People forget in 2005 Shaun Alexander was the MVP of the league and ran for 1880 yards and 28 touchdowns. That season Shaun Alexander running left (behind Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson) was the most devastating play in football. Shaun gets a bad rap because of his running style and that's unfortunate. He has been labeled as lazy and a coward (some people even call him a little bitch) for avoiding contact. I would argue that Shaun was a realist and understood the big picture better than most running backs. He was the master at preserving his body. Sure you want to see effort and of course you want your star running back to fight and scrap for every inch like their life depended on it, but let's be fair. Sometimes the play just doesn't develop the way it was drawn up on the chalkboard. As opposed to trying to run through Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed when a play breaks down isn't it wise to just run out of bounds? Isn't it better to huddle up and try again the next down instead of putting extra wear and tear on your body trying to run through a brick wall? Is it ok to admit the plan didn't come to fruition?
Shaun Alexander haters will tell you he never ran hard enough for them and the effort wasn't consistent. I say when Shaun was inside the opponents 30 yard line there was no better running back in the league. Work smart and hard. Shaun's running style preserved his body and actually benefited the Seahawks because he remained durable and available for more games. If the play's not there get what you can, huddle up, and try again. What's wrong with that?
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