LITTLE ROCK — Huntsville Coach Ken Harriman said Phillip Hoskins might not pass the eye test, but he passes just about every other one on a football field.
Hoskins, 5-10, 155 pounds, has emerged as the Eagles' go-to tailback this season. The junior played part-time as a sophomore and was expected to back up senior Wilson Phillips this year.
Before a summer scrimmage, though, Harriman pulled Hoskins aside and said he was going to start at tailback and Phillips was moving to fullback. The switch has worked well. Hoskins has rushed 59 times for 429 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns through 3 games.
"If you look at him, there's nothing spectacular that stands out," Harriman said. "He's not real strong, and he's not real fast. He's so mentally tough. He gives so much of himself."
Hoskins said he was eager to start at tailback when Harriman offered it to him. He said he benefits from Phillips' blocking at fullback, a position Phillips handled last year before moving to tailback in the off-season.
"Coach Harriman asked ifI wanted to play tailback and I said it'd be fine," Hoskins said. "We're team players. If [Phillips] played tailback, I'd be fine with that, too. We're not going to get jealous."
Hoskins showed promiseas a sophomore, Harriman said, mainly with his tenacity to get as many yards as he could on every play. That gung-ho style sometimes worked against him, but Hoskins is getting better atusing patience when he has the ball.
"We knew he was going to be a good player," Harriman said. "There were times he ran before he gave the guys a chance to block. He has gotten so much better at that now."
Harriman said Hoskins won't have a lot of long, breakaway runs but he makes his living on churning out the 6- and 7-yard runs that help move the chains.
"I just try to get as much as I can and try to go as hard as I can," Hoskins said.
Harriman said Hoskins is a player with a lot invested in Eagles football and it shows in his team-first attitude.Hoskins' father, David, was a standout linebacker at Huntsville in the early 1970s.
Harriman, then at Ramay Junior High, played against David Hoskins in junior high games and remembers how aggressive and intense David Hoskins was. His son is the same way, Harriman said.
"He's pretty quiet," Harriman said. "He'd much rather lead with his actions than with his words. When things get hairy, our kids look to Phillip to make a play."
Hoskins is nearly halfway to a 1,000-yard season already, but he isn't concerned with his personal statistics. He said he is much more interested in getting Huntsville's program back among the elite.
The Eagles have struggled the past decade with losing records and made the playoffs a year ago at 2-8 before losing in the first round.
"I've never set any goals," Hoskins said. "I just try to do the best I can, whatever it takes to get over the hump and get a winning season."FRIDAY'S GAME Huntsville at Prairie Grove WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Tigers Stadium, Prairie Grove RECORDS Huntsville 1-2; Prairie Grove 0-3
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/24/2009