A Second Chance for Standout Running Back Beau Blankenship

By Jake Betzner

Story by, Jake Betzner

Photo by, Erin Raby

Growing up about 20 minutes south of Oklahoma City in the town of Norman, Oklahoma, Beau Blankenship finished his career at Norman North High School with 5,050 career rushing yards and 59 total touchdowns.  He earned 1,250 of those yards and scored 16 of those touchdowns in his senior year.  Both the Oklahoman and Tulsa World newspapers selected Blankenship to their All-State teams and he started in three state quarterfinal games.

Scouts considered Blankenship a three star recruit, among the top 70 running backs in the nation and the top 30 in his state.  Blankenship committed to Iowa State after high school.  After a year playing for the Cyclones, Blankenship decided to look at other programs, but his options were limited because he started looking for a new school after the football team’s fall camp.

He decided to transfer to Ohio University and try to walk-on after some recruitment by quarterback and former high school teammate Tyler Tettleton.  Tettleton told Blankenship about Head Coach Frank Solich and Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Running Back Coach Tim Albin’s offensive game plan; and Blankenship was sold.

“Tyler [Tettleton] really swayed me to want to play here, to play for Coach Solich and Coach Albin,” said Blankenship.  “Their temperament and coaching style was more fitting for me than where I was at.”

Blankenship was also excited for the chance to play with the same quarterback who handed him the ball hundreds of times at Norman North.  Blankenship and Tettleton quickly rediscovered their chemistry and Tettleton helped the transfer student feel at home in Athens.

“It’s awesome.  We’re really good friends, so it’s fun to play together again,” said Blankenship.  “Having a great friend back there with you is comforting.”

Blankenship had to redshirt his first season at Ohio University.  He waited patiently on the sidelines and watched senior Vince Davidson, junior Donte Harden, and freshman Ryan Boykin grind their way through opposing teams.  He wanted more than anything to strap on his shoulder pads and pound the ball up the middle or use his speed to beat defenders to the outside.  He worked hard every day on and off the field to prepare for the next season.  He used the time off to allow his body to heal and return healthier and stronger.  Nevertheless, standing on the sidelines without any way of helping your teammates on the field is never easy for any athlete.

“A year without football is never good,” said Blankenship.  “It was hard watching the guys out there playing and knowing you have to sit out a year.”

Blankenship stands at 5’9” and weighs in at around 184 pounds.  He isn’t afraid to take a hit from the heavier defensive linemen who stand between him and the goal line.  With a 4.47 40-yard-dash time, Blankenship also possesses good speed and is able to break free from defenders into the secondary at times.  He runs with speed and power instead of flare and fancy feet.  The ultimate goal is to make it into the end zone however possible.

“I just run as fast as I can,” said Blankenship.  “I try to run with quickness, power, and speed.”

To help his game, Blankenship likes to watch films of current NFL running backs and follow their tendencies.  He tries to watch running backs similar to his style and size.  His favorites include Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens, and Danny Woodhead of the New England Patriots.  All of these running backs are similar in size to Blankenship and try to balance power and speed.  Jones-Drew, Rice, and Woodhead possess the ability to slip through the defense and race for big yards or push the pile for a 3 or 4-yard gain.

The Bobcats started out the 2011 season by thumping the New Mexico State Aggies (44-24) and the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (30-3).  The Bobcats won the “Battle of the Bell” against the Marshall Thundering Herd (44-7).  After a 3-0 start, Ohio dropped their first game of the season against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (26-38) .  The Bobcats beat MAC rival Kent State (17-10) the following week, and  suffered a heartbreaking loss to the University at Buffalo Bulls (38-37).  Ohio lost Homecoming weekend to the Ball State Cardinals (23-20), and beat the lowly Zips of Akron (37-20) the following week.  Of all the games, Blankenship liked how he played in and the result of the game against New Mexico State the most.

“They’re all fun to get into.  I got the most carries [at New Mexico State], but hopefully that changes for the rest of the season.”

Blankenship contributed quite nicely to the Bobcats’ success on the field.  In a situational role behind sophomore Ryan Boykin and senior Donte Harden, he started the season with a bang in the team’s first game against New Mexico State.  He ran for 50 yards on only 10 carries and capped it off with his first touchdown in an Ohio uniform.  The touchdown was definitely the highlight of Blankenship’s first career game for Ohio.

“I was excited because it was my first game back after sitting out a whole year.  It’s always fun to score and just do whatever you can to help the team.”

He bettered his average the following week against Gardner-Webb after finishing with 46 yards on eight carries.  After five games, Blankenship is averaging 4.9 yards per carry.  His workload decreased as the season progressed because of some issues with ball control, but he believes with more practice and better focus, the issues are fixable.

“The season started off good, then I had a little fumbling issue, but I just got to stay patient and keep going.”

Blankenship expects to contribute more as the season progresses.  He likes the makeup of the team and believes their ability doesn’t reflect their 5-3 record.  Some minor mistakes have ended up costing the Bobcats a few games, but Blankenship doesn’t believe the team is out of contention for a bowl match up at season’s end.

“We have the ability to finish out with all wins.  We just kind of had some unfortunate things happen that hurt us, but there’s no reason we can’t go to a Bowl game.”

While he wants to focus on the season at hand, Blankenship is also excited about the next few years for the team.   He knows the team is young and full of potential.  On a more personal level, Blankenship may see more action and have more chances to help his team succeed in the upcoming years.

“I’m really excited about the future.  I want to focus on now, but it’ll be fun.  Finish this year and I’ve got two more years with these guys.  It’s exciting and I think we have a chance to be really good.”

Sitting out a year was tough, but it looks to be paying off for Blankenship.  While Ryan Boykin will most likely retain his starting position next season, Blankenship provides the Bobcats with necessary depth at the position.  Blankenship hopes the momentum of this season translates to a position where he can contribute more regularly for the remainder of this season and the rest of his career at Ohio University.