There are few players in the NFL who play with the complete reckless abandon that Justin Fargas brings on every play. He has earned the nickname “Crash Test Dummy” from his teammates because of his intense physical style of running. In 2007, he became the first Raider to rush for 1000 yards since Tyrone Wheatley in 2000. He is a two time “Commitment to Excellence” award winner, which is an award voted on by his teammates as two who best embodies the Commitment to Excellence of the Raiders.
Despite those acheivements and accolades, message boards and comment threads all over the Internet are littered with Raider fans who want to see Fargas traded. Since the Raiders drafted Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, Fargas has become expendable in the eyes of much of the Raider Nation.
What is more remarkable about Fargas’s 1000 yard season, is that he started the season behind LaMont Jordan, and missed the last two games with an injury. Despite playing in only 14 games with half of them being starts, he was able to run for 1,009 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average. In the same season, Jordan ran for 3.8 yards per carry.
Fargas’s thank you for having his first breakout season after being drafted in 2003 was the Raiders drafting Darren McFadden with their fourth overall pick. Fargas not only fended off the first round pick for the starting job, he once gain led the team in rushing. However, his yards per carry fell to a pedestrian 3.9.
His contributions to the team go well beyond what he does on the field. He is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the locker room. He is a personification of the new attitude of teamwork that Coach Tom Cable has been working hard to establish.
Also find my work on EXAMINER.com
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
