| For Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie Correll Buckhalter, it
seems the grass has always been greener on the other side. The 14th running
back selected in the 2001 NFL draft, Buckhalter has more yards than 13 of the backs —
San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson is the exception — chosen ahead of him. Not bad
considering he made his first start three weeks into the season.
Buckhalter, 22, has been under-appreciated, overlooked and miscalculated since he first
picked up the pigskin. Back then, Correll was trying to take the ball from older brother
Chris. Years later, he’s still battling for carries, and overdue respect.
"It’s not frustrating because Duce (Staley) is a great back," Buckhalter
said. "I’ll just wait for the opportunity to arise and take on the
challenge."
In his first NFL start Sept. 30, Buckhalter carried the ball 20 times for 99 yards,
scored a touchdown and burst through the Cowboys’ defense for a 48-yard gain in the
third quarter.
Offensive coordinator Rod Dowhower called a 98 handoff silent, a complex variation of
the traditional power sweep, designed to get Buckhalter on the perimeter to use his 4.5
speed.
"That gave me some confidence," said Buckhalter, who had just over 100 yards
from scrimmage in extended action a week earlier, but had struggled to pick up the blitz
at times. "It wasn’t a statement that I am ready, but that I’ll take it
whenever they ask me. That’s just my job, to make things happen."
With Staley in street clothes on the sideline for the second straight week, unable to
adjust to a shoulder harness and battling lingering pain in an injury suffered at Seattle
Sept. 23, Buckhalter continued to make things happen against Arizona on Oct. 7 — this
time with 134 yards on 21 carries. Entering Philadelphia’s bye week, Buckhalter sat
in third place in the NFC in rushing behind former Nebraska teammate Ahman Green and
Marshall Faulk.
"I haven’t really had a chance to speak to Ahman," Buckhalter said of
Green, Nebraska’s second all-time leading rusher who ranks second in the NFL in
rushing after four weeks. Green was drafted by Seattle, but relegated to kickoff return
duties because of a propensity to cough up the football. He found his way to Green Bay and
is paving the road to the Pro Bowl in his second season as a starter.
"The biggest difference between those two is just the straight-away speed,"
said Dave Gillespie, Nebraska’s running backs coach. "Ahman could really get out
on the corner and had that explosion. And he’s put it all together now. You look at
him as one of the most complete backs in the NFL."
It looks like Buckhalter has a chance to make a name for himself in his first season,
though one could argue he hasn’t been tested. His big games have come against Dallas
and Arizona, two very average defenses. The big test could come in front of a national
audience when the Eagles travel to play the New York Giants on Monday night. New York owns
a nine-game winning streak against Philadelphia.
Eagles’ coach Andy Reid originally said that when Staley is ready, he is the
starter and the world of potential that is Buckhalter, would go back to the bench. But the
rookie’s recent showings prompted Reid to waiver slightly.
"I’d say not to put anything past Correll. I sure wouldn’t,"
Gillespie said. "He has the mindset of a guy who can do whatever he puts his mind to
and gives all-out effort when he does it."
Reid said the Eagles, who have a bye this week, won’t rush Staley back and added
that Buckhalter will remain a vital part of the running game throughout the season.
"This is just the start of an opportunity to open some eyes and show people what I
can do," Buckhalter said. "That I can run and catch the football."
It’s not as if Buckhalter hasn’t been on this proving ground in the past.
"I just know from Nebraska how to handle the situation," Buckhalter said.
"I started twice my junior year, against Iowa State and Kansas."
Two starts? Two starts for an all-state senior running back, who piled up 1,722 yards
and averaged 7.3 yards per carry his senior season at Collins High School in Mississippi?
It was nothing new to Correll.
"I have more respect for Correll Buckhalter than probably any player I’ve
ever had because of the way he handles these situations," Gillespie said. "He
never let it become an issue. He came to practice every day and worked harder than the day
before. Correll always prepared like he was the starter and didn’t let not starting
be a road block."
Though he wasn’t ignored, Buckhalter wasn’t seeing the recruiting letters,
receiving phone calls or getting knocks on the door from college football heavyweights
campaigning for his services. It wasn’t until his prep coach, Royce Foster, sent a
tape to the Nebraska coaching staff that interest came from the Cornhuskers.
"When I first saw him I knew he had the talent — a lot of it," said
Gillespie, who also serves as Nebraska’s recruiting coordinator, said. "He had
that shiftiness, great vision and was a good kid."
The tape showed a workhorse of a back carrying the ball 47 times — amazingly, all
in the first half — for 387 yards.
"It just worked out that way," Buckhalter said. "I went to Nebraska
because they run the football. They run it a lot. And that’s what I wanted to
do."
So rather than dueling with the Southeastern Conference foes he imitated as a
youngster, Buckhalter headed to Lincoln, Neb., and began his college football career
dueling for respect and playing time. Not as a backup, but a third-stringer.
Green was in his third season as the starting I-back when Buckhalter arrived in
Nebraska. All Green had going for him were 3,880 career rushing yards, 42 career
touchdowns and a national championship.
Buckhalter learned the system, got the reps and waited his turn to carry the ball
behind the perennially powerful Cornhuskers’ offensive line. When Buckhalter left the
University of Nebraska, he had played in more than 40 games, and started only nine times,
seven as a sophomore.
"The thing that stood out with Correll was his understanding, approach and work
ethic," Gillespie said. "He had the things that good and even great running
backs have, but he could use those abilities because of the intangibles."
Then new coach Frank Solich decided it would be battering ram FB Dan Alexander who
would get the bulk of the work. Buckhalter went back to being a reserve, and back to
battling for attention.
"Those two were really comparable in terms of speed," Gillespie said.
"It wasn’t a case where we thought one guy was so much better than the other. We
found time where both of them could get in there and show their strengths."
"I don’t look at it as a regret or anything. I met a lot of good people and
established a good work ethic at Nebraska and that is what will help me out in the long
run," Buckhalter added.
When all was said and done, Buckhalter ranked eighth on the Nebraska career-rushing
list with 2,522 yards and 27 touchdowns.
His name was tossed about NFL circles regularly following a strong showing at pre-draft
auditions and exhibitions, including the East-West Shrine Game. But the names of 13
running backs were called before, finally, with the 121st overall pick, Correll
Buckhalter found a home with the Eagles.
He had run circles around Kansas’ Moran Norris (115th overall) in Big
12 battles, twice topped Deuce McAllister (No. 23) in prep track meets and was surely more
accomplished than Michael Bennett (No. 27), a sprinter-made-halfback with little game
experience at Wisconsin.
"I hadn’t thought about that, but that’s just the way the NFL
operates," Buckhalter said. "You don’t know how things are going to work
out. I’m blessed to be where I am." |
