PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rashad Rochelle has always had a special drive inside of him, even from birth.
Set to enter his second season with Rutgers football, Rochelle goes by the nickname ‘Train.’ It was a name given to him by his father who listened to his son’s ultrasound and commented that the heartbeat sounded like a train.
Fitting now for Rutgers football as Rochelle might well be the engine of their offense, given his explosiveness and versatility.
Last season as a true freshman, Rochelle was utilized as a running back in addition to roles on special teams and out of the Wildcat formation. Recruited as a wide receiver by head coach Greg Schiano, the move to running back last year helped him see early playing time, something that is paying dividends this spring.
“Coach Schiano, he was very upfront and honest with me,” Rochelle said about his position switch.
“He told me ‘I like you as a receiver but obviously you seem like you can play other positions.’ So he let me know that they’re going to use my versatility in the best way possible and whatever helps the team win. That’s what we’re gonna do.”
A former standout quarterback at Springfield High School (Springfield, IL), Rochelle has that unique combination of speed, strength and agility that makes him an integral part of the Rutgers offense.
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It is a boon for Rutgers to say the least as they now focus on getting the most from ‘Train’ at wide receiver.
It is a young wide receivers room for the Scarlet Knights and one where it would surprise no one to see Rochelle wrestle away a starting role by the time spring is over. Wide receivers coach Dave Brock, who spent the last five years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, has a relatively clean slate to work from this year.
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The top three producing wide receivers left this offseason, meaning players like Rochelle will be counted on to step up into major roles this spring and potentially for the fall.
“I go back to production. So he played running back, he played receiver, I think I saw him in some Wildcat (and) direct snap stuff. I think he returned punts,” Brock said.”Again, in my mind, I look at that and if I’m evaluating him, I’m saying ‘OK, here’s a guy that we’re trying to figure out a way to get him to touch the ball.’ He’s good with the ball so how can we create some of those opportunities and then train him how to be a functional player at receiver Because now he’s a receiver, he’s not in the backfield or any of those things.
“And he’s done a really nice job. He’s athletic, he has got body quickness, he’s tough – all the things you would expect from somebody who carries the ball. He’s been here and he’s made plays so he is going to have genuine confidence in terms of what he is doing and how he is trying to do it.
“So I’ve enjoyed it, it is just a matter now of trying to build on to what he has done and see what he is going to be good at.”
Last season as a freshman, he had 127 yards of total offense for Rutgers.
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