Can Jorvorskie change lanes?

The Texas A&M Aggies have a long tradition of love for big running backs. In 1939 big John Kimbrough ran and drove his way down the field, helping the Aggies to a National Championship.

Tall rangy John David Crow earned a Heisman trophy and helped make Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant a legend. There were others such as Sam Byer in the 1960's, and Jamaar Toombs in the 1990's. Now comes Jorvorskie Lane.

He's listed as 285 pounds on the current roster. “It's been many a day since he was at that weight,” head football coach Mike Sherman told the AP reporters in Houston in June. What exactly did he weigh? Rumors claimed he was 300...or more. Reports appeared on the blogs that Lane was seen regularly at a famous chicken restaurant just off campus gulping beer and munching hot wings.

Greater than his love of wings and beer, was Lane's glee in running over linebackers and making mush out of defensive backs. It was obvious however, that Lane was incapable of playing for a full quarter. Aggie fans true to tradition didn't care. They cheered his bulldozer style running and applauded when he came off the field for a blow.

So what do you do with a popular, over-weight tailback in a system that has room for only one tailback? Sherman's first conversation with Lane reportedly was to tell him to shape up and move out ... to fullback that is. The “lane change” didn't set well with Jorvorskie.

Sherman confirmed that he told Lane that his natural position was fullback. He said he threw Lane a bone by telling him that fullbacks were also receivers in his West Coast offense. Lane reportedly accepted that.

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Lane worked out at that position during spring drills, but he missed the annual Maroon & White game. It would have been Lane's debut at that position. No one ever explained why Lane missed the game, according to Brian Davis, beat writer with the Dallas Morning News.

If speculation were to run rampant – and it does – one could conclude that Lane is not happy. Sherman appears to have few choices on the roster. Besides Lane, he has junior Nick LaMantia who played in the only the first six games in 2007. LaMantia carried the ball one time for one yard. Jodie Richardson is a junior, who appeared in four games. He did not carry the ball. Kyle Mangan is an incoming freshman.

Question yet to be answered is can Lane block? Minds flash back to legendary Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown who was famous for not blocking. Can Sherman afford to have a non-blocking fullback filling a position that calls for blocker? Is Lane fast enough to get to the position to block? Can Lane play for one let alone two quarters of football? Fans know that Lane can catch and run.

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One bright spot for Sherman is tailback Michael Goodson. The flashy tailback was Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2006. He gained 847 yards in 2006 as a freshman after only starting in six games. He only gained 711 yards in 2007. During one four-game span, his yardage ranged from 70 yards to 48 yards, yet his average gain was more than four yards.

If Lane makes the change, a backfield made up of Goodson, who is a true break away threat, Jorvorskie at fullback, and Stephen McGee at quarterback, could be a talented group to run Sherman's West Coast offense.

By Jay Goode
Big 12 Fans Texas A&M Correspondent

More Texas A&M articles from Goode:

• Again the Texas A&M Aggies find themselves searching for success

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