me of Chris Perry with a little bit more speed.  Didn't make the comparison to A Train, but I can see it.

Rawls is the player in this class that I am most excited about.  

michgoblue

February 2nd, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^

Trust me, you are the only one.

 

Look back at FJ's career at M?  Sure, he is optimistic on many off his players, but you know what?  Prior to the past three years, Michigan regularly had one of the top RBs in the country.  He has coached: M. Hart, C. Perry, Anthony Thomas, Tyrone Wheatly and T. Biakabutuka, amongst others.  If he thinks that he can make these new kids into something special, hyperbole jokes aside, I trust him.

treetown

February 2nd, 2011 at 6:43 PM ^

Coach Jackson has always been very positive and optimistic. He of course knows high steep the odds are that all of the top HS RBs actually become great college RBs. But I suspect he also knows that part of what a great RB has that the average and just good RBs don't have is that confidence - a belief that they can get that 1,2 or 3 yards. There are a lot of fast guys, but few great RBs. Just look at Mike Hart, he wasn't the fastest back nor was he the top using the usual measuring stick parameters but he was definitely the best UM RB of his time.

I don't think this is an example of what used to happen with Spring Training and the Tigers. There was a time when some poor kid would be talked up in Spring Training and nearly all of them busted. The only thing you knew at the end was that this kid was doomed. Do you remember Chris Pittaro? He was suppose to supplant Lou Whitaker and become a regular day-to-day 2nd base man.