Boston College Athletics
Tyler Rouse: More Than Meets the Eye
October 22, 2016 | Football
What makes Tyler Rouse go from just mediocre to a key component to the Boston College offense.
If you were to view a scouting report on any player, it covers everything. On that sheet of paper you would see categories such as height, weight, speed, power, strength, agility, reaction time and so much more. On paper, senior running back Tyler Rouse is just another player.
He is just under six feet tall, weighs a few pounds under 200, decent speed and good power. In 41 games, he's averaged 4.3 yards per carry and has 791 yards.
On paper, Rouse is just your average running back who doesn't pose a large threat. But there are various things that a piece of paper can't tell you about a player. In football, some parts of a player's talents simply can't be taught and just come natural.
These Intangibles are what can make or break a career, what separates an average player from a great player, and what makes Tyler Rouse go from just mediocre to a key component to the Boston College offense.
Before entering college, Rouse was one of the best - if not the best - running backs in the state of New York. The recipient of the Gatorade Player of the Year was ready to move on to the FBS level, but many were hesitant.
Whether it was his size, speed, strength, or something else, colleges simply didn't see him having a large role in any offense. Rouse was overlooked by many, including Syracuse, the team he grew up rooting for and was just 20 minutes away.
"I remember growing up, I would watch them play almost every week whether they were home or away. It was my dream to go there and to play. They kind of overlooked me and didn't see me as someone who could really help them," Rouse said.
Frustrated with no one seeing his true skill level, Rouse visited the school that was able to promise him what he wanted - Boston College.
"I remember the coaches made me feel at home. They gave me the opportunity to play here when other schools didn't want me."
In his first season with the Eagles, Rouse averaged 4.8 yards per carry and added a pair of touchdowns. The coaches' confidence in Rouse only grew after that first season because they realized he had a unique ability: the ability to adapt.
Growing up a three-sport athlete, Rouse had learned the ability to adjust and adapt to whatever came his way. Whatever the coaches threw at him, he picked it up with ease, even if it was something he had never done before.
"The coaches look at me and believe I can do these roles and I just put my mind to it. If they believe in me then I have to believe in myself. Then everything just snowball effects until I have it down and I can compete at the highest level."
In his sophomore season, Rouse doubled his carrying attempts and saw his role greatly increase. The coaches noticed his receiving abilities and decided to use him out of the backfield. He did not disappoint.
Establishing himself as a dynamic and dependable back, Rouse once again blew the coaches' expectations out of the water as a junior. His work load once again doubled and Rouse rushed for more than 400 yards and seven touchdowns. Along with that, Rouse caught nine passes for 154 yards.
This season, Rouse's role on the team changed again. The Eagles were in desperate need of a dependable punt returner. In his new spot, Rouse has not only filled the role, but he has made it look like he has been doing it his whole life. So far this season, he has returned 14 punts for over 200 yards. Had it not been for a few mistimed penalties, he would have found the end zone on more than one occasion.
With Rouse taking the field one last time against Syracuse today, he will once again get the chance to prove to the team that he grew up loving that he should not have been overlooked.
Forget about size, forget about speed, forget about everything you see on paper because that doesn't truly show what a player is made of. For any other player, transitioning to various roles would be a challenge. Not for Rouse.
That intangible is called versatility. It is something that can't be taught. It is a gift. A gift that Tyler Rouse has used to make teams regret they ever doubted his ability to play football.
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He is just under six feet tall, weighs a few pounds under 200, decent speed and good power. In 41 games, he's averaged 4.3 yards per carry and has 791 yards.
On paper, Rouse is just your average running back who doesn't pose a large threat. But there are various things that a piece of paper can't tell you about a player. In football, some parts of a player's talents simply can't be taught and just come natural.
These Intangibles are what can make or break a career, what separates an average player from a great player, and what makes Tyler Rouse go from just mediocre to a key component to the Boston College offense.
Before entering college, Rouse was one of the best - if not the best - running backs in the state of New York. The recipient of the Gatorade Player of the Year was ready to move on to the FBS level, but many were hesitant.
Whether it was his size, speed, strength, or something else, colleges simply didn't see him having a large role in any offense. Rouse was overlooked by many, including Syracuse, the team he grew up rooting for and was just 20 minutes away.
"I remember growing up, I would watch them play almost every week whether they were home or away. It was my dream to go there and to play. They kind of overlooked me and didn't see me as someone who could really help them," Rouse said.
Frustrated with no one seeing his true skill level, Rouse visited the school that was able to promise him what he wanted - Boston College.
"I remember the coaches made me feel at home. They gave me the opportunity to play here when other schools didn't want me."
In his first season with the Eagles, Rouse averaged 4.8 yards per carry and added a pair of touchdowns. The coaches' confidence in Rouse only grew after that first season because they realized he had a unique ability: the ability to adapt.
Growing up a three-sport athlete, Rouse had learned the ability to adjust and adapt to whatever came his way. Whatever the coaches threw at him, he picked it up with ease, even if it was something he had never done before.
"The coaches look at me and believe I can do these roles and I just put my mind to it. If they believe in me then I have to believe in myself. Then everything just snowball effects until I have it down and I can compete at the highest level."
In his sophomore season, Rouse doubled his carrying attempts and saw his role greatly increase. The coaches noticed his receiving abilities and decided to use him out of the backfield. He did not disappoint.
Establishing himself as a dynamic and dependable back, Rouse once again blew the coaches' expectations out of the water as a junior. His work load once again doubled and Rouse rushed for more than 400 yards and seven touchdowns. Along with that, Rouse caught nine passes for 154 yards.
This season, Rouse's role on the team changed again. The Eagles were in desperate need of a dependable punt returner. In his new spot, Rouse has not only filled the role, but he has made it look like he has been doing it his whole life. So far this season, he has returned 14 punts for over 200 yards. Had it not been for a few mistimed penalties, he would have found the end zone on more than one occasion.
With Rouse taking the field one last time against Syracuse today, he will once again get the chance to prove to the team that he grew up loving that he should not have been overlooked.
Forget about size, forget about speed, forget about everything you see on paper because that doesn't truly show what a player is made of. For any other player, transitioning to various roles would be a challenge. Not for Rouse.
That intangible is called versatility. It is something that can't be taught. It is a gift. A gift that Tyler Rouse has used to make teams regret they ever doubted his ability to play football.
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Players Mentioned
RB
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