Now healthy, Iowa's Hampton back to compete

IOWA CITY - Jewel Hampton literally wears his heart under his sleeve.

Iowa's red-shirt sophomore running back owns a tattoo than spans his entire left biceps. The middle portion contains a heart with a football of it. The tattoo reads “Whatever the Game Needs, I Got It.”

His right arm features a tattoo with the Indianapolis skyline. Those tattoos were stitched upon Hampton last summer, just when life was getting good for Indianapolis native. He was listed as the team's starting running back entering 2009 after rushing for seven touchdowns - then a freshman record - and 463 yards in 2008. By mid-August, his world was destroyed with torn knee ligaments.

“I'm not going to lie. The day of the surgery and the day after the surgery I was a little down and out,” said Hampton, now 20. “I just had to think logically like, ‘It happened and you have to move past it.' Just rehab and get better and get on the field.”

It was a tough season for Hampton. He attended every home Iowa game, but watched the road games on television. He traveled with the team to the Orange Bowl but had to rehabilitate his knee while he was there.

He returned to practice last spring but was deemed untouchable and had to wear a red jersey like the quarterbacks.

“I think I could have did spring practice full go,” Hampton said. “The coaches were very smart so they held me out. I was really ready to compete, but I'm here now so I'm going to do that.”

Recalling 2008 isn't too difficult for Hampton or his coaches. He spelled All-American running back Shonn Greene for a handful of carries in just about every game. At Indiana, in front of tons of friends and family, Hampton burst for 114 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in a 45-9 thrashing of the Hoosiers.

“Jewel's a guy that really emerged his freshman year and has tremendous balance, feet, has good quickness and is powerful,” said Iowa running backs coach Lester Erb.

Entering fall camp there's more competition at running back. Hampton is listed on Iowa's depth chart, but not at the top. Fellow sophomores Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher successfully split running duties last year. Robinson rushed for a freshman-record 834 yards, while Wegher broke Hampton's freshman touchdown mark with eight scores.

“They do run a little different, all of them,” Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe said. “Jewel Hampton might have the quickest feet. If we were running drills and you watched him out here, you might say he has the quickest feet. He's a big, strong guy obviously.”

Hampton said he welcomes the competition during training camp. He said he still has his “initial burst” following the surgery, which was his primary concern.

He's also confident in his abilities, his determination, his focus and most of all, his heart.

“I'm a player. I go out there and play,” he said. “I do what I do best. I do what I've been doing as long as I can remember.”