Jimmie Russell says it's fun to play now that his injuries aren't slowing him down.
Ron White, Special to the Sentinel
Last year, a discussion of Bethune-Cookman University quarterback Jimmie Russell's injuries required a crash course in human anatomy.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound signal-caller injured his hand in a 30-29 season-opening win and battled a host of other bumps and scrapes that forced B-CU Coach Alvin Wyatt to shelve his triple-option offense. As a result, Russell's rushing numbers went from the 701 rushing yards he churned out in nine starts in 2005 to just 427 yards in three starts in 2006.
A week into the 2007 season, though, Jimmie Russell's feet, hands, ribs and attitude are well healed. Wyatt dusted off his patented triple-option offense last Saturday, and Russell buffed it to a shine with 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. The 22-year-old Russell also threw for 103 yards to lead B-CU to a 31-17 season-opening victory against non-scholarship Jacksonville University.
"It's a lot more fun when you're healthy," said Russell, who played his high-school ball at Riverdale in Jonesboro, Ga.
"When you're hurt, you're forced to play through the pain. That makes the practices miserable and the games miserable."
The senior's injuries last year sometimes kept him completely off the practice field, making it difficult for the team to prepare for games.
"That was the worst part," Russell said. "When you're not out there sweating with the guys, you don't feel that you're contributing. It's like you're not a part of the team."
Despite Wyatt's guarantee that Florida Atlantic junior transfer McKinson Souverain will play regularly this season, Russell played every down in the opener, which saw him reel off two runs -- including a 33-yarder -- that ended with dives inside an endzone pylon.
"We had him in the backfield a couple of times, but he can make some special plays," said Jacksonville Coach Kerwin Bell.
Wyatt said he was pleased with Russell's success in an offense that returned three of six starters on the offensive line.
"He's getting there, and the more he can run it without the injuries, the better he's going to get," Wyatt said.
The coach, who has a 67-33 record since taking over the team in 1997, said Russell has progressed since he first arrived on campus.
"He's gotten more speed, and he's picked up a little weight," said Wyatt, whose fullback, Justin Brannon, also ran for 103 yards on 14 carries.
"It's been kind of a long time since we had two 100-yard rushers in the same game," said Wyatt.
The Wildcats haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Allen Suber reached the mark in 2002. Suber holds the school record for career rush attempts with 578 -- a mark Russell, who has 410 after the Jacksonville game, could reach if he remains healthy this season.
Last year, Russell's injuries forced him to throw the ball, and he impressed, amassing 1,139 passing yards and nine touchdowns with just three interceptions despite only starting in three games. Russell's two main targets, though, are gone, with last year's leading receiver, Eric Weems, moving to the NFL, where he was cut by the Atlanta Falcons last week.
The quarterback's biggest test comes Saturday against South Carolina State, a team picked to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in a preseason poll of MEAC coaches.
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