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For the past three college football seasons, running backs Tony Pollard and Darrell Henderson shared a backfield at Memphis. It took only two games as professionals for them to face off against each other, adding yet another layer to the budding rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.
Both backs were huge parts of an explosive Tigers offense, cashing in touchdowns in a variety of ways. Pollard and Henderson combined for 3,214 yards from scrimmage in 2018 and 35 touchdowns. The pair registered rushing, receiving, kick return, and even passing scores, showcasing their versatility and abilities to be dynamic pieces within a modern offense.
Henderson played the role of a traditional back, carrying the ball 214 times, while Pollard was more of a receiving threat, but both players were draft-day targets for teams with big plans for them in 2019.
Henderson was taken by Los Angeles in the third-round at 70th overall, while Pollard was the Cowboys’ fourth-round selection at No. 128. Both were obviously envisioned to be complimentary pieces to their team’s entrenched RB stars, but their respective hype trains have been in full-gear all offseason.
Tony Pollard could be the gem of the Cowboys’ 2019 draft class. Kellen Moore wants to use him like Cohen/Kamara as a change of pace runner/receiver.
Outstanding camp so far… we get our first glimpse tomorrow night against San Francisco.
— Jonah Tuls (@JonahTulsNFL) August 9, 2019
Rams ran outside zone 217 times during 2018 regular season – 52 more than any other team
Darrell Henderson on outside zone last two years:
53 Attempts
569 Yards
10.7 YPC (led nation)
7.0 YAC/Attempt (led nation)
23 First downs
16 broken tackles
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) May 8, 2019
This coming year stands to be huge for both Henderson and Pollard. Their paths have been intertwined thus far, which now figures to continue, as they’ve each joined NFC powerhouses with recent history. They’ve come a long way, to now find themselves set to play against each other, in Hawaii, as focal points of both their teams.
Tony Pollard was the No. 1,820-rated recruit in the country in 2015 by 247 Sports. Darrell Henderson was No. 1,905. Another reminder to dream big and never let anyone define what you can or want to be.
— Mark Giannotto (@mgiannotto) April 27, 2019
It’s also somewhat ironic that their roles have reversed from their time at Memphis. Pollard received first-team reps in Dallas’s first preseason game, and likely will get the same treatment today-for now, he’s seemingly the team’s primary runner, something he was definitely not at Memphis.
Henderson, meanwhile, is now the reserve RB looking to be the change-of-pace splash-player. Even without Todd Gurley, the Rams will boast a deep and talented backfield, forcing Henderson to stand-out amongst players like Malcolm Brown and John Kelly. His first outing didn’t go as planned, recording only 13 rushing yards on six carries, leaving Sean McVay wanting more from the rookie.
Perhaps this second preseason game of 2019 will the first showing of things to come from these two former Memphis backs. Preseason games between these two teams have already foreshadowed the future once before.
Gallery
Cowboys 90-man roster guide for preseason tilt vs Rams
view 87 images
Continue reading...
Both backs were huge parts of an explosive Tigers offense, cashing in touchdowns in a variety of ways. Pollard and Henderson combined for 3,214 yards from scrimmage in 2018 and 35 touchdowns. The pair registered rushing, receiving, kick return, and even passing scores, showcasing their versatility and abilities to be dynamic pieces within a modern offense.
Henderson played the role of a traditional back, carrying the ball 214 times, while Pollard was more of a receiving threat, but both players were draft-day targets for teams with big plans for them in 2019.
Henderson was taken by Los Angeles in the third-round at 70th overall, while Pollard was the Cowboys’ fourth-round selection at No. 128. Both were obviously envisioned to be complimentary pieces to their team’s entrenched RB stars, but their respective hype trains have been in full-gear all offseason.
Tony Pollard could be the gem of the Cowboys’ 2019 draft class. Kellen Moore wants to use him like Cohen/Kamara as a change of pace runner/receiver.
Outstanding camp so far… we get our first glimpse tomorrow night against San Francisco.
— Jonah Tuls (@JonahTulsNFL) August 9, 2019
Rams ran outside zone 217 times during 2018 regular season – 52 more than any other team
Darrell Henderson on outside zone last two years:
53 Attempts
569 Yards
10.7 YPC (led nation)
7.0 YAC/Attempt (led nation)
23 First downs
16 broken tackles
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) May 8, 2019
This coming year stands to be huge for both Henderson and Pollard. Their paths have been intertwined thus far, which now figures to continue, as they’ve each joined NFC powerhouses with recent history. They’ve come a long way, to now find themselves set to play against each other, in Hawaii, as focal points of both their teams.
Tony Pollard was the No. 1,820-rated recruit in the country in 2015 by 247 Sports. Darrell Henderson was No. 1,905. Another reminder to dream big and never let anyone define what you can or want to be.
— Mark Giannotto (@mgiannotto) April 27, 2019
It’s also somewhat ironic that their roles have reversed from their time at Memphis. Pollard received first-team reps in Dallas’s first preseason game, and likely will get the same treatment today-for now, he’s seemingly the team’s primary runner, something he was definitely not at Memphis.
Henderson, meanwhile, is now the reserve RB looking to be the change-of-pace splash-player. Even without Todd Gurley, the Rams will boast a deep and talented backfield, forcing Henderson to stand-out amongst players like Malcolm Brown and John Kelly. His first outing didn’t go as planned, recording only 13 rushing yards on six carries, leaving Sean McVay wanting more from the rookie.
Perhaps this second preseason game of 2019 will the first showing of things to come from these two former Memphis backs. Preseason games between these two teams have already foreshadowed the future once before.
Gallery
Cowboys 90-man roster guide for preseason tilt vs Rams
view 87 imagesContinue reading...
