Washington Huskies 2012 Player Evaluations: RB Jesse Callier

Nov 5, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Jesse Callier (24) pumps up the crowd before the kickoff against the Oregon Ducks at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Statistics: 0 carries for 0 yards; 2 receptions for 8 yards.

What He Did In 2012: After two years as a productive, efficient backup to Chris Polk, it was supposed to be Callier’s time to shine. Even if it looked as if he would split carries with Bishop Sankey, he would at least have a chance to separate himself from the younger, less-proven back in order to grab hold of a majority of the carries. Instead, his season ended in the first quarter of the first game of the season, before he even managed a single carry.

What I Expect From Him In 2013: With a torn ACL less than a year in the past, it is pretty foolish to try to “expect” anything of Callier. Not everyone is Adrian Peterson. Some guys don’t ever recover their explosiveness or cutting ability, and many of those who do make a full recovery take well over a year to do so. Plus, with Sark’s injury policy, it will be tough to tell throughout the fall and spring how well Callier is recovering.

If he does make it back on to the field in 2013, it will most likely be as a returner on special teams and/or as a backup to Sankey. It may not be fair, but Bishop simply leapfrogged over Callier due to the injury. He showed himself to be a star, feature-back type, and there isn’t much Callier can do about that. That being said, he averaged well over 5 yards per carry in his first two seasons, so he would be an asset in whatever capacity he is able to contribute.