Colorado State Rams running back Dee Hart runs against Tulsa defensive end Chris Hummingbird (46) during the first quarter of a college football game Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
USA TODAY has been recognizing the nation’s top high school athletes for more than 30 years. As we prepare to announce the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Football Team in December, we’ll dig into the archives and check in with ALL-USA honorees from the past three decades. Today, we’re catching up with Colorado State running back Dee Hart, who was an ALL-USA running back for Dr. Phillips (Orlando) in 2010.
A good running back waits for an opening, then takes advantage of the opportunity. Dee Hart had to wait a little longer than most.
Coming out of Dr. Phillips (Orlando), Hart was considered the No. 1 all-purpose running back recruit in the country by Rivals.com. His senior year in 2010, he had a state-record 50 touchdowns to help the Panthers to a 14-1 record. He set 23 school records and amassed 7,405 total yards in his career. Along with Dr. Phillips teammate Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, he signed with Alabama.
A good student at Dr. Phillips, Hart was able to enroll early at Alabama and scored a touchdown in Alabama’s spring game in 2011. That July, however, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a 7-on-7 drill and was forced to miss the rest of the season while the Tide went on to win the national championship. Alabama won the title again in 2012 as Hart played in the first five games and was just starting to make a name for himself when he tore the ACL in his other knee while returning a punt.
The second injury, combined with Alabama’s depth of talent at running back, set Hart back.
For a while, he lost a little of his breakaway speed, his confidence and his spot on the depth chart.
“The grind (of rehabilitation) was the toughest part,” Hart said. “I think the biggest thing for me was getting up every day and getting my leg ready for rehab.”
Last season, he had only 22 carries, averaging 3.5 yards a carry, with one touchdown. While he rode the bench, his friend, Clinton-Dix, emerged as a star free safety and became a consensus All-American.
In February, Hart was stopped by Tuscaloosa police and charged with possession of marijuana and for giving a false name. When the news broke, Alabama announced that Hart had not been with the team since a month earlier, following the Tide’s Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma.
Colorado State Rams running back Dee Hart (10) celebrates his touchdown in front of wide receiver Joe Hansley (25) in the third quarter against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Hughes Stadium. Photo by Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports
“I learned a lot from that,” Hart said. “No matter how hard you work, you have to do the little things right, including being accountable outside of football. You have to be accountable at all times.”
Instead of leaving Alabama in shame, Hart stayed and went back to class. In May, he saw Clinton-Dix get drafted No. 21 overall by the Green Bay Packers. Two months later, Hart got his degree, the first in his family to graduate from college. He mailed his diploma to his grandmother, Josephine Hart, who had raised him.
“My grandma was always on me to make something out of myself,” Hart said. “It was a blessing to get my degree and still play football.”
The day after his graduation, he drove to Colorado State, to play for Rams coach Jim McElwain, who had recruited Hart to Alabama. As a graduate student, Hart was eligible to transfer from Alabama and play right away, as a junior athletically.
His first game, Hart led the Rams to a 31-17 defeat of Colorado, running for 139 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns and a team-high three catches for 35 yards. Back in Atlanta, his former Alabama teammates watched the game on TV and cheered.
“We’re happy for him,” said Alabama defensive back Nick Perry. “He had a couple of injuries in his first couple of seasons here, so to see him out there and show the world what he can really do is exciting. We were all happy. We were all in hotel jumping up and down when he was scoring his touchdowns.”
Two weeks ago, Hart rushed for 117 yards in a 24-21 win at Boston College and last week, Hart ran for a career-high 143 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-17 defeat of Tulsa. He leads the team with 475 yards and a 7.4 yards per carry average.
“He did what he’s supposed to do,” McElwain said after the game, then joking he could take Hart in a race. “That foot race we’re going to have will be a dandy. But he’s a good football player and I’m glad he’s playing for the Rams.”
Hart said his time at Alabama helped set him up for his success this year.
“Being at Alabama taught me that school and football is like a job,” he said. “You have to do things out of the ordinary to get the job done. The biggest thing I miss here is my family. Sitting at Alabama made me more of a patient runner, making sure I have the blocks in front of me and being more mental about a lot of things.”