Football's Jake Casey featured

September 19, 2005
Editor's Note: Here's a feature story on freshman RB Jake Casey written Sept. 9 prior for the Tommies' season-opening game. Casey has two touchdowns and has rushed for 151 yards rushing in the first two games:


Jake Casey

Tommie halfbacks hope to "Trump" opposing defenses

By GENE McGIVERN

Welcome to a new season of the "The Apprentice: Tommie Football." In a plot twist, the Donald is ready to guide young talent on the path to fame and fortune, without his wise assistant George.

OK, so our Donald, UST coach Donald J. Roney, may not have all the flair of Mr. Trump. That Donald has had four wives. Our Donald has four sons. Roney has better hair, but Trump has a better helicopter.

Roney's reality show -- minus the bickering and backstabbing -- starts today. His Tommies start their 2005 season vs. the strong Coe Kohawks. Longtime offensive coordinator George Wemeier has moved on, saying Roney is more than ready to run the offense.

Roney returns a starter and backup at QB; two co-starters at tight end; a starter at fullback; both starting wideouts; and four of five starters on the offensive line from a 7-2 team.

But in true reality-show fashion, there's drama on the offensive side -- who will play tailback?

Past UST backfields have produced characters like Vince Lombardi, Jr., Gary Trettel, Ricardo Jones, Jake Barkley and 2004 phenom Peter Ridley. Barkley and Trettel each had 20 career 100-yard rushing games and combined for 78 touchdowns. Jones scored 39 TDs. Ridley started just five games last season as a senior but scored 11 touchdowns and rushed for 845 yards.

What does central casting have in store for 2005?

Fifth-year running backs coach Mike Westland -- himself a four-year Tommie starter at fullback in the late 1990s -- is anxious to watch it unfold in game conditions.

"There are a lot of young guys there and a ton of talent," Westland said. "It's basically all freshmen and sophomores at the "A" back (tailback) position. It's just a matter of getting them up to game speed."

Westland cautions that there's more than just carrying the ball and moving the chains that makes an effective running back. Receiving, blocking and avoiding fumbles are keys. And ability is nothing without durability

"It's a work in progress," Westland said. "They're all skilled runners, but more goes into the position than that. It may end up being a shared position."

The Candidates
The calm, laid-back older character in the tailback saga is freshman Jake Casey, a former Tommie ball boy who turned 21 last Monday. The son of longtime UST athletic trainer Roger Casey, Jake last played tailback in seventh grade.

"I played some fullback as a junior in high school and was a triple option quarterback as a senior," Casey said. "Playing quarterback prepares you for a lot of things because you have to study a defense and understand what's going on."

Casey was honorable mention all-state as a senior in 2002. He sat out of football in 2003 while attending Century Community College. He was in camp with St. Thomas in 2004 primed to compete for the starting tailback job when he learned at the last moment he was one credit short of being academically eligible.

"That was pretty tough to take," he admits. "I worked last fall as a student in the training room with my dad and watched on the sidelines."

A player who got some varsity looks in 2004 is sophomore John Azman, whose training camp hair would make Trump proud. At first glance, Azman seems like a guy from the soccer or cross country team. But don't underestimate the 5-foot-7, 165-pounder, who scored four TDs in the 2003 state championship game for Totino-Grace.

"I think that Jake and I can be like a 'Thunder and Lightning' combo," Azman said. "Jake is a fast, strong inside runner who will lower his shoulder. I'm a little smaller and more of a quicker, outside zone player.

Other tailbacks trying to emerge include sophs Danny Brees and Scott Mattke, and freshmen Kyle Jepson, Mikkel Haugen and placekicker Eric Taylor.

Azman said the return of so many experienced offensive players takes pressure off the tailback corps.

"First there's the offensive line, which is a year older and has played together and has the friendships and chemistry you need," he said. "Plus, Joe Lepsche and some others are really looking good at fullback. At quarterback to have (Ryan) Jansen and (Justin) Lockrem back is really huge. Jansen can make a play on his own, and that will take some pressure off the running backs. Our receivers really will be good. We want to establish the running
game then throw over the top to the receivers."

Azman sums up the feeling for a lot of people -- Roney, Westland, Casey and himself:

"I'm excited and nervous at the same time," he said. "But once there's the first snap, I'll relax."