Running Backs Coach Duce Staley (12.26.25)
When you look at what Quinshon (Judkins) was able to do for you guys before he got hurt, what do you feel like the outlook, the upside for Quinshon is when he gets back here and gets rolling again?
“Yeah, the first thing you concentrate on for him, coming from me, coaches, this building, of course himself, is just getting healthy. You don’t want to fast forward, you don’t want to move forward, you don’t want to start thinking about any of that. You want to make sure, physically he’s feeling well, and mentally he’s feeling well. So that’s where it all starts, and then I’ll started to get excited for that.”
Obviously, you hate to see Q go down, but to see two guys in Trayveon (Williams) and Rocket (Raheim Sanders) step up, what was going through your mind and what are the skill sets that make them unique that you’re looking to build on these last two games?
“Yeah, injuries are definitely a part of this game – no matter what, it still hurts. Of course you’re sad, but you got to move on within a moment, and I thought Trayveon and Rocket stepped up and handled it well. It was like plug and play. Rocket was able to go out there and hit some big runs and Trayveon was able to go out there and run some good routes, catch the ball. Both of those guys have a unique skill set – you see Trayveon on third down, able to pick up the blitz and also able to run routes, and you see Rocket between the tackles.”
Duce (Staley), Rocket’s a guy that, when he was in high school and college he was the guy, and he comes here and he’s got to wait his turn. How difficult is that for a guy who, for much of his career, coming into the league, has been that go to guy to have to swallow his pride, take that step back and have to bide their time?
“You’re talking about most of the league. Most of the league has been in those shoes before. From high school being the man, from little league being the man, middle school, high school, and of course, going to college and still being productive, playing at a high level, leaving college and coming on this level with the best of the best, and taking a back seat. And sometimes they handle it well, and sometimes it motivates them and they’re able to go out there and give their best selves, and other times it bothers them – but not the two guys I have. Starting with Rocket, he’s definitely motivated, he knows that he can play on this level, and he’s just excited about the opportunity.”
To you go back to Q for a second, did he prove anything to you this year that ‘yes, he can be the guy,’ like the feature back, the number one guy you need him to be in this league?
“Without a doubt. I thought that was proven early. And with the draft process, I thought AB (Andrew Berry) did an awesome job, of course, of being able to single him out and see the production he had at Ole Miss, then moving to Ohio State, and the type of runner that he is and the type of runner that we need. And he was able to come right in and step right into those shoes and was very productive. So yeah, I kind of knew that some of the stuff that he’s done already, he was able to do.”
And with Dylan (Sampson), how did you see him progress this season? It felt like it was a little up and down, and then he was coming on and then he hurts his hand. How important is it if he’s able to get back out there to see him in these final couple of games?
“Yeah, I thought Dylan did an awesome job of just coming in and understanding what we’re trying to get done as an offense. So as a runner, there were some things that he has never done before, and we’re able to put him in that position and teach him, and he caught on well and quickly, honestly. And then as a receiver, which was uncharted waters for him, I thought that he got better and better. And of course, there’s pass protection when he’s caught out there in some of our six-man protections, you got to be able to protect. I saw Dylan get better at all three. And of course, the injury came – like I said, injuries definitely are a part of this game, but he was able to show, as far as advancement in all three of those. Now moving forward, if you get a chance to play, you just want to see if he can continue to go out there and play at that level.”
When you said ‘the type of runner we need’ a couple of answers ago, what does that mean? How do you define that?
“Well, when you look at the grand scheme of things, offensively around the league, you usually have a thunder and a lightning, all right. So, when you go into the season, you want a guy that’s able to put his foot in the ground, hit it downhill, break tackles, get those tough runs, especially as we get into the colder months when you have to run the ball. And that’s what Q is, and that’s what Q has provided for us. Now, I’m not saying the rest of these guys can’t do it, but when you’re just looking at Q, that’s what you see. So that’s what I mean.”
Obviously, injuries are part of football, but when there’s been so much turnover up front of the offensive line, what’s the challenge for the running back group that you have to work through, of not letting that impact them and trying to get on the same page with those guys when different guys are in and out, there’s different nuances to how they play
“I tip my hat to the O-line, man. Just going out there, and a lot of those guys, like you said, have been beat up a little bit, even hurt, but still battling. And you got guys that are stepping up and going out there and playing different positions, and not even saying a word about it. You know, they’re just strapping up, taping their ankles, taping their arms and saying, ‘All right, let’s go do it.’ So, just to be able to see that and see guys committed and see guys continue to push forward no matter the adversity that they see or going against, is truly a positive. So, I feed off it. I show that to the running backs, of course, and say, ‘Hey, man, these guys out here fighting, so you must go out there and continue to do the same thing.’ And they’re all positive because they want to win, but just showing that means a lot.”
When you look at this Pittsburgh (Steelers) defense, what makes it difficult to run against? What stands out about it?
“Historically, when you look at Pittsburgh, they’ve been running this defense since – it seems like the beginning of time, and they seem to always draft the right guys for it no matter what – year in and year out. You end up having a guy that can really rush the pass or two, you have good linebackers, and you have good guys up front. And the secondary feats off it. The secondary is able to, of course, provide multiple coverages, and they’re talented back there. It’s difficult to run the ball because the way they play, how aggressive they are, how those guys up front are able to hold the combination blocks, the double team blocks off of the backers, and their backers are able to run around a little bit. You know, it’s not a hard system, it’s been around for a long time, and they’re just really good at it.”
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