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So often last season, Callier, in his No. 24 jersey, would go in motion across the formation and when quarterback Jake Locker would call for the snap, Callier would be right there to take the handoff, sprinting down the line and around the corner past outside defenders.
It was a play that became very effective for Callier and the Huskies. He finished his freshman season rushing for 433 yards on just 77 carries – an average of 5.6 yards a carry.
But it was atypical of the type of runner Callier had always been. He had never been a speed back looking to run around and away from players.
With starting tailback Chris Polk on the sideline recovering from knee surgery and expected to miss the first two games of the season, fans will see the type of runner Callier really is and wants to be – a physical featured back who is not only willing to run between the tackles, but also relishes doing it.
“I don’t have a problem running between the tackles,” he said. “It’s what I did in high school. The fly sweep was actually the changeup for me.”
So how much power running did Callier do in high school?
“That’s all he did,” UW coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Callier must have been good at it; as a senior at Warren High in Downey, Calif., he rushed for 3,010 yards and 43 touchdowns.
There is no secret to having success running in traffic.
“You just run downhill and hit the hole hard,” said Callier, who laughed at the idea of being able to handle the load of a featured back.
“I think I had 40 carries in one (high school) game at least,” he said.
There was a game against Whittier where he carried the ball 36 times and rushed for 447 yards and six touchdowns.
And yet he was asked to run fly sweeps last year?
“We were just trying to find a role on the team for him last year because he was so talented,” Sarkisian said.
Make no mistake, he’s talented enough to be a featured back. That likely will be Callier’s job when Polk moves on to the NFL. And he is taking the bulk of the reps at tailback with Polk out.
“It’s one of the reasons I came here,” Callier said. “I want to be in a place where there is an opportunity.”
Senior Johri Fogerson and true freshman Bishop Sankey also have gotten reps with the No. 1 offense and are hoping for any sort of opportunity as well.
“I think they’re playing well,” Sarkisian said. “They’re playing hard and they’re trying to seize the opportunity that’s in front of them, and I don’t have any complaints about what they’ve done so far.”
Fogerson was plagued last season by injuries, and off-the-field issues in the offseason haven’t helped, but he has made the most of some solid reps with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses. Sankey has come in and surprised people, showing unexpected power and maturity.
“Bishop is very explosive and very shifty, and Johri is just a power back that’s very elusive,” Callier said.
While the three backs work at seizing the opportunity in front of them, Polk is there in shorts on the sideline goading, cheering, teaching and talking to his teammates.
“He’s over there joking around,” Callier said. “He likes to give us crap. But it’s good. He’s just having fun.”
It’s obvious Polk is itching to get on the field, but Sarkisian said the staff will be very careful with his recovery.
“I think just kind of par for the course,” Sarkisian said. “It’s still very early. He says he feels great, like he’s always going to say. He’s a tough kid, and he wants to get back sooner rather than later.
“But we’re going to take our time. We’re going to make sure he’s 100 percent healthy so that we can reap the benefits of having Chris Polk in October and November, when we’re really going to need him.”
EXTRA POINTS
Freshman receiver Marvin Hall’s admission has been initially denied by the NCAA clearinghouse. Sarkisian said the team will appeal the decision. … Kasen Williams continues to make highlight-reel plays during practice. The latest was an amazing one-handed leaping catch on a fade pattern over a defender. Williams ripped the ball out of the air with one hand and held it by the nose the whole way down. He never brought in the other hand to secure it at any point. … Erik Folk booted a 53-yard field goal during a special-teams period, and Sarkisian said that Folk is “grooving.” … The Huskies showed a lot of nickel package during practice. With games against Eastern Washington and Hawaii – both spread, high-throwing teams – it seems likely they will be playing plenty of it in the first two games.
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
