knapplc Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Roy Helu - fantasy sleeper? After selecting a defensive end to convert to linebacker, a defensive tackle to use as a defensive end, and a playmaking wide receiver, the Redskins finally addressed their running back situation. That came in the form of Roy Helu, the reigning back-to-back Offensive MVP at Nebraska. The Redskins thought so highly of Helu that they traded up 22 spots in the 4th round to snag him. Helu became the first of three consecutive Nebraska Cornhuskers selected by the Redskins. Coach Mike Shanahan is hopeful that Helu becomes another one of his mid-to-late round running back diamonds in the rough, a la Terrell Davis (5th round 1995), Olandis Gary (4th round 1999), Mike Anderson (6th round 2000), current Redskin Ryan Torain (5th round 2008), and Peyton Hillis (7th round 2008). Helu was brought in to help take some of the workload away from Torain and Keiland Williams. Torain battled through injuries despite a having a solid season while playing, and Williams saw some playing time as a rookie in 2010 but is still unproven. That said, many are calling him a fantasy football sleeper for when he spells Torain and Williams. He is a versatile back who can catch out of the backfield. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and 9.3 yards per catch during his four seasons at Nebraska. Helu also ran for 3,404 yards and 28 touchdowns for his career. He wowed opponents, scouts and even his own teammates with his standout performance in the team’s eighth game of the season against Missouri. He set a school record with 307 rushing yards on a career-high tying 28 carries and three touchdowns against the Tigers. That game helped put him on the map and make his senior season his most successful. LINK 1 Quote Link to comment
NUance Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think Helu had the *quietest* great career of any NU running back I can remember. I'm not sure why, but people just didn't make a big deal about him. Even though he was pretty great. 1 Quote Link to comment
GSG Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think Helu had the *quietest* great career of any NU running back I can remember. I'm not sure why, but people just didn't make a big deal about him. Even though he was pretty great. That's because everybody was freaking out about Watson, Martinez, Bo going crazy, Niles Paul the fumble machine, etc. Quote Link to comment
Malth Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think Helu had the *quietest* great career of any NU running back I can remember. I'm not sure why, but people just didn't make a big deal about him. Even though he was pretty great. He did have a pretty quiet career. I never really made a big deal out of him myself. He could put up numbers, but it never really seemed that exciting (excepting awesome runs against UT and MU) He also had issues with fumbling the year before last when he was hurt, which didn't do any favors for his reputation. Quote Link to comment
blinky Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Based on his play on the field and actions/words off it, Roy Helu might be my favorite Husker ever. A great ambassador for the program. Quote Link to comment
knapplc Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think Helu had the *quietest* great career of any NU running back I can remember. I'm not sure why, but people just didn't make a big deal about him. Even though he was pretty great. That's a good observation. People are often surprised to find out Helu finished his career at #4 all-time in rushing. For a program with such a storied history running the ball, that's a very impressive thing. Combine that with his single-game record, and he may be the most under-the-radar Husker in the last ten years, if not ever. Quote Link to comment
In the Deed the Glory Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Been a big fan of his for a while now. I remember being one of a few on the Helu side in the Helu v Burkhead debate before last season. I have always thought he was perfect for the NFL (once he got bigger and stronger). The burst is what is needed at the next level to get 10 yards from a small hole. Big runs don't happen that often in the NFL, the back that can consistently get 4 or 5 with the occasional 10-15 yarder can be a solid option. If you break one of over 20 every week, you are a star. Don't know about star ability, but he should be a solid option for many years barring injury. His attitude, faith, and work ethic make him a great role model for young men. Go Big Red! Quote Link to comment
The Dude Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think Helu had the *quietest* great career of any NU running back I can remember. I'm not sure why, but people just didn't make a big deal about him. Even though he was pretty great. If it wasn't for the injury bug he couldn't shake, I think it would be a different story. Those California kids just aren't tough enough. Quote Link to comment
Hercules Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Helu was the best RB we've had since Ahman Green. I think in the history of Nebraska running backs, the top tier would include Green, Lawrence Phillips and Mike Rozier. I think Helu would be on the second tier though, right alongside Calvin Jones. Heck, Helu had a better college career than Roger Craig. Quote Link to comment
corncraze Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think that the little productivity of the offense over the last few years is why Helu is under the radar. Despite his numbers, we rarely put points against our big time opponents. One of the big things we remembered about Rozier or Phillips or Green was they all scored alot of points - I mean Rozier was part of the Scoring Explosion for crying out loud! Also, I don't really remember a game other than Missouri where we could consistently rely on Helu. Thats what partially separates him from an Ahman Green or even Cory Ross, we could never count on him to deliver when we needed it most. He was a heck of a back here and will definitely be be missed, but I always thought of him as a sporadic player - if he got a big run that'd be great, and if he didn't well werent really expecting him to because we didnt really know what expect from him and we 'd rely on Rex or Martinez to step up. Either he'd get some big runs when we least expected it or he'd gather up only a decent amount of yardage. Quote Link to comment
Landlord Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think a big reason he had such a quiet great career was because he wasn't playing on as memorable of championship-caliber teams. You think of Ahman, Rozier, Rodgers, Phillips, etc., you think of national and conference championships. You think of Roy, you think of 9-10 win seasons. Quote Link to comment
irafreak Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Always loved Roy. Liked his running style. Quick to cut up into the hole and patient. Good speed too. Definitely one of my favorite Husker players. Will miss him just as much as Alex...maybe a little more... Quote Link to comment
Husker_x Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think a big reason he had such a quiet great career was because he wasn't playing on as memorable of championship-caliber teams. You think of Ahman, Rozier, Rodgers, Phillips, etc., you think of national and conference championships. You think of Roy, you think of 9-10 win seasons. Agree. Stats melt away in memory when there's no trophies to match them with. If Helu had a monster game in a CCG that we won, I think we'd be thinking more of him in years to come. Instead what we remember about Helu is that he was a productive back who played on generally horrible offenses engineered by a fired coordinator. Quote Link to comment
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