Home / Sports

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Jewel Hampton refused to give specifics about his knee injury Friday during the University of Iowa football team’s media day.

“I can’t go into it,” said Iowa’s sophomore running back, who suffered the injury during a conditioning workout in early July. “I just hurt my knee.”

Hampton, however, did practice Friday morning and labeled himself “90 to 95 percent.”

“I was running on it real well, no pain at all,” Hampton said.  “By the time the first game comes around (Sept. 5 against Northern Iowa), I should be 100 percent.”

Hampton is projected to replace all-American and Doak Walker winner Shonn Greene as the starter in the backfield. The 230-pound Greene set Iowa’s all-time single-season rushing record last year with 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns.

“I’m not sure you can replace that with just one person,” Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe said.

The 5-foot-9 and 210-pound Hampton from Indianapolis rushed for 463 yards and seven touchdowns – the most ever by a Hawkeye true freshman. Hours and days after suffering the knee injury, Hampton feared he might be lost for the season.

“If anybody was in my position and told that their season could be taken away, that would be heart-breaking,” he said. “I just kept a good head about it and bounced back from it.”

Now, he’s expected to be Iowa’s main threat in the backfield. The other options are junior Paki O’Meara, redshirt freshman Jeff Brinson and true freshman Brandon Wegher.

The crowded backfield doesn’t concern O’Keefe.

“At this point last year, we didn’t even know we had Shonn Greene,” O’Keefe said. “We went into it using a couple of guys.”

Hampton is ready to be the primary back.

 “I’m looking forward to filling Shonn’s shoes,” he said.

And O’Keefe believes he can handle the responsibility.

“He’s tough,” O’Keefe noted. “He wants the ball in his hands and he runs hard. As a true freshman, he didn’t get rattled. He went in the game and just played.”

Running back is just one of several positions Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is keeping his eye on the next few weeks in fall camp.

The Hawkeyes are looking to solidify their offensive line, find replacements for Mitch King and Matt Kroul on the defensive line, establish a backup for junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi and sort out their top two groups of receivers.

“We’ve got to right now try to find a way to fill in for that production that we lost,” Ferentz said. “Maybe more important than that is the leadership that those guys all provided for us. It’s paramount in our thinking right now, and we’re eager to see how that develops.”

Iowa, coming off a 9-4 campaign and the only Big Ten Conference team to win a bowl game with a 31-10 drubbing of South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, returns 16 starters from last year. Ferentz said this team is much like last year’s team in terms of experience and ability.

“This team kind of feels like the team we had a year ago,” he said.

The schedule, however, is more demanding.

The Hawkeyes have road games at Iowa State, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Penn State and Michigan State are Saturday night games, and Ohio State could be, too, if the game has significance for either team in mid-November.

“It’s really conceivable we could have a better team than last year and have a record that doesn’t indicate that,” Ferentz said, “because winning on the road is tougher.

“If you’re going to be a good team, you’re going to have to handle the road. We know every one of those environments will be tough.”

Stanzi said the Hawkeyes can’t look too far ahead.

“We’ll trip up if we do,” he said. “Of course those (Big Ten) games are in the back of your head. I’d be lying if I told you we weren’t thinking about those road games.”

Cornerback Amari Spievey said the Hawkeyes are up for the challenge.

“We can’t wait to get on the road and play these tough games and show the nation what we can do,” he said. “This team is full of competitors. We don’t want anything to be easy.

“You need to be challenged to show people what you’re really about, and that is what we’re looking forward to.”

Hawkeye tidbits: Ferentz said Friday that Jayme Murphy, who’s played primarily on special teams during his career, will be elevated to senior status and be used on a limited basis because of the four concussions he’s suffered in the last year. Murphy was to be a fourth-year junior this season. … Offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde, a Davenport Central alum, is expected to miss the first game or two with injury. … Receiver Stephane N’Goumou wasn’t cleared by the NCAA and will enroll at a junior college this fall. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, N’Goumou had a chance to crack the rotation. … Marvin McNutt, who started his career at quarterback before moving to receiver, is No. 1 on the depth chart after a solid spring. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, a starter last season, is listed as the No. 2. … If Iowa was to play a game today, Ferentz said Jordan Bernstine would start at left corner, while Shaun Prater and Willie Lowe are his backups. Amari Spievey is the starting right corner.

AT A GLANCE

Iowa’s 2009 schedule

Sept. 5 – Northern Iowa, 11:05 a.m.

Sept. 12 – at Iowa State, 11:05 a.m.

Sept. 19 – Arizona, 2:35 p.m.

Sept. 26 – at Penn State, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 3 – Arkansas State, TBA

Oct. 10 – Michigan, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 17 – at Wisconsin, 11:05 a.m.

Oct. 24 – at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.

Oct. 31 – Indiana, TBA

Nov. 7 – Northwestern, TBA

Nov. 14 – at Ohio State, TBA

Nov. 21 – Minnesota, TBA

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz (11th season)

2008 record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 in Big Ten

Starters returning (16)

Offense (6) – Ricky Stanzi, QB, jr.; Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, WR, jr.; Brett Morse, FB, jr.; Bryan Bulaga, LT, jr.; Kyle Calloway, RT, sr.; Julian Vandervelde, RG, jr.

Defense (8) – Adrian Clayborn, DE, jr.; Christian Ballard, DE, jr.; Pat Angerer, MLB, sr.; A.J. Edds, OLB, sr.; Jeremiha Hunter, WLB, jr.; Tyler Sash, SS, so.; Brett Greenwood, FS, jr.; Amari Spievey, RC, jr.

Specialists (2) – Daniel Murray, PK, jr.; Ryan Donahue, P, jr.