Fred Russell always dreamed of leading the Big Ten in rushing. The one-time Wolverine hopeful just never thought he would do it as an Iowa Hawkeye.
But halfway through the Michigan native’s junior season, the 5-foot-8, 185-pounder is doing just that. Not only is his 144.4 yards per game leading the conference, but it ranks fourth in the nation.
“It feels good,” Russell said. “But I’ve just been blessed to have a good line in front of me.
“Those guys have really carried the load for me this season. All I have to do is read the holes and hit it.”
Hit it he does, with a blazing 4.28 40-yard dash time. And just as Russell has run his way into the national spotlight, so have the No. 17 Hawkeyes (5-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten).
But widely considered one of the Midwest’s top-10 tailbacks out of Romulus High in 1999, Russell has experienced success before.
His 44 touchdowns as a senior tied the state’s single-season record, and his 2,473 yards ranked fourth. And he wasn’t a one-year wonder, as his career numbers of 85 touchdowns and 5,087 yards ranked fifth and eighth, respectively.
“He’s a fine football player,” MSU recruiting coordinator Brad Lawing said. “I think he’s got great change-of-direction skills and he makes good cuts. He sees things not only in front of him, but around him.
“We recruited him.”
But it wasn’t a secret that Russell envisioned wearing the Maize and Blue from day one.
“I had committed to Michigan, but I failed my SATs,” he said. “I was a partial qualifier and Michigan doesn’t take partial qualifiers.”
Among others, the Spartans were suddenly back in the hunt. But Russell didn’t want to sign in August and sit out his freshman season as MSU’s coaching staff desired.
His only remaining option was prep school, so he packed his bags for the first time and enrolled at Milford Academy in Connecticut. The adjustment to being away from home wasn’t easy.
“I had a $2,000 phone bill when I went out there,” Russell said. “I had never been away from home before and I really didn’t know how to handle the whole calling card thing.”
Without football, he said the adjustment was depressing. But by January, Milford had prepped Russell for both the academic and social life that his collegiate career had ahead.
The once-hectic recruiting frenzy that encompassed him had quelled, leaving only Iowa willing to sign him that spring.
“They were the only school taking me,” Russell said. “Coach (Kirk) Ferentz was my only customer.”
Russell was injured just three games into his freshman season, then watched from the bench last year as senior Ladell Betts carried the load. But in this year’s season opener against Akron he quickly claimed the starting job with 170 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries.
Iowa’s hidden gem has shredded defenses ever since.
“He’s not going to bring a lot of power up the middle or anything,” Spartan junior defensive tackle Kyle Rasmussen said. “He’s a smaller, quicker-type back. He’ll hit the hole and put a couple moves on you.”
But it was in the 36-31 loss to Iowa State that the college football world saw just how valuable Russell is to the Hawkeyes.
On 17 carries he rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown in the first half alone. But a bruised shoulder suffered late in the half kept the speedster on the sidelines in the second half, when the No. 11 Cyclones staged a comeback for the ages.
“That hurt more than anything to watch the second half,” Russell said. “I finally realized I was an important part of this offense.
“I grew up a lot that second half.”
Russell sat out the following game against Utah State as well, but returned to help the Hawkeyes upset then-No. 12 Penn State in College Park, Pa. Now Iowa is rolling behind the man U-M didn’t want.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “I give credit when credit is due.”
Eric McKinney can be reached at mckinn54@msu.edu.
