‘Slow Burn’ – Black, Hemby Run to Hoosier Success
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kaelon Black persevered when others got more running back carries, when he spent more time watching football than playing it.
Indiana’s 5-foot-10, 211-pound redshirt senior believed opportunity would come and it has this season in a career-best, team history-making way.
Then there’s Roman Hemby, a Maryland transfer who was convinced head coach Curt Cignetti and running backs coach John Miller could elevate his game and that he could be part of unprecedented Hoosier team success.
Mission accomplished. Together, Hemby and Black form the Big Ten’s most potent running back duo with a combined 1,595 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. They also add 178 receiving yards.
The next step comes with Saturday night’s Big Ten title game shot against top-ranked Ohio State (12-0) at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. Second-ranked IU (12-0) counters with the conference’s best offense and second-best defense.
“This was always a dream of mine, something that I always felt was a goal to keep working to,” Hemby says. “I'm not going to say I always felt as though I wasn't going to be able to do it, but it's really hard to play in the Big Ten and to make it to the Big Ten championship game. Being that this is my last year, what better way to go out.”
That’s certainly true for Black, who has spent most of his college time in a reserve role. This season he posted his first 100-yard rushing day as a Hoosier (110 yards against Maryland in early November). His seven rushing touchdowns lead the team. His career-best 729 rushing yards are second on IU to Hemby’s 866.
Black didn’t bolt, as so many players would have done, when his playing time last season was limited behind Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton after transferring in from James Madison. He believed in Cignetti, believed in offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, believed that his work and team-first attitude would reap more-playing-time rewards.
Belief is now reality.
“It’s just the system,” Black says. “These guys believed in me from Day One, even in my recruiting process.
“Like I said before, Coach Cignetti takes care of his guys in practice, off the field and then with our offense itself. The running backs, they get the ball and they like to rely on us, whether that's pass-catching, pass-blocking, and or running the ball. Being in this system, it's really lovely.”
Love centers around team success. What makes these Hoosiers special?
“It's our camaraderie,” Black says. “Everyone is on the same page; everyone has the same goal and that's to win each week. Honestly, it's to win each and every day. Coach Cignetti does a great job with us to make sure we're focused.”
Black says he felt IU could make a Big Ten title run around the third game of the season, when “everything was starting to connect.”
“In the first couple of games, you get out all the mistakes. That third game came around and it was just like man, we got something special. We just want to continue to keep it going.”
For Hemby, everything came together as “a slow burn, a slow build up.”
“We saw that we had the talent in winter workouts,” he says. “You see guys in the weight room and on the field and you're like, ‘Okay, he's got talent, he's got talent, and we just have to put it together.’
“The coaches did a great job throughout spring ball, making sure that everyone was ready to gear up and clicking on different cylinders. We were able to fine tune some things over spring ball and into fall camp. We knew we had the tools; we just had to put it on the field.”
And so, they have.