Tyner certainly has a Ram train at running back this season. They'll utilize as many as eight running backs in a game. Reporter-"Have you ever heard of a team using 8 running backs before?" Said running back Joseph Sturkey,"No. never."
Imagine what practice is like with eight running backs. Said head coach Wayne Turner,"Everybody works hard in practice to try to get more carries every week." Added Sturkey,"We have competition here at practice and the games. We go up to each other and tell them how many yards we are going to have."
Competition in practice helps, and it also helps that everyone catches a breather during a game. Said Sturkey,"I think I feel better in the fourth quarter because that's really a time when we are up, we need to run the clock more, so we can get the victory." Said running back Willie Stewart,"Some of us play both ways. Gives a lot of us a break, so we can get ready for defense." Added Turner,"Oh yeah, it helps us out. We've got fresh legs, and those people are able to kick it into high gear when they are carrying the ball."
Multiple backs can also create confusion for the defense. Said Stewart,"I have a brother that plays for Brainerd, and he didn't know who was getting the ball because so many of us were going in and out. So they were trying to focus on one person getting the ball, but we had a lot of people coming in."
All in all, the Tyner players don't mind sharing the rock. Said Sturkey,"We tell everyone that if somebody gets a touchdown, we'll look to the next person and say, it's your turn to get one." Added Stewart,"We're still happy with all of us making plays. Football is a team sport and not an 'I' sport."
