MADISON, Wis. – University of Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger sets a high bar for himself. Shortly before signing his national letter of intent, he stated his goal was to rush for 1,000 yards in his first college season. He had no clue that COVID would be his toughest opposition.
Therefore, even though Wisconsin’s original 2020 schedule ended up being seven games, with Berger missing two of those as he dealt with the virus, the former four-star tailback had to applaud the way he carried himself after being UW’s leading rusher.
“Being a freshman, 19 years old, basically being out there with grown men,” he said, “just being out there playing was the exciting part.”
There were few bright spots last season for the Wisconsin tailbacks, which saw how hard it was to replace two-time Doak Walker winner Jonathan Taylor. Without Taylor’s experience and talent, the Badgers finished 62nd in the country in rushing offense. The tailbacks as a collective unit had only 834 yards and seven touchdowns, breaking the 100-yard barrier once and having only one run over 25 yards the entire season.
First-year running back coach Gary Brown admits his hiring just before the start of spring practices prevented him from diving into last year’s game film. But what he has seen unfold in front of him through six practices, especially from Berger, breeds excitement.
“It’s a combination of hunger and a desire to learn, which is great,” Brown said. “They are like clay. It’s giving me an opportunity to mold them the way Coach Chyrst wants them, the way Coach Rudolph wants and, frankly, the way I want them. We’re going to do our best to get them in a situation where they are exactly where we want them to be so they can help us win games.”
One of Brown’s biggest accomplishments during a decade in the NFL is how he developed young tailbacks. Working with the Dallas Cowboys, Brown coached rookie Ezekiel Elliott and helped him win the rushing title as a rookie. In Cleveland, Brown mentored rookie Trent Richardson and helped him record 1,317 yards from scrimmage, 950 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 12 total touchdowns, and 72 points, all Browns rookie records.
Berger finished with 301 yards on 60 carries last season but is showing Brown that he’s capable of a lot more.
“He’s a very smooth, instinctive runner,” Brown said of Berger. “He has a lot to learn but I think he has a skill set to be a three-phase running back, can run, catch and pass protect. He has those types of skill sets. We just have to get it out of him.”
One of the goals Brown has set out for Berger in spring is growth in pass protection. In the four games Berger played last season, Pro Football Focus lists him as having only three pass block snaps. He wasn’t much of a receiving threat either, having only four passes thrown in his direction.
“(I’m) pretty excited to work with him just because of the guys he worked with,” Berger said of Brown. “To have someone who played as long as he did in the league and coached, just to have someone who knows what it takes to get there. I’m very excited to work with him.”
Despite his limited experience, Berger is going to carry a lot of responsibilities. The other three tailbacks on UW’s spring roster – Julius Davis, Isaac Guerendo, and Brady Schipper – had a combined 25 carries over the last two seasons.
Likely the lead back in the fall, Berger maxed out 15 carries in each of his games last season, a number that head coach Paul Chryst said was purely coincidence.
“If they need me to (have more carries), I’ll definitely do it,” Berger said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’m pretty sure I can do it.”
Brown is counting on it, looking at Berger in the same light as former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry under his tutelage.
“He reminds me of a young DeMarco when we had him early,” Brown said. “Demarco is a very smooth runner, but he was very explosive and powerful. That’s what we’re trying to get Jalen to be. He will get there. He’s young. A couple years in the weight room, a couple years of just getting behind the line and actually playing football will help him get there.”
