In a run game concentrated offense, the Waynesburg University’s football team lost one of its leading running backs a day before the second game of the season with a pulled hip flexor. That was when sophomore Jarves Crews got called up; before Saturday he had never taken a snap at the collegiate level.

According to Interim Head Coach Chris Smithley, the decision to bring in Crews was automatic.

“It’s nothing crazy for us, its next guy up for us and the next guy up was [Crews]…” said Smithley. “That’s the mentality that we have here – it’s the next guy up.”

The work was cut out: last year the Westminster College football team led the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in total defense, allowing an average of just 4.4 yards per carry – the fewest out of 11 teams. Despite the competition, Crews said all he did was trust the game plan.

“Just trusting the process…no matter who is going to be running back – no matter who – our coaches are always best in those situations,” Crews said. “It’s always just stick with the game plan than trusting my ability or what I can do in my positon.”

Smithley said the playing position presented Crews the perfect occasion to demonstrate his worth to the team – an opportunity he had never gotten his first year with the Yellow Jackets.

“This was an opportunity I was excited about,” Smithley said. “This was an opportunity for [Crews] to make a stamp on this thing and say ‘this is what I’ve done over the years…I either seize this opportunity or I let it go the way side.’”

Crews turned opportunity into exhibition, leading all players on the field in gained yardage, totaling 80 in the afternoon with 17 carries. According to Smithley, it wasn’t Crews ability to stack up yards that came as a surprise, but rather the ease in which he did it.

“I shouldn’t say I was surprised, but it went above expectations – just his ability to break tackles and keep moving on his feet,” Smithley said. “I didn’t see that. I knew he was going to work hard; I knew he was going to run hard; I knew he was going to get us yards…Just some of those snaps he was just breaking tackles after getting first hit.”

Moving forward, Smithley said the team will look at Crews in a different light after his accomplishments against Westminster.

“[Crews] opened a lot of eyes across this coaching staff and the locker room,” Smithley said. “Not that he didn’t have any respect before, he had a ton of respect before – but now? The respect that he is going to have in that locker room, I’m excited to see how this week goes for him just because some of the things he’s done out there.”

However, the spot that Crews earned on the team wasn’t always there, nor the confidence.

“Freshman year I didn’t see myself being a big contributor to the team,” Crews said. “Because of the running backs [the team] had last year and the coaches liked using them.”

But, according to Crews, it went deeper than just a pair of veteran running backs getting the snaps over him, it was an entire mentality he had to change.

“I had a chip on my shoulder because I didn’t get into varsity at all,” Crews said. “I was on the scout team going against a starting defense and I think it opened up my eyes, just doing what I do in practice and I came into spring ball with the mentality that I could be a [starter].”

With the senior class graduating last year, Crews began to realize he was getting closer to his first collegiate game than he may have originally thought and everything started to fall into place.

“It definitely clicked for me during spring ball, because I was really impressed with myself in the weight room and I knew the situation we were in,” Crews said. “We were down running backs and I just thought I had the opportunity to definitely be a part of this offense and that’s when it clicked for me.”

The trust Smithley exhibited on game day for him, Crews said, was a confidence boost.

“[Smithley] never saw me play in a real game before; he didn’t go away from the run game; he didn’t think we needed to pass it more because we have a new running back [with me on the field,]” Crews said. “He just stuck with me, he believed in me, and I think that helped a lot – it helped my confidence a lot.”

Though Smithley never saw Crews under actual game pressure, he had seen enough in practice to know Crews had the qualities required.

“[Crews] has been fantastic. [Crews] is a guy that doesn’t say anything to anybody; he works his butt off; he’s attentive in all the film sessions,” Smithley said. “He’s top of the line as an individual, not just as a football player.”

Down the line, Smithley said Crews has given the coaches all the reason they need to keep putting him in games.

“We’re going to get guys back that are going to get in there and carry the football, but [Crews] has put a stamp in being involved in some sort of package for us in some sort of way,” Smithley said. “Just because of what he did for us [against Westminster…] now these other guys have to work to get ahead of him – he’s taking the job right now.”

Yet for Crews, it’s a simple matter of just wanting to play football on Saturday’s.

“I just love playing football – I love this team – I can’t really complain now that I’m actually getting some [game] time I think,” said Crews. “It’s always good to play football on Saturdays.”