Writer's Note
A colleague of mine, Ron Bowens, and I were discussing my recent article on Noel Devine when he asked me if I had heard of the “Tyrell kid down in Louisiana.” Taking as much pride as I do in knowing obscure sports names, players, stats, and information, I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn’t heard of him.
Ron assured me that I should check him out, and when I did, it prompted me to write a piece on him as well to bring attention to this fine young man.
Enjoy!
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From humble beginnings in La Place, LA, (population 30,590), Tyrell Fenroy has gone from prep phenom, to overlooked recruit, to the sixth-leading rusher in the nation. He also has grown mentally, physically, and spiritually as a person and player at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
Rated as a one-star recruit on Scout.com and a two-star recruit on Rivals.com out of St. Charles Catholic High School, Tyrell wasn’t even the most highly touted recruit at his position when he signed with the Cajuns in 2005. That honor went to a three-star speedster from Houston named Deon Wallace.
Tyrell’s low recruiting rankings are surprising given the success he had in high school and, in hindsight, the success he’s had at the D-I level.
Despite finishing his prep career with 5,714 all-purpose yards and 82 touchdowns, along with twice being voted Player of the Year by the Clarion Herald and being recruited by Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Texas, he only received offers from ULL and Ole Miss. Through soul searching and conferring with his family, he decided to stay close to home.
As a true freshman, he started out buried in the depth chart, but after an injury to Wallace, forcing him to redshirt, Tyrell capitalized and went on to rush for 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming the first back in ULL history to post a 1,000-yard rushing season.
He followed that up with impressive sophomore and junior campaigns in which he posted over 1,000 yards for three straight years.
This season though, after beefing up to around 215 lbs., he has gone above and beyond, posting four 100-plus yard performances in seven games, including a three-game stretch where he rushed for over 183 yards and scored three touchdowns in each game.
When asked about Tyrell prior to the season starting, Coach Ricky Bustle said, “I think Tyrell is one of the finest backs I have ever been around. Whether I was at Virginia Tech, South Carolina, or anywhere. I think he is a heck of a back, as long as he wants to stay hungry, and he seems to be that way. That he wants to work hard every day, the sky's the limit. He is a tough guy, knock on wood and stays away from too many injuries.”
Playing in the Sun Belt conference, on the best rushing offense in college football at 311.7 yards per game, the senior running back has gained 930 yards and 12 touchdowns and is on pace for 1,663 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 7.5 yards per carry is almost two yards higher than his career average. Fenroy is currently sixth in the nation in rushing.
What makes it so impressive is that Heisman candidate and NCAA leading rusher Javon Ringer, who has put up 1,373 yards, has 170 more carries than Fenroy but only averages 4.6 ypc. If Fenroy had 300 carries, he'd have 2,250 yards already!
So far, he has racked up 4,241 yards and scored 42 touchdowns in his career, making him the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leading rusher. Earlier this season, he passed Patrick Cobbs of North Texas (now with the Miami Dolphins), who had 4,050 yards and 36 touchdowns.
He needs just 70 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark again, which will be his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. Only six other players have accomplished that feat in NCAA history.
"I think about it a little bit," Fenroy says of the milestone. "It's just going to come when it comes. Really, I just go out and practice every day and make sure I leave everything on the field."
The star running back is 21 years old, grounded, and is a man of faith. His mother has been encouraging and supportive of her son from day one. Ann Fenroy helped Tyrell with the recruiting process, deciding to commit to ULL, and talks to her son before each game to pray.
"That's our tradition," Ann explains. "Every game he calls me...every game. He calls and he says, 'Momma, let's pray.'"
The Doak Walker Award candidate has hopes of making it to the NFL, and if his play this year is any indication, he may very well be drafted next April. If not, the young man wants to become a State Trooper, putting his degree in Criminal Justice to good use.
I’m sure that the highways of Louisiana can wait a few years, Tyrell. Have fun in the NFL.
50 comments Last one added 3 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ja Tonio Lewis 8 months ago
Good stuff Scott! You really get in deep with your information; that's admirable. Keep up the awesome writing buddy.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Ja Tonio, thanks alot. I appreciate you noticing my efforts. It's always been a pet-peeve of mine in newspapers, magazines, online message boards, etc. when sports columnists write articles that aren't very good because they didn't research to come up with substantial information. You know, it would have been okay for me to write about this guy and only point out what he has done this season, but I think by looking at where someone has come from, what they did then and their journey to get where they are now is equally important and sometimes, more intriguing.
Thanks again and I'll try to best to keep it up.
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Kristin Hamlin 8 months ago
Wow--awesome article!! You sure do your homework!! Thanks for sharing :)
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Kristin,
It's the least I could do after your awesome article on the Vick's, I'm just trying to keep up with you. :)
Thanks alot.
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John Lorge 8 months ago
Great piece, maybe not the heisman, but he deserves to be a doak walker finalist for sure. NFL teams would be stupid not to give this kid a shot!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
John,
Yeah, it's tough to consider small school guys for the Heisman because there is always the competition level question. I firmly believe that is why Kevin Smith didn't get the attention he deserved for putting up the 2nd best rushing season in history last year. At any rate, even if the guy doesn't get any awards or recognition, hopefully some NFL scouts are hot on his trail and give him an opportunity. The guy looks like a beast. I mean, look at the picture of him and the size of his arms....while sporting a 4.5 forty is pretty impressive.
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Chaz Mattson 8 months ago
Scott ~ dido on Ja's take. This brings to mind something that should be thought about on the b/r community we should pass out awards of recognition that make sense at the end of the season. A kid like this is making a clear case for some recognition and should receive some noteworthy response. Let's rise to the challenge at b/r.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Chaz,
That would be cool for Bleacher Report to come up with some award categories and then have us writers vote on it. Not sure we could actually present that person with the award for monetary reasons (not sure how much mulah B/R has available) but definitely a swell idea.
As always, I thank you for the read and comments. Much appreciated.
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Michael Oleszek 8 months ago
Very Interesting. I've never heard of him. To be really honest, I don't follow the Sun Belt at all.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Neither do I Mike, however we've seen over the years where a guy who may or may not have been recruted by bigger programs, goes to a smaller school and flourishes. These are the guys that get their names called on NFL draft day and you are sitting there going....who?
Take Brian Westbrook for example. He was a very good high school player but went to Villanova (not exactly a football powerhouse) and went on to set numerous NCAA records. Still, because he was undersized and played division IAA, many teams overlooked him. Andy Reid who might have seen Westbrook a few times since he played there in Philly, took a chance and the rest is history. Not saying that this guy will be that guy, but there is always a possibility.
I am always intrigued by these guys and wonder how the big time schools passed him up. Especially in cases like this guy, where he was putting up monsterous stats in high school but not getting the pub.
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SportMonk 8 months ago
Great read, man. POTD. I hadn't heard of this guy either, but I think you made some pretty strong points for his Heisman candidacy.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Monk, much appreciated. I am going to make it a point to catch a couple of his games later this year. Hopefully, he impresses.
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Sayre Bedinger 8 months ago
Bravo Scott. I have a soft spot for these kind of players. I hope he finishes the season strong. I'll be watching for him in the NFL offseason. Great article.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Yeah Sayre, me too. Hopefully, a team will take a chance on him and he'll do well. In fact, Patrick Cobbs, the guy from North Texas who had all the records Fenroy has broken, came out of nowhere earlier this season with a huge game for the Dolphins. So, it can surely happen.
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Jeff Allen 8 months ago
Hey Scott,
Great article. I have been a fan of Fenroy since he stepped on the field down if Lafayette. Being a Washingtonian it makes it hard to keep up to date on the Ragin Cajuns and this article is very well written. Its a good feeling to know that I'm not the only one who has heard of Fenroy. Nice work.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Jeff.
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matthew offermann 8 months ago
great article and way to look all the stats
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Matt, stats sometimes don't tell the whole story, but I tend to believe that they paint a pretty decent picture much of the time.
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Dusty Floyd 8 months ago
That's a really good article, but sorry. He doesn't have any chance at a Heisman. NFL looks really bright though!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Dusty, I agree and that was kind of the point of the title. He won't be considered because of where he plays and the competition and this happens all the time. The last two guys to win the heisman from Non-BCS schools were Andre Ware of Houston and Ty Detmer of BYU.
It's very rare for a guy at a small school to get respect. I do think that he has a shot at the Doak Walker Award though. Ringer is the favorite but I think when you look at the stats and what I pointed out in the article, the difference between yardage and touchdowns if you projected them out for the rest of the year with equal carries is telling. Fenroy smokes him.
I felt strongly last year that Kevin Smith should've won the Heisman, instead, he wasn't even mentioned despite putting up the 2nd best season for a RB in NCAA history.
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Chase Bourg 8 months ago
I went to high school with him. He's always played 100% on every play, even if its just blocking. He's a great player.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks for the input Chase. Since you went to high school with him, maybe you can answer something for me. Why didn't he get much attention on the recruiting trail? Is the conference he played in really small or something, because his stats looked awesome. Meanwhile, he only had 2 D-I offers and a bunch of phone calls from the big boys.
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Chase Bourg 8 months ago
To be honest with you, I've always wondered the same thing. Playing at a 2A high school like he did definitely isn't as impressive as playing at a 4A or 5A high school (However, Joe McKnight came out of John Curtis, from our same division in high school). Maybe it was his grades ( 17 on the ACT, not an impressive GPA through basic classes. Although I doubt most schools would take that TOO seriously in recruiting)? I remember around commitment time, the word around school was he was choosing either, Texas, LSU, or Florida, but then he never got those scholarships offered.
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Saraswathi Siriginia 8 months ago
Awesome job Scott, loved reading this article and picking it...
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Sarah,
Glad you enjoyed it.
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Michael Shibley 8 months ago
Great stuff Scott!
I would like to have him in the backfield on my Tennessee team right now.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Yeah, I hear ya. We could use him in the Michigan backfield as well.
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adam blackburn 8 months ago
MiQuale Lewis (Ball State,171 carries, 989yds.) is another player that should not be overlooked. And from a homers point of veiw Gleen Coffee (Alabama,127 carries, 838 yds.) has split his playing time with 2 other outstanding backs Mark Ingram and Roy Upchurch and despite this he is still 17th in rushing yards with a little over half as many carries as the #1 rusher in the country. A small what if here!!! Imagine if he had as many carries as Javon Ringer (Michigan St.,300carries, 1373yds)the #1 rusher ! Shun White (Navy,94 carries, 817yds.)is another prime example of this scenario WHAT IF he had 300 carries and he only has 94. some guys worht watching in the coming weeks. And Great job by the way on the article Scott very imformative!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Adam, I appreciate it. I actually do like Glenn Coffee a lot. I think he is very talented and will be in the NFL one day. Ringer is a good back, but I feel he's way overrated.
Shun White is good too but every year Navy backs get a lot of yards. Not that hey aren't good players but they are a product of the system in my opinion. No disrespect to them though, as i'm a former Navy man myself and love the middies.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
If he is being snubbed like this, then maybe the NFL will have him drop in the draft and he can be a big steal. Walter Payton was from a small school as well.
Very nice man.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Agreed, there are always stories of guys like this who end up being good in the NFL despite the lack of notoriety. Guys from small schools like Walter Payton or Brian Westbrook and also guys who didn't get much time at big schools like Terrell Davis (Georgia) but still end up being good.
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Brian Scott 8 months ago
Excellent insight. My POTD. Geaux Mud Dogs!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Brian.
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daniel cox 8 months ago
scott, nice profile on fenroy. i had no idea and i appreciate and i appreciate some of the players from smaller schools getting some press. under the radar, to say the least. if his numbers come out the way you've projected, he'll have put together a fine senior season, nevermind his entire college career.
this guy sounds like a back that's going to get some recognition come draft time. it reminds me of how forte shot up draft boards once the season ended. a good player from a small school that didn't seem to get a lot of hype during the season, but the draftniks can't ignore him.
nice job.
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Yep, but given the hype around guys like Moreno, Ringer, etc. He will likely still be a 2nd day pick, but i'm sure the scouts have taken notice. I wish him the best wherever he ends up.
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Ragin Cajun Fans Forever 8 months ago
Before yesterday's game we talked about the last game of the 2005 season where we a part of what is now college football history. We were in Monroe, Louisiana on a cold and rainy Saturday after Thanksgiving and it's no exaggeration to say 70% of the crowd were Ragin Cajuns. I didn't see or hear a single Ragin' Cajun fan complaining about the weather that day because it was one of the most memorable Cajun games I had ever attended. Looking back, it wasn't just the way our boys were rockin' that field, or the way our fans were as rowdy as ever; it was high fiving Fenroy's dad and following that high five up with a big hug when Tyrell marked the end of his Freshman season by hitting that 1000 yard mark.
Well last night Mr. Fenroy wasn't sitting right in front of me but I did have the chance to relive a little bit of that 2005 season with him as we cleaned up our neghboring tailgating spots after the game.
I really can't imagine being Tyrell's dad. I can't imagine how proud I would feel if my son reached a goal at a place in college football rankings that very few attain. In fact, Tyrell Fenroy shares being a player who rushed for 1000 yards in 4 consecutive college seasons with only 6 other player in college football history!
Mr. Fenroy beamed and we laughed as I shared an observation from earlier that day. As we walked to our tailgating spot we saw a man, who was one of many, wearing a t-shirt that read, "Fenroy for Heisman." Tyrell and a teammate were walking a little behind us as the man wearing that shirt walked towards us. The man walked right past Tyrell so we asked how he liked the shirt. He was a little embarrased by it, but was all smiles when he looked at us and shrugged his shoulders. Mr. Fenroy and I laughed together because we knew the man with that shirt had just walked right past Tyrell without even knowing it. I bet if that guy knew that he walked past Tyrell on the very day he entered the history books as the 7th player in history to rush for 1000 yards each season of his college career he surely wouldn't be too happy.
We're proud of Tyrell and the rest of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns for wwhat is becoming an outstanding season! Knowing Tyrell reached 1,000 yards again on the 1,000 football game in Ragin' Cajun history, which also happened to be our Homecoming game, made it even more special! Not only are we proud of Tyrell, we'll always recognize him, (even when he's not wearing #32.)
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Ragin Cajun Fans Forever 8 months ago
I had forgotten to mention that the photo I chose for my bio picture is one of the many I took last night. It was certainly a moment I'll never forget as the Fenroy family took the field to congratulate Tyrell. If you look closely you can see that Tyrell had already handed the game ball to his Momma. As a Momma myself I knew that was a precious memory indeed!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Wow, very nice story and I'm happy that I was able to profile such a good young man. Thanks for contributing to my article and I wish you and Tyrell all the best.
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Ragin Cajun Fans Forever 8 months ago
All of us who love the Ragin' Cajuns appreciate it when people like you make the choice to write about our athletes! When you have Tyrell Fenroy who has done what few others ever have and a QB like Mike Desormeaux (dez ahr mow), has been ranked in the top 10 for his rushing talents lately it means you have great leadership for a great team.
We're proud of those young men and are so pleased to see them recognized by others!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
No problem. My pleasure.
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Keith Shelton 8 months ago
awesome article Scott. I hadn't heard of this guy until just now. Thanks for writing this and digging deep. Great journalistic work!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks Keith, I appreciate it.
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ross heard 8 months ago
Excellent article, however, Mr. Fenroy wont be the nor the last caught in the Heisman "snub" merry-go-round. Many years ago there was an "all-around" athlete attending Yale (don't remeber the name) who was snubbed in my opinion in the Heisman race. He was invited to NY for the presentation. This young man played both ways as a defnsive fee safety and a wide reciever. Yale had a winning team two years running, yet this ypoung man was passed over in the voting, in my opinion by a lesser athlete or not as an all-around athlete and I do not intend to take anything away from Fenroy, he has performed well in his position and for his team, but this is something else missing from the "politics" of the Heisman. We have winners who stay in school and not for-go their senior year to vie for the Heisman (P. Manning) and then we have those who bailed out on their teammates (Woodson) and schools once they have won the Heisman. The criteria and politics have changed in the race for the Heisman, it's a most popular or the college he attend. In my opinion I think the Heisman should only go to seniors. But, by the numbers, Fenroy should be included...
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
I agree Ross, the current method of selection is just as flawed as the BCS rankings. Happens all the time, it happened last year with Kevin Smith or UCF and so on and so on. I still love the game and the trophy chase but sometimes it's not fair.
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Thalmus Thomas 8 months ago
Wow never heard of this guy, but I'm pretty sure when the Draft is around Mel Kiper Jr. will be talking about him. With those numbers, it isn't hard to argue that he is the best running back that the Sun Belt has had, and he doesn't really get that many carries and still does great. Who knows what type of season he'd have if given Javon Ringer-like carries. Can't wait to see some highlights of this guy...
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Yeah, me either. It will be interesting after the combine, where he is slotted.
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Kara Martin 8 months ago
Scott, I am SO impressed with your knowledge. This was really great and this guy is truly remarkable. He looks like he will have a look, prosperous career ahead of him! Keep it up, I am definitely gonna keep reading!
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Scott Rieger 8 months ago
Thanks again, but I must humbly inform you that while my knowledge is fairly substantial (toot! toot!), I had to do a lot of research to put this piece together as I hadn't heard of him prior to just before writing this.
I'm happy that you are enjoying my stuff!
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Ken Hower 3 months ago
I have a family member on the ULL team as a redshirt freshmen. He said Fenroy is a great guy and totally humble. I hope the NFL finds a place for him, as he deserves it.
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Scott Rieger 3 months ago
I hope so too. I'm sure he'll get a look.
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