Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson are two pretty good guys to have on your team – especially if you are an undrafted rookie free agent looking to make an impression.
That’s the situation former Houston running back Kenneth Farrow finds himself in these days. Farrow didn’t hear his name called during the 2016 NFL Draft, but he quickly signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Chargers.
He has been spending his time lately training at O Athletik in Houston. Peterson is a co-owner of the massive facility, an extension of the Pro Bowler’s well-known offseason training regimen. And Farrow is taking full advantage.
“(Peterson and Johnson) have been awesome to me,” Farrow said in a recent one-on-one interview with AAC Fever. “They have been giving me great advice. This is a business now and you have to take care of your body 24/7. These guys have taken me under their wing.”
Now Farrow faces the task of taking that advice and turning it into success on the field. He told me he was disappointed not to get drafted, but he had no shortage of teams looking to bring him on as a free agent. Farrow says he almost signed with the Green Bay Packers, who he called “a great organization,” but ended up with the Chargers.
“I was getting some calls from teams in the later rounds (of the draft),” Farrow said. “It just didn’t work out. San Diego just felt like my best fit.”
And when you look at the Chargers’ situation at running back you can see one reason why Farrow may have wanted to go west.
Last year San Diego took Melvin Gordon out of Wisconsin in the first round. Gordon didn’t become the instant success the Chargers hoped he would be. In fact, he finished second-to-last in the NFL in yards per carry (3.5) for running backs with 100-plus carries. Gordon didn’t score a touchdown all season, and this week it was revealed he had microfracture surgery in his knee back in January; although he says he’ll be ready for training camp.
Outside of Gordon the Chargers don’t have a dependable, every-down back on the roster. The biggest name is Danny Woodhead, known as a third-down, pass-catching specialist who only had just 98 carries last season. The window is wide open for Farrow.
“I’m a three-down back,” Farrow said. “I bring that physicality as a running back but I can also pass protect and catch the ball out of the backfield.”
While it’s true Farrow did grab 74 catches during his Cougars career, everyone who watched Farrow play or has seen film knows he’s a bruiser. Farrow made his living in goal line and short yardage situations, tallying a total of 26 touchdowns his final two seasons in Houston. At 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, Farrow doesn’t shy away from the big hit.
“I’m a smart football player who reads a defense and sees the soft spots and the holes,” Farrow said. “But I’m all about the contact. I’ve never really tried to avoid tackles or step out of bounds.”
But while Farrow is confident is his ability as a running back, he is realistic about the challenges in front of him. You don’t often here about a guy going from undrafted free agent to regular contributor in an NFL offense. Most of the time players like Farrow are asked first to become contributors on special teams. And that is where Farrow believes he will have the edge on his competition.
“I did a lot of punt and kickoff coverage this past year and in all four years of college,” Farrow said. “That will transition well to the next level. That’s how I’m hoping to make my mark and get my foot in the door; do whatever they need me to do.”
Playing on special teams units as a senior isn’t something you usually see in the college game because teams have much larger rosters than in the NFL. But Farrow said Houston coach Tom Herman believed on getting his best players on the field at all times.
“I loved that (Herman) brought in that mentality,” Farrow said. “If you are a real football player you take pride in what you are doing every time you take the field. You don’t see a lot of seniors on special teams and that gives guys like me a little extra.”
Farrow credits Herman and his staff for getting ready for this next step. Herman was one of three head coaches Farrow had during his time at Houston. He had four offensive coordinators. Farrow said he had to have the attitude of making sure he was able to show he could play no matter who was on the sideline or the practice field. But it was Herman, his final coach, who Farrow said was an amazing influence on him and the Houston program; and it showed in the storybook season the Coogs just completed.
“I don’t know if you could have written it any better,” Farrow said. “All of us core guys went through so many changes and to be in that position to have coach Herman come in and do as well as he did and how we ended up… it was incredible.”
Farrow knows he needs to use what he learned under Herman and at Houston as rookie mini camp starts this week for the Chargers. The next step is training camp in late July. Farrow will have at least one familiar face with him in San Diego; the Chargers also signed former Houston safety Adrian McDonald, who Farrow says he got a call from just a few minutes after Farrow chose them himself.
“You just couldn’t have worked it out any better,” Farrow said.
Speaking of working out, Farrow is continuing his training program in Houston until mini camp begins. And while some people couldn’t imagine starting the summer in the California heat, Farrow says he’s actually looking forward to it. Between his workouts at Adrian Peterson’s place and in the Houston humidity, Farrow is ready to go.
“I feel like we’re going to get out there and be able to run for days,” Farrow said. “It will be a nice change from the weather we have here in Houston.”
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