Payton gets first career start vs. FSU
For much of the past five years, Jarrett Payton has been "patiently waiting" for his opportunity to play a major role for the Miami Hurricanes.
A series of misfortunes -- from the death of his father, NFL great Walter Payton, to a run of freak injuries -- have conspired to steal much of Payton's college career.
Gore, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his right knee, blew out his left knee during the first quarter of Miami's 22-20 victory over the Mountaineers. The sophomore will undergo surgery soon and be sidelined for the rest of the season. Considered by some to be a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate, Gore had rushed for 468 yards and four touchdowns in a little more than four games.
Stepping in for Gore will be Payton, a fifth-year senior who will make his first collegiate start against the Seminoles.
"For me, it's going to have to be a different mindset," Payton said. "Normally, I go into the week just trying to figure if I'm going to get some carries. Now, I have to get out here and be the man."
Miami's hopes for a national championship run could rest on how Payton fares.
Before Gore's injury, Payton seemed destined -- through little fault of his own -- to play out his career with little fanfare.
Payton arrived at Miami in 1999 and had his best season that year, rushing for 262 yards on 53 carries, including a career-high 87-yard outing against Temple. But Payton's freshman season was a struggle emotionally as his father battled terminal liver disease back at the family's home in Arlington, Ill. Walter Payton died on November 1, 1999.
Injuries have since kept Payton from fulfilling the promise that he showed as a freshman.
The injury bug began when he sprained an ankle on the final fall scrimmage just before the 2000 season, forcing Payton to redshirt.
Shortly before spring practice in 2001, Payton cut the bottom of his right foot after jumping off a boat and stepping on coral. The cut became infected and Payton had to undergo surgery to clean out the foot, forcing him to miss all of spring practice.
A few months later, Payton and two teammates survived a death-defying wreck on I-95 in Miami after they crashed and were ejected from the car they were traveling in. Payton walked away from the accident, but believes that a back problem that bothered him all of the 2001 and 2002 seasons resulted from the accident.
Payton played in 20 games over the past two seasons, exclusively in mop-up duty. He gained a combined 249 yards as a sophomore and junior, not even matching his freshman-year total.
"I get sad when I think about it now," Payton said of his hardships. "I've had things happen since I've been here. But everything happens for a reason. I became a stronger person off the football field."
Said Miami coach Larry Coker: "It was just a tough, tough time for him. He stayed the course."
Payton returned this season as Miami's No. 2 tailback and was playing well before Gore's injury. In back-to-back games against East Carolina and Boston College, Payton combined for 12 carries, 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Against West Virginia on Thursday, Payton took over for Gore and rushed a career-high 21 times for 69 yards and added 10 receptions -- nearly matching his career total -- for 71 yards. But Payton's fumble with 3:32 to play allowed West Virginia to score a go-ahead touchdown and nearly led to the Hurricanes' first regular-season loss since the 2000 season.
Miami coach Larry Coker said Payton played well against the Mountaineers "for the most part" but added that the late fumble was "very concerning."
Payton said he was in a "daze" after the fumble but kept repeating the words "never die easy" to himself. That was a favorite expression of Jarrett's father and and the title of Walter Payton's autobiography, which was published shortly before his death.
"I fumble the ball," Payton said. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just give up. Never die easy. Keep going."
Payton bounced back to catch three passes, including a 16-yard reception, during Miami's final drive that led to Jon Peattie's game-winning 23-yard field goal with 11 seconds left.
The Hurricanes will need a major contribution from Payton in the coming weeks if they are to play for the school's sixth national championship. The only other scholarship tailback on the roster is Tyrone Moss, a freshman with unquestioned talent but whose inexperience worries the team's coaches.
Jason Geathers, who spent nine games last season at tailback, will be moved this week from receiver to the backfield, Coker said.
It's times like that that Payton said he would like the guidance of his father.
"I've been missing my dad a lot lately," said Payton, who introduced his father when Walter Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "I see certain things and it brings back memories. I see (Miami tight end) Kellen (Winslow) with his dad. If my dad was around, things would be a lot different."
Things are different for Payton now. After all the hardships and heartaches, he's finally getting the chance he's longed for.
"I've been patiently waiting," Payton said. "I've been sitting around. Now is my time and I have to do it. This is a chance of a lifetime."
Jorge Milian covers the Big East for the Palm Beach Post.
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