Kimani Vidal was not used to watching from the sideline on game day. The Chargers running back was less than a year removed from becoming Troy’s all-time leader in yards rushing when he found himself inactive for his first four NFL games.
Struggling to carve out a role, Vidal reached out to an old coach looking for advice, inspiration, encouragement. Anything to help the rookie stay on track toward his goal.
“He just needed a spurt of something going right for him,” former Troy coach Jon Sumrall said.
The moment arrived last weekend in Denver when Vidal broke free down the sideline on a wide-open wheel route, held on to a Justin Herbert pass with his fingertips and didn’t break stride as he raced 38 yards into the end zone untouched.
First NFL touch, first touchdown.
Vidal, who broke into the rotation with Gus Edwards out because of an ankle injury, spiked the ball against the wall behind the end zone. Center Bradley Bozeman lifted the 5-foot-8 rookie into the air in celebration.
“I was just blessed to be able to have the opportunity to go out there and contribute,” said Vidal, who finished with two catches for 40 yards and 11 yards rushing in four carries.
Drafted in the sixth round last spring, Vidal had been lost in the shuffle behind veteran running backs Edwards and J.K. Dobbins and special teams contributor Hassan Haskins.
From being the busiest running back in college — his 297 carries as a senior at Troy led all players in the Football Bowl Subdivision — Vidal called the unfamiliar view from the sideline “definitely frustrating at first.”
Vidal was slowed during training camp because of an injury and still learning the time commitment it took to maintain his body at the professional level. He gradually was perfecting his film-watching strategy, realizing that in the NFL some plays were reserved for walkthroughs and not full practice reps.
“I did everything throughout the week to prepare for the game and then just didn’t play,” Vidal said. “I really tried to learn what I like, what I didn’t like. I feel like I used that time to my advantage.”
Sumrall already was familiar with Vidal’s talent from watching him on TV, but when the coach took over at Troy, he learned the star running back was more than just record-setting stats.
On mornings the team had 6 a.m. runs, Sumrall often parked his truck at the football facility at 4:45 or 5 to find Vidal already stretching in the weight room, drinking from an oversize water jug.
As a senior, Vidal finished second in the country with 1,661 yards rushing, became Troy’s first Associated Press All-American since 2000 by earning third-team honors and left as the program’s leader in career (4,010), single-season and single-game (248) rushing yards.
With Sumrall at the helm and Vidal in the backfield, the Trojans won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships after the program had been stuck on five wins for three straight seasons.
Sumrall, now the coach at Tulane, says coaches often get most of the credit for turning around programs, but he was quick to praise Vidal’s role in the Trojans’ resurgence.
“He’s very driven,” Sumrall said. “He’s a guy that wants to be his best and he’s also a guy that likes learning and likes growing and likes listening. He’s not a big over-the-top talker. He’s a really good listener.”
Vidal has continued to take lessons from Chargers veterans who advise him to stay on top of his recovery during the week and to ask for help with unexpected off-field obligations such as commercial and media opportunities or ticket requests from family members.
Although Vidal fielded some name, image and likeness opportunities at Troy, being in L.A. is “like 15 Troys,” he said. Asking for help off the field allows the rookie to stay locked in on the game.
“All offseason, even in the spring, I’ve just been on him because I see greatness in him,” Dobbins said on CBS after last Sunday’s game. “He will be a great back.”
After two quiet games, Dobbins helped the Chargers break through against Denver, rushing for 96 yards and one touchdown on a career-high 25 carries.
The running back rotation is primed for a favorable matchup Monday considering the Arizona Cardinals (2-4) rank 29th in the NFL in rushing defense, giving up 153 yards per game.
With Dobbins still leading the way and Edwards (ankle) on injured reserve for at least three more games, Vidal can show his versatility in the backfield.
According to Pro Football Focus, Vidal led the nation in pass blocking for his position last year and was one of just eight running backs with at least 20 targets to not be charged with a drop.
Watching Vidal make the reaching catch on a pinpoint-accurate throw didn’t surprise Sumrall, who got dozens of text messages about Vidal’s stellar debut. Among all the congratulatory messages he received last week, Vidal held two most dear: the notes from Sumrall and former Troy running backs coach Brock Hays, who is with Sumrall at Tulane.
Both coaches offered encouragement when Vidal’s season got off to a slow start. They were there to celebrate the first of what Vidal hopes will be many NFL highlights.
“Congratulations,” Sumrall’s simple text message read. “I’m proud of you.”
