Nobody saw James Starks coming when the playoffs began. He hadn’t started a game since his junior year of college. He hardly played since then because of injuries.
So when the rookie ran for 123 yards in the opening round, even the Packers were a bit stunned.
“Nothing should be a surprise in this league,” said Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. “But I’d say it has been interesting as to how it has been revealed.”
The 24-year-old rookie from the University of Buffalo has come out of nowhere to rescue the Packers’ running attack and help power them to Super Bowl XLV. Before his breakout performance in the wild-card round in Philadelphia, Starks hadn’t started a game since the International Bowl after his junior season in Buffalo, almost exactly two years earlier.
He was highly regarded then, Buffalo’s all-time leading rusher and considered a possible second- or third-rounder. That was before he tore his shoulder and missed his senior season, which sent him plummeting to the sixth round.
The Packers took a chance on him there, but it didn’t look like it was going to pay off. Starks tore a hamstring during their rookie minicamp and ended up on the physically unable to perform list. He very nearly landed on season-ending injured reserve.
“We were kidding around before the San Francisco game, his first game (Dec.5), like we’ve never even seen James Starks get tackled,” Philbin said. “It’s kind of unique – a brave new world the first time he went out there.”
Starks rushed 18 times for 73 yards that day in a reserve role, but he earned only 11 more regular-season carries. The truth is the Packers had no idea what they had in the 6-2, 218-pounder.
“He looked like if we needed a back-up down the stretch he was a better option than anyone that was on our emergency board,” Packers GM Ted Thompson said.
That’s essentially what he was until just before the playoffs began. On Starks’ first run in the NFC wild-card game in Philadelphia, he broke through the line for 27 yards.
“I think it is clearly evident to everybody to see the player that he can be,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “Everything is in front of him.”
Including the Super Bowl.
“When you get an opportunity to go out there and be successful and prove everybody wrong,” said Starks, “I just get a thrill out of that.”
