Monday June 23, 2008

Ryan Update / Clemson Running Backs

Ryan Update 6-23
Ryan had a peaceful weekend. Everything he does, he does a little better each day. His movements are a little smoother and his doctor told us this morning that his eyes have a little more purposeful movement.

He is starting to move his head more also. This was the last part of his body to move but he has been much more active with his head lately.

Family and friends continue to visit and each time they say they see a difference in him.

His doctors would like to eventually do an MRI on his brain but they will not be able to until they can cap his trach. Ryan is not stable enough to handle an MRI in which he would have to be still for at least 30 minutes but that picture would give his doctors a much clearer idea of the damage. They would not change any prognosis or action if the MRI was different than they thought but it would help them to know the extent.

Ryan's left leg is the most active. I think his left leg ran a marathon over the weekend.

The doctor told us today that he might surprise us with some more progress in the next few weeks. He told us to just stay patient and keep our pace in tact because we are still in for a long summer.

Your prayers continue to make a difference and we ask you continue to keep Ryan in your prayers.

Clemson Running Backs
If you lived in New York City in the 1950s you had the pleasure of watching Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snyder roam center field for their respective New York teams.

If you have been a Clemson football fan the past two seasons you have had the pleasure to watch James Davis and C.J. Spiller electrify crowds in Death Valley.

These are special times at Clemson. For a few weeks we all thought the days of Thunder and Lightning were over. Davis was headed for the NFL before he changed his mind and defensive coordinators across the ACC started their bad dreams again.

James Davis is a special Tiger. You may look at him as the first All-American to take a chance on Clemson again and he made it cool to pick Clemson over schools like Alabama and Virginia Tech. Davis also has become an ambassador for Clemson and one of the program's best recruiters.

When you consider his on the field and off of the field presence, James Davis will be remembered as one of the most powerful and influential players in Clemson football history.

On the field, Davis has a chance to have a special senior season and could have many milestones in 2008. He is 837 yards away from becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. He has a chance to become a three-time first-team All-ACC selection. Davis needs 13 touchdowns to break the school record for career touchdowns. His fourth 100-yard rushing game this season will set another career school record.

The Tigers are 12-0 when Davis rushed for over 100 yards and 21-3 in games where he has 65 yards or more on the ground.

If he has another James Davis-type year, he may be considered the greatest running back in Clemson history.

James Davis probably would have had more carries and more yards if he had not helped convince C.J. Spiller to sign with Clemson but there would have never been a Lightning part of the duo. Few players in school history have had the WOW Factor like C.J. Spiller. Maybe Woody Dantzler but one could be hard pressed to name many more in the class of Spiller in terms of jaw dropping moments.

Spiller burst upon the scene in his second college game with an 82-yard reception against Boston College and since has amassed an impressive highlight package. About two or three days a week I will go to youtube.com just to get my fill of Spiller's sensational moves.

Few players in Clemson history have been as productive in terms of rushing, receiving, kick-off returns and punt returns. Spiller forces defensive coordinators and special team coordinators to gameplan against him. He terrifies future NFL linebackers by making them look silly in the open field.

However, consistency has not been his strong point. Spiller has huge games and can disappear for a game or two. His sophomore season began slowly before he picked it up in the middle of the season. His coaches now say that Spiller enjoyed his best spring and he looks more dedicated and more focused than this time last season. There has been no talk about him returning home or transferring to Florida so Spiller has his mind in Clemson and not Lake Butler, FL.

The staff tried Sadat Chambers as a back-up to both stars last season and he played well but he has since moved back to safety. They tried Rendrick Taylor at tailback in the spring but he has since moved back to wide out. So the depth this season will have to come from two true freshmen in Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington.

Harper is a power back with good speed. He also catches the ball well for a 230-pounder. I think we may see Harper this season especially in short-yardage situations but only if he reports to campus in shape.

Ellington is a little like Spiller in that he can make you miss and has the speed to take the ball the distance. Ellington is surprisingly tough between the tackles and is another good pass receiver out of the backfield. His key to early playing time may depend more upon the opportunity than his skills.

Some think Harper and Ellington are Thunder and Lightning II and some feel this group of four running backs is the best Clemson has ever fielded. I am not quite ready to make that statement but it will be a lot of fun watching this group entertain us in 2008 and beyond.

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