SANTA CLARA – Former University of Oregon record-setting running back LaMichael James spoke outside of the media tent this afternoon. He talked about punt returning, learning the playbook and being in a huddle for the first time since high school. Here’s what he said.
Q: Do you have any idea how they’re going to use you in this offense?
JAMES: I really don’t have any idea. I think the first thing for me is just to get the offense down pat. It’s a different language.
Q: When you get knocked into by the players on this defense, do you sense a bigger physical presence than what you faced in college?
JAMES: I think football – it is what it is. I’ve been knocked down ample times by a lot of those guys. It doesn’t hurt. You have to go out there and give it your best, compete. We’re on the same team. We’re all in it for one goal – to win that day. I’m happy that it happens to me. It just gets me ready for the season.
Q: How has the punt returning been going?
JAMES: That stuff is pretty natural. I had great coaches at Oregon who taught me how to catch punts. Coming here, Coach Seely’s really helped me out – pro ball is much different than college ball.
Q: What are the things that you have to learn that’s different than it was in college?
JAMES: Everybody’s faster, so I have to get going really fast. I had to change my stance a little bit. You can’t hesitate. You don’t want to catch the ball on your back foot. Every second counts here in the NFL and everybody’s trying to get a step ahead. You’ve got to be perfect or it can be a miscue for you.
Q: What’s Tom Rathman’s style of coaching and how do you two work together?
JAMES: He’s a great coach. He’s expects a lot out of his players, but he’s also chill, too. He doesn’t really harp on you that bad, but he wants you to go out there and give 100 percent effort each and every day. He wants you to be tough mentally and physically. Any extra time I’ve ever needed he’s in the meeting room helping more, or he could be at home helping me out.
Q: What’s it like learning Harbaugh’s playbook?
JAMES: Compared to my playbook (at Oregon), I’ve never seen anything so different in my life. It took me a second to adjust but it’s starting to work out for me really well.
Q: How is it different?
JAMES: Everything I did at Oregon was pretty much sign language. I read everything from the sideline. I’ve never really been in a huddle, and I’ve never really played slow, so I guess that’s a little different.
Q: What do you mean you’ve never played slow?
JAMES: Just being in the huddle – that’s slow to me because I’ve never been in a huddle. At Oregon we ran plays back-to-back, back-to-back. I never, ever ran a play and got in a huddle. I had to adjust.
Q: Is there less room for you to run now than there was in your college spread offense?
JAMES: Yeah, it is less room, but I think it’s kind of easier, too. At Oregon (the defense) is all spread out, but you have to make a decision ASAP. It’s either there or there. It’s not one of those things where you know it’s going to be there. Here, if a play’s in line to go there, it’s probably going to go there. When I was at Oregon, it could have gone anywhere.
Q: I would think the choice at Oregon would play to your improvising strengths.
JAMES: Yeah, but that took me a year-and-a-half to adjust to. You just have to adjust to it.
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Nice post Grant. I’m excited to see what LMJ and the other running backs do and how things shake out. It Will be quite a battle at least between Jacobs and Dixon.
Well..good thing James will never go against our DL with JS in a real game setting.
By halftime, he’d change his tune.
If it’s easier for James to run in the NFL then look the hell out!
The Oregon offense is unbelievable fast, never huddled, I can see where LaMic thinks this is slower. He is going to find out that the NFL defenses are big, fast, smart, and hits are tough. Will be looking forward watching him in pre season games.
James has to work on training his mind then. If he’s used to quick play sequences, he may have issues false starting, keeping his head in the game.
If things go slow, people often tune out. James can’t tune out. That is a concern I have.
Could be DS but at this point my two concerns are learning the playbook and blocking. He wasnt asked to do much blocking at Oregon. This is the one skill I think he needs to master before he plays much. Once he learns to block look out.
Blocking was what I had in mind regarding the training his mind bit.
If he sucks at blocking, he will at least get in the way, so the defender has no clear running shot at AS. If his mind is some place else (because he is so used to the fast pace, and things here are way slower), he may not bother getting in the way. And that scares me.
I concur though with you and oregon. This guy can be a menace when he figures it out. I’m thinking he gets it down like KH last year. By the end, having KH in to pck up the blitz was not a detrament. He did a pretty good job.
He will be coming from one fast team to another (Moss/VD/KH/AJ/KW). The combination of them all is much greater than the individual. Try to stop 1 fast player is easy. To stop 4-5 routinely on a team that has good WR’s and wants to run while covering the pass receivers is much harder.
Of everything on offense (-OL issues) , I am most concerned about RM’s blocking skills. Wish MC were healthy enugh to teach him that. I think RM is the kind of guy who learns better from teammates than coaches, but that is just a hunch.
I just read a MM article and he pointed out James had a good block on Larry Grant. Its important in Harbaughs scheme that everyone is a good blocker. I expect James to also be a good blocker. Maybe he is, I just have never seen him do much of it.
:- )
The young stud RB has a lot to learn before he sees significant playing time. Lucky for him he’s got Wrathman/Gore to learn from.
No worries re James’ blocking – Oregon insists EVERYONE be blockers for a teammate when that time comes – James is a tough nut and won’t be intimated by ANYONE, 10-4?
You’re gonna love this kid! I’d be surprised if LMJ weren’t in the hunt for ROY.
BTW – I’m not prone to hyperbole, so my rep is on the line with LMJ. Nuf said.
As a huge Niner fan and huge Duck fan I am beyond excited to see what LMJ can do when he gets the playbook down. He is tough as nails, deceptively fast, turns on a dime and can make the smallest hole into a huge play. As for concerns about blocking, Oregon’s scheme relies on blocking from all skill positions to create space and gaps and maximize pace and misdirection advantages. RB’s routinely are blocking for the QB and for WR’s on sweeps and outs. There have been several highly touted recruits who never got on the field in part because they can’t or won’t block. LMJ has not had this problem and once he gets the playbook dialed, rest assured blocking and picking up blitz packages will not be a problem. I’m more worried about his size and the hits he’ll take. Like I said he’s insanely tough (google his elbow dislocation last season for evidence) but he looked small in the first preseason game. He likes to initiate contact and doesn’t shy away from it and I hope his toughness doesn’t get him hurt.
As others have mentioned LMJ is an excellent blocker. Watch De’Anthony Thomas’s second long TD of the Rose Bowl. While it isn’t a great block LMJ is leading DAT and 10 yards down field takes out the final defender with a chance at a tackle. LMJ isn’t sitting back, but going out to find someone to block.