Central Michigan University Athletics
Full Steam Ahead for CMU's Rawls
9/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com - MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Thomas Rawls is a popular man these days.
That'll happen when you rush for 123 yards and a touchdown to lead your team, Central Michigan, to a 20-16 victory over Chattanooga on a Thursday night in the season-opening football game at home.
It was the first game in a CMU uniform for Rawls, a graduate student with senior eligibility who spent his first four years at Michigan.
In 2012, Rawls rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns for the Wolverines, and drew his only start at U-M against Ohio State.
Last season, he appeared in just one game as a running back. It was, coincidentally, against CMU in season-opening 59-9 U-M win. He carried the ball three times for 12 yards and a TD in a reserve role.
That was the last time, until Thursday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, that Rawls had run with the football in a game.
He earned his degree in communications from Michigan and, with a year of eligibility remaining, figured he had some football left in him.
"The thing is," Rawls said after a practice this week as he and the Chippewas prepared for Saturday's game at Purdue, "I made lifelong friends at Michigan,
I have a lot of respect for the fans and the fans have great respect for me.
"The whole transfer is not about stabbing anybody in the back, or holding grudges against anyone. It's just something personal, for me, and I feel as a player -- to be low on the depth chart and not being able to get on the field -- I just felt that I was worth more. That's really why I made the transition."
Rawls carried the ball 25 times against Chattanooga, 19 of those carries coming in the second half. The vast majority of his yardage total - 91, in fact -- came after halftime as the Chippewas asserted themselves on the ground and took control of the game.
That assertiveness was evident in Rawls' feet and his demeanor. He played with passion, hunger, desire, or whatever term applies.
Chippewa fans saw it for the first time on Thursday, yet Rawls has displayed it since arriving in Mount Pleasant.
"When he came here he told me he was very determined and he was going to do whatever he could to have a great a year and to help our team win," coach Dan Enos said. "And he did that on Thursday."
Rawls, who is a chiseled 217 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame, learned a number of lessons in his four years at Michigan. Perhaps the most indelible was to take advantage of opportunities, because you get only so many of them.
"When he did his senior talk, he talked about a lot of different things," Enos said. "He talked about 'Don't take these things for granted, don't take playing for granted.'
"You're talking about a guy who played as a true freshman at Michigan and went from playing as a true freshman to not getting any carries at all.
"And I think sometimes when you get a guy on a bounce-back like that, they're very determined and it's 'If I get an opportunity I've got to make the most of it. I can't allow this one to slip away because it's my last opportunity.'
"And that's how he's approached every day."
It's an approach that clearly benefitted CMU last week, and should continue to pay off.
"The first week has been fun, but it's all in the books now," said Rawls, whose post-practice interview schedule was filled during media availability this week. "Thomas Rawls, I'm relevant right now, but getting out there Saturday against Purdue and having a huge impact on that game, that's my main focus.
"I prepare the same way for Purdue as I did for Chattanooga. No different. Doesn't matter if it's a Big Ten team, a MAC school, an SEC school - I'm going to prepare the same way."
And, the Chippewas hope, produce the same way.
