There’s no hiding the struggles early in Mark Ingram’s pro career. Between multiple foot injuries and a head coach who favors passing plays, Ingram hasn’t been able to show off the skills that won the Heisman Trophy. He ran for fewer than 500 yards twice in his first three seasons.
That’s finally changed for the better. Ingram worked hard to become better at picking up blitzes and catching targets out of the backfield. That got him on the field more, which in turn got him more opportunities to carry the football.
Now that he’s eclipsed the 1,000-yards rushing mark in a season, Ingram can take his spot among the very best runners the Alabama Crimson Tide has put into the NFL.