HATTIESBURG – When a team loses an NFL-caliber running back like Ito Smith, the position is expected to see some sort of drop off the following season. That might not be the case, especially if you ask the running backs on the roster currently.
Both redshirt senior Tez Parks and redshirt senior George Payne have been in the program awhile, so experience is returning to the group.
“Life without Ito, it’s different,” Parks said. “But then again, me and Ito came in at the same time, and George was here when we got here. He was me and Ito’s big brother who showed us the way. Life without Ito is different, but I still have George with me. Me and George are vets.”
Parks calls the running back group a four-headed monster with himself, Payne, senior T-Rod Daniels and the potential return of sophomore Darius Maberry.
Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson has liked what he’s seen through two spring practices, too.
“Of course, we all know Ito is a great player, but I’ve been really pleased with our running backs,” he said. “You look at Tez, George, Steven (Anderson) and T-Rod (Daniels), we’re a talented outfit at running back. The guys have a lot of size and a lot of speed.
The difference of size and speed is what makes the running back group interesting. The speed of Parks and Daniels have been heavily noted, and when Payne makes his return, he’ll add more depth the position. Currently, Payne is practicing this spring, but he’s sporting a red, noncontact jersey.
An interesting development has been former quarterback Steven Anderson moving to running back. The 6-foot-2-inch, 242-pound back physically stands out amongst the group.
“He’s a really big guy,” Payne said with a laugh. “He’s a new guy, he’s a big guy. He brings power to the group, of course. We haven’t seen that here in a while. I’m interested to see how that’s going to look on Saturday.”
Payne arrived at Southern Miss prior to the 2013 season, then played his freshman and sophomore campaigns before redshirting his third year in Hattiesburg. He rushed for nearly 500 yards and a couple of touchdowns in 2016, then suffered a hip injury that kept him out for nearly a full year.
Payne is coming back from a fractured hip with torn ligaments. He aggregated the injury prior to fall camp, too.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I just have to get back in the groove of things. I’ve got my teammates here, I’ve got Tez here keeping me up and making sure everything is going fine with the rehab overall.
“It was a long process at first when I hurt it. It was tough, of course, getting hurt again. I’ve been hurt a lot in my career here, so it was really just trying to get through that and lean on my teammates. It was long, but it was worth it.
As the two shared the interview with PineBeltSPORTS, Parks was quick to interrupt Payne.
“He’s back,” Parks said confidently. “I’ve like what I’ve seen from George. He’s the Payne train. He’s in noncontact, but he’s moving well. Coaches just want him to lay off now so he’ll be ready for fall. We’re trying to keep all of the guys healthy.”
