White primed to rush up career charts in final Govs season

APSU Sports: Men’s Football

Clarksville, TN – As practice started, Ryan White was down on one knee helping one of his young teammates stretch out his hamstrings.

A while later White was showing another fellow running back the footwork needed to run a drill. After a few minutes passed, he was helping new running backs coach J.D. Sellers set up cones to run a drill.

White is now in his fifth fall camp for Austin Peay. There is little left to learn for the Nashville native. Quietly he has developed into one of the program’s type all-time running backs-he was first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference in 2009 and was named preseason this year.

After he rushed for 769 yards a year ago, White enters his final season ranked fifth all-time in APSU rushing with 2,450 career yards. Barring injury, the 5-9, 200-pounder easily he could end his career second all-time behind his predecessor Chris Fletcher, who finished with 4,688 yards.

“Ryan really has played well for us,” APSU coach Rick Christophel said. “He really worked hard this summer, really leaned himself up and is primed to have a real good year for us.”

Over the last two years, White shared the running back duties with Terrence Holt. He is expected to receive the bulk of the carries in 2011. Still, White will need occasional rest.

Junior Wes Kitts, who has battled injury in the last two years, is in the best shape of his career. He rushed for more than 100 yards in the 2010 season opener against Cumberland so Christophel knows the potential is there for the veteran to produce.

“I look at Wesley Kitts, because of the injuries, as a young back,” Christophel said. “He really had a good spring and I think is going to have a chance to help us this year if he can stay healthy.”

Behind White and Kitts is a pair of young backs. Redshirt freshman Ean Pemberton, whose 5-3 size and quickness reminds some of the departed Holt, and sophomore Dontavious Brown, a former star prep running back who played cornerback a year ago, will have to make the best of their opportunities.

“We like both of them but we hope they don’t have to have a lot of reps,” Christophel said.

At fullback, with Jontamion Forrest graduating, the position falls to junior Cody Tucker, who has been a force on special teams but has yet to garner a rush from scrimmage or a pass catch. Walk on Andrew Montgomery is the only current back up as the Govs await resolution on an NCAA Clearinghouse issue with freshman Reco Williams.