Circa 2003 when a guy named Derrick Knight was trying to replace a guy named William Green but being the underdog for the job with Horace Dodd a bigger name. These were the good old days when we had so much access to players.
Derrick Knight doesn’t care – in fact, he’s used to it.
“People have doubted me all my life I guess,” said the 5-9, 200-pound tailback for Boston College. “That comes with the territory when you’re not as tall as people would like or whatever. I don’t let it bother me or affect me. I use it as motivation.”
Heading into spring practice, Knight should have plenty of motivation. While this should be Knight’s finest hour, the time for him to shine with star running back William Green done for the NFL, most of the talk among fans has been about Horace Dodd. Knight carried the ball 76 times last season for the Eagles while Dodd hasn’t run the football in a game since his senior year in high school back in 1999. Still, Knight is the apparent underdog heading into this spring battle.
“Horace is a great talent and an awesome running back so I’m looking forward to it,” said Knight, a quiet, polite and reserved kid from Xaverian Brothers High School in Mass. “All eyes are going to be on this position this spring because of Will Green’s departure. I think they’re going to see two guys going hard at each other to win the job.”
While his underdog status will be a motivator for Knight in this battle, he feels that little motivation is needed.
“If you can’t get up for this, then nothing will motivate you,” he said. “With players like Dodd and (Brandon) Brokaw to compete with, additional motivation is not needed at all. There’s going to be competition no matter who leaves or what year you’re in. I know they’re not going to just hand me the job, I have to earn it.”
Earning things is something that Knight is used to. As a lightly recruited tailback at Xaverian back in 2000, Knight came to the Boston College summer camp hoping to earn a scholarship. His speed did the trick and is still his greatest asset.
“I think I did really well at that camp and earned that offer, but it wasn’t the first time I had to fight my way to something,” he said. “I think that makes me work harder and this off-season was a very good one for me. I worked on a lot of things I felt needed work and I kept my speed which is important.”
Knight’s best 40-yard dash time was a 4.38 this winter and he never ran below a 4.42.
“I’m at around 200 pounds and that’s where I think I feel most comfortable,” he explained. “I was up around 205 or more last season and I didn’t feel as fast. Now I feel much faster and much stronger.”
Especially in his lower body.
“I’m in great shape and didn’t really do a lot differently except maybe I worked harder on my lower body than in the past,” he said. “I made gains in every area. My bench press is around 340 now and I can squat 440 six times so my legs are much stronger. I think that will help me with my power.”
The biggest question about Knight has been regarding his durability. Can he handle the pounding required to be the feature back? Can he carry the ball 25 times or more in a game?
“I’m ready for the carries,” he said with excitement. “I think my low running style helps me avoid a lot of pounding. I run low to the ground and not just because I’m short. I like to get low and get up and under a lot of people. That doesn’t allow them to get a good shot at me.”
Knight also likes to be the one to deliver the blow when running.
“My style is based on speed and power,” he stated. “I make one cut or two cuts and just go. I hit the hole very hard and usually try to avoid defenders. But when I can’t, I’ll lower my head and try to deliver the punishment.”
Knight’s running style is nearly the opposite of Dodd’s.
“Horace is a much more patient runner,” he said. “He’ll wait for his blocks to develop and for holes to open. I hit the hole quick, sometimes too quick. I think we both bring different things to the table, but we’re not similar runners.”
One thing both players have going for them is maturity.
“I have a year of experience under me and I’m more mature as a back and as a person than I was before,” he explained. “I learned a lot last season and Horace learned a lot when he was redshirting last year as well. We’ve both been around for a couple of years and we know what to expect of practice and things like that.”
The one thing that will be very different for Knight this spring is being the chased instead of the chaser.
“It’s a completely different mindset this spring with Will gone,” he said. “In the past I’d come in and know I just wanted to push Will but that he was the man. This spring it’s wide open and if you base things on experience, I have to be the one being chased. That’s a different feeling for me and a bit odd, but I need to approach it the same way. I don’t want to get too comfortable and I know the competition will be great. I’m going to miss Will and his friendship, but I also know this is a great opportunity for me and I have to take advantage of it.”
Knight will be re-united with Xaverian backfield-mate and best buddy J.P. Comella on the first team this spring.
“I think that will really help because we know each other well off the field but on the field as well,” he stated. “We’ve been there before and I feel comfortable with J.P. there. Every little advantage helps and he’ll be very helpful for me I think.”
Comella himself warns BC fans who are writing off Knight and already inserting Dodd as the starting running back.
“Horace is an awesome running back and has a ton of talent,” Comella said. “But Derrick can’t be written off by anyone. I’ve seen the kid compete and have seen him backed against the wall. He always comes out fighting and he’s as competitive as anyone. I think he gets better when challenged so it will be a great battle.”
And Knight can only hope for one thing – that people keep doubting him. After all, it’s worked for him so far.
Derrick Knight doesn’t care – in fact, he’s used to it.
“People have doubted me all my life I guess,” said the 5-9, 200-pound tailback for Boston College. “That comes with the territory when you’re not as tall as people would like or whatever. I don’t let it bother me or affect me. I use it as motivation.”
Heading into spring practice, Knight should have plenty of motivation. While this should be Knight’s finest hour, the time for him to shine with star running back William Green done for the NFL, most of the talk among fans has been about Horace Dodd. Knight carried the ball 76 times last season for the Eagles while Dodd hasn’t run the football in a game since his senior year in high school back in 1999. Still, Knight is the apparent underdog heading into this spring battle.
“Horace is a great talent and an awesome running back so I’m looking forward to it,” said Knight, a quiet, polite and reserved kid from Xaverian Brothers High School in Mass. “All eyes are going to be on this position this spring because of Will Green’s departure. I think they’re going to see two guys going hard at each other to win the job.”
While his underdog status will be a motivator for Knight in this battle, he feels that little motivation is needed.
“If you can’t get up for this, then nothing will motivate you,” he said. “With players like Dodd and (Brandon) Brokaw to compete with, additional motivation is not needed at all. There’s going to be competition no matter who leaves or what year you’re in. I know they’re not going to just hand me the job, I have to earn it.”
Earning things is something that Knight is used to. As a lightly recruited tailback at Xaverian back in 2000, Knight came to the Boston College summer camp hoping to earn a scholarship. His speed did the trick and is still his greatest asset.
“I think I did really well at that camp and earned that offer, but it wasn’t the first time I had to fight my way to something,” he said. “I think that makes me work harder and this off-season was a very good one for me. I worked on a lot of things I felt needed work and I kept my speed which is important.”
Knight’s best 40-yard dash time was a 4.38 this winter and he never ran below a 4.42.
“I’m at around 200 pounds and that’s where I think I feel most comfortable,” he explained. “I was up around 205 or more last season and I didn’t feel as fast. Now I feel much faster and much stronger.”
Especially in his lower body.
“I’m in great shape and didn’t really do a lot differently except maybe I worked harder on my lower body than in the past,” he said. “I made gains in every area. My bench press is around 340 now and I can squat 440 six times so my legs are much stronger. I think that will help me with my power.”
The biggest question about Knight has been regarding his durability. Can he handle the pounding required to be the feature back? Can he carry the ball 25 times or more in a game?
“I’m ready for the carries,” he said with excitement. “I think my low running style helps me avoid a lot of pounding. I run low to the ground and not just because I’m short. I like to get low and get up and under a lot of people. That doesn’t allow them to get a good shot at me.”
Knight also likes to be the one to deliver the blow when running.
“My style is based on speed and power,” he stated. “I make one cut or two cuts and just go. I hit the hole very hard and usually try to avoid defenders. But when I can’t, I’ll lower my head and try to deliver the punishment.”
Knight’s running style is nearly the opposite of Dodd’s.
“Horace is a much more patient runner,” he said. “He’ll wait for his blocks to develop and for holes to open. I hit the hole quick, sometimes too quick. I think we both bring different things to the table, but we’re not similar runners.”
One thing both players have going for them is maturity.
“I have a year of experience under me and I’m more mature as a back and as a person than I was before,” he explained. “I learned a lot last season and Horace learned a lot when he was redshirting last year as well. We’ve both been around for a couple of years and we know what to expect of practice and things like that.”
The one thing that will be very different for Knight this spring is being the chased instead of the chaser.
“It’s a completely different mindset this spring with Will gone,” he said. “In the past I’d come in and know I just wanted to push Will but that he was the man. This spring it’s wide open and if you base things on experience, I have to be the one being chased. That’s a different feeling for me and a bit odd, but I need to approach it the same way. I don’t want to get too comfortable and I know the competition will be great. I’m going to miss Will and his friendship, but I also know this is a great opportunity for me and I have to take advantage of it.”
Knight will be re-united with Xaverian backfield-mate and best buddy J.P. Comella on the first team this spring.
“I think that will really help because we know each other well off the field but on the field as well,” he stated. “We’ve been there before and I feel comfortable with J.P. there. Every little advantage helps and he’ll be very helpful for me I think.”
Comella himself warns BC fans who are writing off Knight and already inserting Dodd as the starting running back.
“Horace is an awesome running back and has a ton of talent,” Comella said. “But Derrick can’t be written off by anyone. I’ve seen the kid compete and have seen him backed against the wall. He always comes out fighting and he’s as competitive as anyone. I think he gets better when challenged so it will be a great battle.”
And Knight can only hope for one thing – that people keep doubting him. After all, it’s worked for him so far.
