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Talking Leatherneck Football with...Running back coach Donnell Kirkwood

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Coach Kirkwood talks about his group of backs

Two weeks from the season opener, running backs coach Donnell Kirkwood sat down and talked about his group of runners. With a deep set of playmakers featuring versatile skill sets, the coach is putting the group through the paces to get the unit ready to go for the September 1 opener at Tennessee-Martin.

Us: What do your guys get out of the live scrimmages/drills vs. the non-contact drills?
Kirkwood: It's good to get to see the guys make a play live, anybody can make a play when it's tag off, everybody can make that cut when it's tag off, but it's 'Can you break that tackle? Can you block live? Can you get YAC (Yards After Contact)', especially with our group, so seeing them go with live bullets is something that is important for running backs.
 
Us: What are things you've seen from your group that you like so far?
Kirkwood: I like how they act around each other away from football. I played this position my entire life, so I feel like I know what it takes to have a good room. They all understand that one person is playing but we play in the Valley so that person is going to take a lot of hits every game, so at any given time, they could get 20 carries a game. They've created that relationship well off the field that they care about each other on the field.
 
Us: What makes a guy standout to you this time of year?
Kirkwood: It's that will, that swagger about yourself. Everybody thinks they can play running back, but is there that certain guy who can carry the ball 30 times, know they're going to get hit hard, get banged up, know they're going to run hard? The law of the running back room is you'll play if you can do everything, not just one thing. Can you pass pro, can you run the ball, can you have a good mentality, if you can be the glue in the offense, that's how you can be that guy.
 
Us: After the scrimmage, do you feel like someone has taken control of the starting spot?
Kirkwood: I got three really good backs right now I feel like I can throw in at any moment. Tonight was about throwing them in at the right spot and the right time, I think that's what it is going to take for my group.
 
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