Bobby Humphrey Podcast: Ingram On Mark

Alabama’s Bobby Humphrey says he will be cheering for Mark Ingram to break his single-season school rushing record this Friday and talks about the possibility of the Tide’s first Heisman winner (run time is 6:04; transcript after the jump).

[podcast]http://www.lostlettermen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Bobby.mp3[/podcast]…

Stay connected with LostLettermen.com via Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail & RSS

Follow @lostlettermen

Lost Lettermen: This is Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com and I’m joined by Alabama’s Bobby Humphrey.

Bobby, thanks for joining us, my first question has to be about Mark Ingram. He’s 72 yards away from tying your single-season rushing record. What’s going through your mind as he closes in on you?

Bobby Humphrey: Well there’s nothing going through my mind other than rooting for him to break the record. And tying it would probably be an understatement the way he’s been playing all season—I’m quite sure he’s going average out at least 100-plus this weekend against Auburn. He’s an extremely good runner and I think he’s going to have the opportunity to play at the next level. He obviously shows signs of greatness and I think before he leaves the University of Alabama he’s probably going to break and set a lot of records there.

He is one of the guys that I admire in terms of running styles because he does some things similar to the things I did in terms of running, the way he reads blocks, the way he anticipates blocks and anticipates his cut. And also he’s shown a little bit of his open field abilities, the strength down the field once he breaks into the open field, which is something that we hadn’t seen early on in the year. We know he can run between tackles but he also has that burst where he can scoot it down the field and break the long 50, 60, 70 yard runs if he has to. And I think that’s going to had even more value to his game.

The record has stood for about 23 years so it does me no good to hold it but it does guys coming along that who are striving for excellence and who have set goals and are trying to achieve them. And I do appreciate the fact that I did hold the record and set the record but I have no anger and no regrets that a guy like him has come along with his ability and his competitive nature to be able to supercede and go beyond me.

LL: Do you know him at all and do you talk to him as he approaches the record?

BH: I don’t know him. I’ve met him but I don’t know him personally. I haven’t spoken to him about the record. I do know his father. He and I played ball when we were at Miami—my last year with the Dolphins. It was his dad’s first year with the Dolphins when he was a wide receiver there. So in terms of ability and competitiveness, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

But no, I haven’t made contact with him and other than the fact that I met him. Actually the first time I met him was at a track meet there in Tuscaloosa at the Alabama relays that Alabama host out there during outdoor season. And I had a chance to talk to him then.

LL: Could you talk about what it would mean for Alabama to have a Heisman winner? It’s pretty unbelievable that with such a great tradition, they don’t have a Heisman yet.

BH: I think it would mean a lot. It would mean a lot to me. Alabama has been known for the tradition of the team; the team goes and wins a national championship. But I think in this day and time and this era we have been long seeking a Heisman Trophy winner. We’ve had several that have been candidates. We even had one; I think David Palmer probably was the closest to finish—I think he finished in third in the time he was there. I also finished in the top 10 during the time I was there.

So it’ll be good and this would be the perfect time for it to happen. With a guy like Mark Ingram, who I think is one of the more humble players. He’s a super star player but he carries about it in a humble way. He continues to strive for excellence. He doesn’t let the last performance (define him); he doesn’t ride on his last performance. He’s always seeking to have a better performance every game and he tries to get better—the way I see him run he tries to get better every week. And a young individual and has achieved a lot of things over the course of the season, over the past three years.

And I think it’s the perfect opportunity, the stage is set. I think him being a sophomore shouldn’t interfere with him being a Heisman Trophy winner because it’s bee done in the past. And I’m excited at the fact that he’s a candidate and I think right now that he would be my No. 1 choice.

Without any bias. He has definitely shown that he is a valuable asset to the Crimson Tide and he has produced on the field as well as off the field and he brings leadership to that football team, to the University of Alabama and he brings great character to that team. And he brings, as I would say a true sportsman, he brings true sportsmanship as well.

This is a great opportunity and I hope that the writers and the voters can see that and see the value that he brings to the table, and elect him the first University of Alabama football player Heisman Trophy winner.

Got a question or comment? E-mail him here