Green Bay Packers: James Starks and His Long Journey To The NFL

This week, Green Bay Packers' rookie running back James Starks is eligible to come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and will finally have a chance at being a member of the Packers' 53 man roster.

When, and more importantly if, Starks steps back on the field for the first time in the coming weeks, he will have completed a journey to the NFL that has had its fair share of bumps in the road. 

James Darell Starks was born February 25th, 1986 in Niagara Falls, New York. Starks grew up with six brothers and sisters and was raised under the care of only his mother, but he quickly found sports was his calling.

During his high school years, Starks actually played quarterback, and earned himself All-Western New York honors during his senior season in which he threw and ran for over 1,600 yards. 

However, Starks was hardly on the radar of any of the big schools in the NCAA. Rivals.com gave Starks a two star rating out of five, and after only receiving one scholarship offer from the University of Buffalo, Starks made the easy choice to become part of the Bulls' lowly football program. 

The Universtiy of Buffalo Bulls had only been a NCAA 1-A (or FBS) school since 1999, and from '99 to 2005, the football team had only won 10 of 79 games—the second worst winning percentage in college football during that time. 

When Starks and new head football coach Turner Gill (a former Packers' assistant coach) arrived on campus in 2005, the program began its slow accent from the depths of the college football landscape. 

Starks redshirted his freshman year, while still being listed as a quarterback on the depth chart. During that redshirt year, the Bulls attempted to switch Starks to cornerback, and when that failed, his last chance to make the team was as a running back. 

The next season, Starks took the opportunity given to him at half back and literally ran with it. 

The Bulls would finish that season only 1-10, but Starks ran for over 700 yards and six touchdowns and was awarded with 2006 Second Team All-MAC honors. So much for getting cut from the team. 

Starks continued to take full advantage of his second opportunity in 2007. Starks would rush for a then school record 1,104 yards, and the Bulls finished the season 5-7, the best mark since 1996 for the school. Starks would once again earn Second Team All-MAC honors.

But Starks and the rest of the Bulls had even bigger plans coming into the 2008 season. And again, Starks and his teammates took full advantage—a common theme when you're talking about James Starks.

With a spot in the MAC Championship game on the line, the Bulls stormed back from a 27-7 deficit to force overtime, and Starks ran in a 25 yard touchdown in the second overtime to beat Bowling Green.

The win secured a spot in the Championship game for the first time in Buffalo's history, and Starks finished a recording setting year by rushing for 1,333 yards and 16 touchdowns (both UB records). 

The Bulls ended up winning the MAC Championship game, and Starks was awarded with First Team All-MAC and Honorable Mention All-American honors for his efforts. 

However, adversity once again hit James Starks. He injured his shoulder in a scrimmage before the next season, and when rehabbing was ineffective, an MRI revealed Starks had torn his labrum in his shoulder.

Surgery would be required, and Starks would miss the entirety of his senior season at UB. A season in which he started the year on the Doak Walker Award watch list (given to the nation's best running back), was over before it even started. He was devastated. 

"I asked a lot of people and the best decision for me and the team was to have the surgery," Starks told ESPN. "It was a hard decision. I've been here the whole summer, working hard. My teammates have been here. Just to feel like I was letting them down made the decision that much harder for me."

Starks finished his Buffalo career as the school's all-time leading rusher (3,140 yards) and point scorer (222), and he wasn't ready to give up his dream of playing football. The doctors gave Starks a six month recovery timeline, and after successfully completing his rehab, Starks continued to work hard to give himself a chance at the NFL. 

However, even though he originally was slated as a possible second round pick before his injury by draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr., Starks again found himself off the radar of NFL teams looking to draft a running back. 

So when the Green Bay Packers selected Starks in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, he was as surprised as I'm sure many Packers' fans were at that time. While surprised, Starks knew he was getting the chance he so desperately wanted. 

"I was prepared for the worst, but it doesn't really matter where you get drafted," Starks said about the draft. "As long as you get an opportunity, someone putting their trust in you, and you go and make the best of it."

Yet once again, the injury bug once again put a bump in the optimistic plans of Starks. He pulled his hamstring during the Packers' OTA's, and the injury lingered long enough to force Packers' general manager Ted Thompson to put Starks on the PUP list—delaying his return to football until at least week seven of the NFL season. 

It was another set back, but now injury free, Starks is ready to make his mark on the Packers' 2010 season. He will be available for practice on Wednesday, and while the chances are slim, he could make his NFL debut Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings—a completion of a journey that has seen more then enough ups-and-downs.

A versatile back, with receiving ability and "explosive skills" as Packers' coach Mike McCarthy said, Starks could provide the punch to a Packers' running unit that has been below average to start the season. 

"I'm a hard worker, and I'm going to go in and give my all," Starks told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I'm very confident in my ability, and I'm going to prove to a lot of people that I'm healthy."

Could Starks be the 2010 version of Ryan Grant who stormed on the scene in 2007 to help the Packers reach the NFC Championship game? Only time will tell, and Starks isn't one to make any predictions, especially given what he has been through to get to this point. 

"I just can't wait to start working and do all I can to help the Green Bay Packers," Starks said.

Sounds like an excited football player to me.

Lets hope Starks can again overcome the adversity he's faced in his short NFL career and thrive when given his opportunity that he'll most likely get. He's done it his entire football career, so there's no reason to think James Starks can't do it again.