Bored after a January workout, Purdue running back Markell Jones thumbed through his silver smartphone and began looking up stats.
He searched through the country’s top backs, paying close attention to the numbers of Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, and then began calculating what he felt was possible for himself. Elliott finished 2015 with 1,821 yards on 289 carries; Jones had 875 yards on 168 carries. So, Jones wondered, what would make a realistic 2016 goal if he carried the ball as often as Elliott?
"Fifteen-hundred yards and 20 touchdowns," the sophomore told ESPN matter-of-factly. "That’s what I’m hoping for.