Houston finds groove on offense

Prayer. Family. Positive thoughts.

That’s what took IU junior running back Stephen Houston through what he calls a tough stretch in his football career less than 12 months ago.

When he came to IU in July 2011 from Independence Community College in Kansas, Houston said he thought everything would be handed to him.

He was the lead running back at Independence, having rushed for 1,082 yards on 165 carries in his sophomore season.

“I just tried to stay positive throughout the whole thing,” Houston said of the situation. “It was hard, but I just never wanted to give up.”

As he sat on the bench, not competing with the offense in the second game of the 2011 season, Houston said he came to a sudden realization.

Though he wanted to be a team player, he also wanted to be in the spotlight.
It was sink or swim, and he said there was no other choice.

“I realized nothing would be handed to me,” Houston said. “You have to go out there and earn it, and that’s what I had to do.”

When he arrived for fall camp in 2011, Houston was out of shape, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.

At one point, Houston said he thought Wilson and his staff were “screwed up” when they tried to push him beyond his physical limits.

“We were yelling at him to go harder, and he was looking at us like we didn’t know what we’re talking about,” Wilson said. “He wasn’t very good in August, and he was
getting a little bit better in September. By October, he was our best back.”

Despite not starting the first four games of the year, Houston was named the starting running back for the team’s Big Ten opener against Penn State on Oct. 1, 2011.

“He was a big back who could run,” IU running back Coach Deland McCullough said of the decision to start Houston. “He was a guy who could show us a skill set that would translate well to the Big Ten.”

After leading the team in rushing yards that game, Houston would not lose the starting job for the remainder of the season.

He ended the 2011 campaign as the team’s leading rusher, gaining 802 net yards on the ground. He led the team in individual touchdowns with eight on the year.

“He got a lot better,” McCullough said. “There was definite growth, but I still think there’s a lot more that can happen that will tip him over the edge.”

Now into his second year with the Hoosiers, Wilson said Houston has become his model example of what dedication can do for success.

When two junior college cornerbacks, Antonio Marshall and Tim Bennett, transferred to IU and started late in the summer, as Houston did, Wilson approached Houston and asked him to talk to the two players.

Houston has taken the role of an older brother figure to ensure their success at IU, he said.

“I tell them all the time to stay humble and stay hungry, because the first time you get cocky or complacent, that’s when somebody can go take your spot,” Houston said. “I’m just telling them that I’ve been there in the hard times of not playing, but as long as you work at staying consistent, your chance will come.”

There is no guarantee Houston will make as significant an impact this year as he did on last season’s squad due to the depth at his position.

McCullough said sophomore D’Angelo Roberts and freshman Tevin Coleman have recently played better than Houston in practice.

That situation does not mean Houston will go down without a fight for playing time. He’s been in that position before.

“I just want to do everything to the best of my ability, whether it be being the fastest, the strongest or whatever it may be,” Houston said. “I know what I need to bring to the table.”