2008 Woodie Awards
Chasing 449
Senior running back three games from history
By Travis Pickens
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Sports Extra
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The scouting report on Slippery Rock University senior running back Josh Kniess during his football career at Slippery Rock High School was obviously wrong.
Kniess, is 449 yards short of SRU's career all-purpose yards record heading into tomorrow's meeting with Edinboro.
At one time, Kniess was only actively recruited by Thiel College, a Division III school in Greenville, Pa.
"Looking at Josh's size, he wasn't, at that time, as big as you'd like to see from a Division II running back," running backs coach Bill Horsman said. "(His) durability was an issue for a lot of different schools."
Kniess sits in seventh place on the career rushing yards list, but setting the rushing record isn't likely as Kniess trails leader Stan Kennedy by more than 900 yards.
Over the last two seasons, Kniess has shown the schools that passed on him that he can succeed at the collegiate level. Along with being the featured running back last year, Kniess also returned punts and kickoffs. This season, Kniess' special teams role has been limited to solely returning punts.
"I love it," Kniess said. "As much as I can be on the field, I'd like to be. If they had me returning kickoffs, I'd be back there too."
Like Kniess, the current holder of the all-purpose yards mark, D.J. Flick, who played wide receiver at SRU from 1998-2001, said he had no problems playing special teams while being a standout on offense.
"Returning kicks was my true passion in college football," Flick said. "With the blocking schemes and countless talented players by my side, every kick had potential to be taken to the end zone."
The attitude to play special teams, while being the starting running back, is one reason Kniess has a chance to pass Flick, who currently plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL), on the all-purpose yards list. Kniess has already passed former running back Stan Kennedy for second place after starting the year tenth.
"You always like starters who want to play special teams," head coach George Mihalik said. "Whether Josh was the starting running back or third team running back, he always had a passion for returning kicks."
