Shonn Greene paid a lot of dividends on the football field for Iowa during their 2008 season. Greene ran for over 1800 yards and put 20 touchdowns on the board, both single season Iowa records.
After this year’s playoff run for the New York Jets, Greene could have a hand in future Iowa touchdowns.
Greene rang up 128 yards on 23 carries, including a 53-yard scoring burst where he barreled over a defender ten yards into the secondary and then would run away from two defensive backs for the score. That gave the Jets a 17-7 lead and they would win the game 17-14.
Greene has gone for over 100 yards in back to back playoff games, the first time a Jet has done that since Freeman McNeil. Note to the youngsters out there reading this; he was a guy that played running back a long time ago. That’s old school, Greene is Nu Skool.
If Jets fans were giddy with Greene’s performance after last week’s win over Cincinnati (21 carries and 135 yards plus a score) and they were, they are probably elated that the Jets traded up to get Greene with the first pick of the third round in last April’s NFL Draft.
With the exception of one play, which was a 4th and 1 with little more than a minute left and the game on the line where they went with Thomas Jones, Greene got the call for the tough yards, for really every rushing play on the field. Jones carried the ball 14 times.
As for Greene and how he can help the Hawkeyes down the road, consider this…when Marcus Coker of Maryland committed to Iowa this year, he said the following regarding Shonn Greene: “He (Greene) has been a big influence,” Coker told the Des Moines Register. “We are both big backs.”
The type of success that a Shonn Greene had at Iowa last year, which was seen on television from sea to shining sea thanks to the Big Ten Network and ESPN coverage, paid instant dividends for Iowa in landing Coker, who is a big back and a stud.
Don’t take my word for it, watch a collection of Coker videos at this link.
Now, with Greene going for more than 100 yards in back to back playoff games on a television stage larger than anything he played on while at Iowa, you don’t think the Iowa coaching staff isn’t going to make mention of that when they are talking to backs over the next few years?
How do you think Wisconsin recruits big, bruising backs year after year after year after year?
Success and the spotlight breeds more success.
Iowa will have at least three capable tailbacks next year that can carry the ball successfully in the Big Ten with regards to being known quantities; Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher and Jewel Hampton. Coker will be coming in and you’d love to be able to redshirt a player of his caliber. Jeff Brinson has been snake bit by injuries thus far in his career, but he had exceptional talent at the high school level and Florida State came in late with a scholarship offer, but he stayed committed to Iowa. It’s probably unrealistic to think they will add another top flight back to this year’s class.
But the Class of 2011 is going to begin taking shape over the next few months, and junior days where next year’s signees will begin taking trips to college campuses are underway right now.
You can bet that Shonn Greene’s NFL production will be something Ferentz & Company pull out on the recruiting trails, backed up by his 2009 production which blew this year’s Heisman Trophy winner’s statistics out of the water.
One last thing, and I know many of you have given this thought; what if Greene had stayed at Iowa for his senior year? A Heisman might have just been the start.
Tags: hawkeye football, Hawkeye Nation, hawkeyenation.com, Iowa football, shonn greene
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Nice job Jon…great stuff as usual!
One minor correction Jon, The Jets traded up to get Shonn with the 1st pick on the THIRD round.
As I said in a previous post, had he stayed he would’ve been the 2nd Hawkeye Heisman winner AND he would’ve lead the Hawks to the NC game. With Greene there would’ve been no losses and there wouldn’t have been many close wins either.
You can tell that the Jets are grooming him to be their starter next season. Don’t be suprised if Greene is starting and Jones is traded.
Watching a guy like Greene, especially as a skill position player, is what talented recruits want to see. Having a player like Shonn will definately help big time recruits-like Coker- see themselves at Iowa. He carried our team(literally), emerged on the national scene(doak walker), and has already produced in the big league(playoffs!). One great player won’t change the world, but Shonn Greene is proof that Iowa is a place where a star player can shine, just like at other powerful programs.
Don’t forget about Dallas Clark one of the other top players to come out of Iowa who is having a break out year. Those two guys prove how the Iowa football program can get them ready for the NFL. Both players were not heavily recruited and left to go to the NFL their Junior Years.
I am just wondering, in case anyone knows what really happened with Andre Dawson, from C.R. Washington? Did he not want to be a hawkeye or what? My guess would be that he doesn’t think he will be able to get carries at tailback, which i am assuming he wants.