Majette Aims for a Bright Football Future
8/12/2018 8:05:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mike Majette squints beneath a bright August sun. The latest Memorial Stadium upgrade -- the South End Zone's Excellence Academy -- looms large and impressive behind him, and the senior running back is pumped about that, and so much more.
"It's beautiful," he says about the $55 million addition. "It looks tremendous. I'm thankful they were able to get that done when I was still here."
As for the upcoming season …
"I'm looking forward to the whole team having a good year," Majette says. "Everybody is happy to be here. They're putting in hard work. It's great when everybody is smiling. You can see the difference in the atmosphere.
"I'm excited for the season to get rolling."
Why not? Much is expected in Year Two of Tom Allen's Cream & Crimson coaching run, and, just over a week into August camp, the Hoosiers embrace it.
"Camp is going well for everybody," Majette says. "We're competing every day. Everybody is bringing his best. Iron sharpens iron as Coach Allen says. Everybody is competing at a high level."
For Majette, that level goes beyond football numbers. He is set to lead by word as much as deed. He and fifth-year senior Ricky Brookins set the tone in the running back room; they are the guys running backs coach Mike Hart counts on to ensure everything is done right.
"Leadership is very important with me being a senior," Majette says. "It's taking on a leadership role and helping out the young guys.
"When I was a freshman, I had Devine (Redding) and Jordan Howard and even Ricky. I try to be the leader for the young guys what those guys were for me."
Does leadership come easily for him?
"It's not necessarily a struggle. It's something you pick up on. I'm the older sibling in my family, so I'm just looking out for (the younger guys) like I do my little brother and sisters."
At 5-11 and 215 pounds, Majette can do it all – run, catch and pass protect. The key is staying healthy. Injuries cost him seven games last season, five the year before.
"I plan on staying healthy," he says. "That's a major thing for me. I have to stay healthy."
Last season, Majette started three games, and totaled 22 rushing yards on 22 carries. He set career-highs with 12 catches for 90 yards. That included a five-catch, 49-yard effort against Michigan.
As a sophomore, he rushed for 180 yards and averaged 4.6 yards a carry. As a freshman, he rushed for 181 yards and averaged 4.9 yards a carry.
As for this season, preparation starts well before he hits the field.
"Just focus on being in the training room so I can come out and help in the passing game and the run game."
A new training program devised by David Ballou and his staff has helped.
"They've keyed in on certain things that were a weakness of mine," Majette says. "They asked me what were my weaknesses and what did I need to work out. After that, we got to it. Now I feel like a completely different player. My whole body feels different -- faster, stronger."
His perspective, however, remains the same. He doesn't see himself rivaling power back Morgan Ellison (6-1, 228 pounds) for, say, fourth-and-one-at-the-goal-line opportunities.
"Everybody wants to be that guy, but you have to know your role and your position," Majette says. "That's not my body frame. That's not me. You've got guys like Morgan who is in that situation to be in that position. You have guys who would be fantastic in that situation.
"I'm not that much smaller, but we have guys for those situations."
Still…
"I can get the job done if need be."
When Majette needs a break from football, he turns to a video game passion shared by teammates, and plenty of others:
Fortnite.
It's a survival game that, as do so many video games, involves guns and shooting and doing away with those in your way. In this case, it's not zombies or aliens or things that creep in the night, but others who also seek king-of-this-imaginary-island supremacy.
"Right now, it's the big thing," Majette says. "You get dropped off on an island. You have to pick up guns in the area and be the last man standing before time runs out. You have to survive.
"It's interesting. You get addicted. It is very competitive."
Addictive or not, Fortnite doesn't distract from the main goal -- win as IU hasn't since 2007, when it finished 7-6. That's the program's last winning record.
With 16 returning starters, optimism is high.
"The sky is the limit," Majette says. "That's it every year, but this year we think we can do it."
That's true even with the annual grueling Big Ten East schedule that includes matchups with perennial powers.
"Playing in this conference, every week you have somebody good," Majette says. "No one is a checkoff. Every week we have to bring our best.
"We're looking forward to seeing what we can do on Saturdays."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mike Majette squints beneath a bright August sun. The latest Memorial Stadium upgrade -- the South End Zone's Excellence Academy -- looms large and impressive behind him, and the senior running back is pumped about that, and so much more.
"It's beautiful," he says about the $55 million addition. "It looks tremendous. I'm thankful they were able to get that done when I was still here."
As for the upcoming season …
"I'm looking forward to the whole team having a good year," Majette says. "Everybody is happy to be here. They're putting in hard work. It's great when everybody is smiling. You can see the difference in the atmosphere.
"I'm excited for the season to get rolling."
Why not? Much is expected in Year Two of Tom Allen's Cream & Crimson coaching run, and, just over a week into August camp, the Hoosiers embrace it.
"Camp is going well for everybody," Majette says. "We're competing every day. Everybody is bringing his best. Iron sharpens iron as Coach Allen says. Everybody is competing at a high level."
For Majette, that level goes beyond football numbers. He is set to lead by word as much as deed. He and fifth-year senior Ricky Brookins set the tone in the running back room; they are the guys running backs coach Mike Hart counts on to ensure everything is done right.
"Leadership is very important with me being a senior," Majette says. "It's taking on a leadership role and helping out the young guys.
"When I was a freshman, I had Devine (Redding) and Jordan Howard and even Ricky. I try to be the leader for the young guys what those guys were for me."
Does leadership come easily for him?
"It's not necessarily a struggle. It's something you pick up on. I'm the older sibling in my family, so I'm just looking out for (the younger guys) like I do my little brother and sisters."
At 5-11 and 215 pounds, Majette can do it all – run, catch and pass protect. The key is staying healthy. Injuries cost him seven games last season, five the year before.
"I plan on staying healthy," he says. "That's a major thing for me. I have to stay healthy."
Last season, Majette started three games, and totaled 22 rushing yards on 22 carries. He set career-highs with 12 catches for 90 yards. That included a five-catch, 49-yard effort against Michigan.
As a sophomore, he rushed for 180 yards and averaged 4.6 yards a carry. As a freshman, he rushed for 181 yards and averaged 4.9 yards a carry.
As for this season, preparation starts well before he hits the field.
"Just focus on being in the training room so I can come out and help in the passing game and the run game."
A new training program devised by David Ballou and his staff has helped.
"They've keyed in on certain things that were a weakness of mine," Majette says. "They asked me what were my weaknesses and what did I need to work out. After that, we got to it. Now I feel like a completely different player. My whole body feels different -- faster, stronger."
His perspective, however, remains the same. He doesn't see himself rivaling power back Morgan Ellison (6-1, 228 pounds) for, say, fourth-and-one-at-the-goal-line opportunities.
"Everybody wants to be that guy, but you have to know your role and your position," Majette says. "That's not my body frame. That's not me. You've got guys like Morgan who is in that situation to be in that position. You have guys who would be fantastic in that situation.
"I'm not that much smaller, but we have guys for those situations."
Still…
"I can get the job done if need be."
When Majette needs a break from football, he turns to a video game passion shared by teammates, and plenty of others:
Fortnite.
It's a survival game that, as do so many video games, involves guns and shooting and doing away with those in your way. In this case, it's not zombies or aliens or things that creep in the night, but others who also seek king-of-this-imaginary-island supremacy.
"Right now, it's the big thing," Majette says. "You get dropped off on an island. You have to pick up guns in the area and be the last man standing before time runs out. You have to survive.
"It's interesting. You get addicted. It is very competitive."
Addictive or not, Fortnite doesn't distract from the main goal -- win as IU hasn't since 2007, when it finished 7-6. That's the program's last winning record.
With 16 returning starters, optimism is high.
"The sky is the limit," Majette says. "That's it every year, but this year we think we can do it."
That's true even with the annual grueling Big Ten East schedule that includes matchups with perennial powers.
"Playing in this conference, every week you have somebody good," Majette says. "No one is a checkoff. Every week we have to bring our best.
"We're looking forward to seeing what we can do on Saturdays."
Players Mentioned
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