By Rick Figurin
pigskinpress.com

Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson, Kenny Irons, blah blah blah….

The real question is, do you know Northern Illinois Running Back Garrett Wolfe? If the answer is no, then we have a problem. You see, Wolfe is one of those running backs that gets into a defense’s head, and permanently leaves an image that will never go away. He’ll cut on a dime, and the chances are good that a defense won’t even see it coming.

But the chances are even better they can’t do a damn thing about it!

Wait, Let me guess, you do know him, but that 175 yard-per-game average last season came against lesser competition…. Try telling that to the poor suckers at Michigan and Northwestern who got scorched for a combined 393 yards.

If you don’t know the "G-Man", let’s get the formalities out of the way before he makes his run at 2,000 yards in 2006. The Honorable Mr. Wolfe took time-out to talk with us here at pigskinpress. Here’s a little pre-game snack for all you running back enthusiasts.

Pigskinpress: When people watch the amazing ability you have, the question is always, “how did NIU end up with that guy?” Can you fill people in on that?

Garrett Wolfe: “Well, the one thing that really stood out about NIU is they were honest. Academically, I was a long shot. Big 10 schools came to see me, but they were turned off by the transcripts, but NIU stuck with me and believed in me. I signed with the Huskies, and it’s all worked out.”

PP: Playboy All-American, Heisman Candidate: Did you learn anything about how to handle this notoriety from when Michael (the burner) Turner was seeing similar accolades in his senior season?

GW: “No, but in high school I got a lot of attention, it’s just on a much larger scale now. Nobody likes a guy walking around talking about how good he is. The truth is it takes teammates. I just keep a humble attitude.”

PP: Despite your obvious skill, the size issue comes up a lot. How do you combat that?

GW: “I don’t try to. People ask me about it, but it’s not up to me to respond. Throw in a tape, watch it, and you’ll see that despite my size, I’m still getting it done. You can’t argue with that.”

PP: Speaking with Central Michigan RB Ontario Sneed, he said he loves to watch you play because you have great ability and your small in stature. Do you see yourself as a role model for the undersized back?

GW: “Yeah, because I used to look up to Darren Sproles (Kansas State) and he was talented and undersized. Michael Turner was obviously much bigger, but I looked up to his running ability as well.”

PP: Which player has been the biggest inspiration to you?

GW: “Warrick Dunn. He’s 5’8”, an inch taller and he runs hard all the time. Regardless of the situation he always finishes his run strong.”

PP: Is coach Novak trying to keep you focused with all the media hype you’ve received this off-season?

GW: “He’s left it up to me. Everyone who knows me knows I won’t get a big head. The main thing is that we want a MAC championship. If we can win that, then my head might explode!”

PP:  Let’s be honest. Is it possible for a player in the MAC to even be seriously considered for the Heisman?

GW: “I think so, but a lot goes into who you beat and how you start off the year; then finishing strong. If we go undefeated I could cause some problems.”

PP: How did playing Michigan last year at Ann Arbor and scorching them for a 76-yard TD run prepare you for September 2nd at Ohio State?

GW: “I think the main thing was playing in front of 100,000 people. On film, OSU looked impressive last year; those guys were good, and this year they’ll be good. There’s not a lot you can do to specifically prepare. It’s a different team this year with different players.”

PP: Let’s fast forward to the 2007 NFL draft. Why take a shot on Garrett Wolfe?