By Jonathan Okanes
Forget simply carrying the ball 20 times a game. Justin Forsett has bigger plans. The senior takes over for Marshawn Lynch as Cal's starting running back this season, and some may question if he is big and strong enough to assume the heavier workload. Forsett, 5-foot-8, has excelled as a part-time player the past two seasons, but he averaged just 10 carries per game. Not only is Forsett ready to demonstrate he is an every-down back, he's also prepared to show he should be feared for more than just his quickness. "I want to be one of those power guys that can move the pile - that's one of the things I want to add to my game," he said. "I think that will help me be more productive. I think I'll be able to break more tackles." Forsett said he took three days off after spring practice and has been going at it ever since. His off-season workout program was designed to improve his strength and explosiveness.
Cal running-backs coach Ron Gould said Forsett has gained 12 to 15 pounds. He's listed at 196 but now is over the 200 mark. "I have a little four-pack now," Forsett said. "It's not a six-pack yet. The bottom ones are hard to get." Forsett's workouts also included Pilates, a series of exercises designed to improve core strength and flexibility. "I haven't been that flexible. I can't do any splits, by no means," he said. "(Pilates) definitely makes a difference, keeping your body healthy." This may be Forsett's first season as a full-time starter, but he is by no means an unknown commodity. Forsett leads the nation among active running backs in rushing average (6.39 yards per carry), and has had some memorable games.
Forsett saw extensive action in 2005 because of an injury to Lynch, and rushed for 999 yards. He added 600 more yards last season, and has 11 career touchdowns. And it's not as if starting is something totally new. Forsett started three games as a sophomore and one last season, and has six career 100-yard games. "I've always considered him a starter," Gould said. "When we've had some injuries in the backfield the last couple of years, he filled in just fine."
Included in Forsett's career highlights is a 235-yard effort against New Mexico State in 2005, the fourth-highest rushing total in Cal history. He also had 124 yards in just eight carries in the Bears' win over Texas A&M in last year's Holiday Bowl. Forsett is eager to have a big year, not so much because he is now a starter, but because it's his last year in Berkeley.
"I've been working hard every summer," he said. "This year, it's my last year, I want to do the best I can. Since I've been here, my goal has been to be productive, and that doesn't change now that I'm the starting running back. I just get more questions now." Forsett clearly is a different type of running back than Lynch, who has the blend of size and athleticism that makes him a special talent, one good enough to be drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the No. 12 pick overall. But Forsett, who already has proved he can be productive on the major college level, might be in line for a special year with his enhanced strength and explosiveness. "Justin is quick, he's fast, and he has some explosion, but it's not at the same level as Marshawn," Gould said. "Marshawn is gifted. What God has blessed him with is different. Justin is passionate, super-competitive. His work ethic is impeccable. Justin is so disciplined with his reads, we anticipate him making big runs with his eyes and his footwork."
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