By: Jim Rodriguez '11
Sports Information Student Assistant
BEREA, OHIO -- Each of the three could be the running back who gets the majority of the carries, scores the touchdowns and racks up 1,000 yard rushing seasons. But that's not what Kyrell Crook, John McGraw andTim Miker are all about.
For the second straight season, the Baldwin-Wallace College football team will rely on a trio of running backs in the offensive backfield. Last season, Crook, McGraw and Miker racked up a combined 1,588 rushing yards and 19 TD. For their efforts, all three shared B-W's Bob Packard Outstanding Offensive Back Award at the team's season-ending awards dinner.
"All three guys are experienced and it certainly gives us depth," said ninth-year Head Coach John Snell, who learned the Yellow Jacket system under Packard as one of his main assistant coaches. "All three have had success. Right now the running game is the strength of the offense."
Establishing the running game is important for any offense. It is especially true for a BW attack, where the advantages of having three sets of fresh legs are abundant in the no huddle, spread look. And although B-W's base offense is the pass-centered spread, it still featured the run game prominently in 2009 to finish third in the Ohio Athletic Conference at 200.5 rushing yards per game.
"In our philosophy, you need to run the ball to be successful," said Snell. "Certainly with the Northeast Ohio weather elements of wind and rain, being able to run the ball is a factor in our offense. Especially in this conference, running the ball well is important and any success our offense has this season will have to start up front."
The making of the trio starts with fifth-year senior Kyrell Crook, who enters his final season in the Brown & Gold with 1,963 all-purpose yards, including 1,412 rushing yards and 12 career TD.
"Kyrell is a more of a quiet, lead by example guy," said McGraw. "He let's his play do the talking. His strength is his agility and he's fast. He's big, but he likes to dance and go outside. But don't get me wrong, Kyrell can take it inside and also be effective."
Crook entered B-W in the fall of 2006 as a freshman from Columbus powerhouse St. Francis DeSales High School and earned playing time in six games, rushing for 72 yards on 17 carries. But, just the second game into his sophomore year, Crook suffered a broken arm that ended his season.
"There were a lot of hard days," said Crook of dealing with his injury. "It was definitely different--life without football. I couldn't touch a weight for six months. It was like my life stopped. Suddenly, I was without the game that I'd come to know for the past six or seven years."
When asked how he got through the tough times, Crook didn't hesitate: "Prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. I say the two things that got me through it were God and my family. I prayed a lot. I talked to a lot of people from my coaches to my friends, family and teammates."
Crook bounced back for a career year in 2008, rushing for 711 yards and six TD and caught 15 passes for 314 yards and a TD. Last season, he rushed for 559 yards and six more TD and caught 14 passes out of the backfield.
"Kyrell has a great burst of speed. He hits an opening and he can be gone for a touchdown, being the fastest of the three," said first-year Offensive Coordinator Keith Grabowski.
Crook has also served as a Resident Assistant for both McGraw and Miker.
"I have developed relationships with both Tim and John off the field," said Crook. "Especially this past semester with Tim, just talking about the season. During the school year, I'm really busy and I wish I could hang out with them more. But I think our relationship flourishes on the field."
Senior John McGraw, like Crook, has overcome injury. After a solid freshman campaign in 2007 in which he rushed for 211 yards, McGraw missed virtually the entire 2008 season. After having work done on his meniscus on the first day of camp, he returned for the John Carroll game in week two and got a few carries. Then the next week in practice, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and needed another surgery.
"I actually had knee surgery my sophomore year in high school too," said McGraw. "I said if it happened again, I was done (with football). But the second time having been through it before, I knew what I had to do to get back. It was hard. A lot of hard work to get back and I had people supporting me through it."
He too, bounced back well coming off injury, but this time in a slightly different role. While he led the team with nine rushing TD in 2009 and piled up 486 yards on the ground, McGraw was utilized more as a slot back and caught 14 passes.
"I don't mind it (playing in the slot back). I'm getting used to it, but it took some time because I've always been a running back. Last year, I was sent in motion, running sweeps and catching bubble passes," said McGraw.
"It was like a glorified running back but teams started to key on that," stated McGraw. "So in spring ball, I started practicing running wide receiver routes, just to confuse the defense and give them another look. I'm excited to see where I'll be this season."
No matter where he lines up, McGraw, a product of North Ridgeville High School, relishes the competition among the group. "We know it's all business on the field. The competition gets us going. Just pushing each other to be the best that we can be. We live for that competition."
Junior Tim Miker, the youngest of the three running backs, can be considered the power back. Although he is listed at 5'9" and 190 pounds, it is usually Miker lining up for the tough yardage down on the goal line and on third-and-one situations.
"Tim is strong and has great balance as a runner. Tim's balance allows him to break tackles. He's also a patient runner," said Crook. "I've actually learned a lot from him about breaking through that first wave of tacklers."
"Tim brings us toughness," said McGraw. "He does everything 110 percent and is simply insane in pre-game. He's an excitable guy and gets us going."
Miker, who was an All-Ohio selection at Parma Senior High School when he rushed for over 1,500 yards and 23 TD as senior, made an immediate impact as a freshman for B-W in 2008. He carried the ball 59 times for 266 yards and six TD and also returned 22 kickoffs for a team-high 484 yards.
"My freshman year was when John went down with a knee injury," said Miker. "John was my (B-W football) Big Brother. But it was Kyrell who picked up for John in that role and really showed me the ropes and was there with me as a freshman.
"I knew I could come in and compete as a freshman," said Miker. "I just wanted to help the team out and play hard for both John and Kyrell."
Miker also struggled with injuries in 2009. "It was rough missing time. I had an injured nerve in my neck. It happened against Otterbein and I thought it was just a stinger. But I injured it more against Heidelberg and had to sit out a couple games."
When he was on the field, Miker put up solid numbers, rushing for 543 yards on 100 carries and four TD in just six games. He returned nine kickoffs for 206 yards and plans to return kicks again this year.
While each of the three backs brings something different to the table, the common threads running between them are unselfishness and respect for one another.
"I have the most respect for Miker and McGraw," noted Crook. "As a group, we demand respect and our competiveness raises the level of each other's play. Our senior class wants this team to reach its potential and not fall short."
"The best part is we're all unselfish people," said McGraw. "When one of us scores, the other two are the first ones to be chest-bumping and high-fiving. We're all happy a running back got into the end zone. It doesn't matter who scores, we're getting the points for one -- the team."
"We all count on each other to get the job done. We don't mind sharing carries," said Miker. "Everyone plays hard for one another. All three of us have a great relationship and respect each other because we know that the other two bring quite a lot to the table."
Of course, the challenge for Grabowski and Running Backs Coach Mike Smith is spreading the wealth and finding a way to utilize each of the three running back's talents in the best way possible. This season may even see all three running backs on the field at the same time.
"Its nice to have three running backs who are that good," said Smith. "They can all give the same kind carries and productivity. What were working on now is getting two or all three of them on the field at once."
And while it's probably true that all three are good enough carry the load as individuals, it's clear that with their talents combined, as a trio, their talent and potential is special.
