Couch: Nick Tompkins endures as MSU's forgotten running back
EAST LANSING – On a Michigan State roster flush with possibilities at running back, Nick Tompkins, a 5-foot-9, 178-pound fifth-year senior, is not among them.
That surprises Furman offensive lineman Jackson Buonamia, who remembers Tompkins as the fastest football player he’s ever seen run.
“I’ve gotten to see a lot of different levels of speed. I’ve played against LSU,” Buonamia said.
And he’s played with Tompkins — in middle school, then high school at Brookwood in Snellville, Georgia. They’ll be on the same field again Friday night, when Furman visits MSU.
“I’ve been blocking for him for a long time,” Buonamia said. “He was definitely on every play in my (recruiting) highlight tape. The first 10 plays are him scoring touchdowns.”
Tompkins found the end zone 33 times in his final two seasons in high school. He rushed for 1,845 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry during his junior season alone, leading Snellville to a state championship.
Since arriving in East Lansing, he’s carried the ball six times for 16 yards. All in one game, eons ago as a redshirt freshman against Youngstown State.
MSU’s depth chart at running back is either an effort to make sure no one’s feelings get hurt or truly a logjam. Sophomores LJ Scott and Madre London and junior Gerald Holmes are all capitalized and bolded — all starters. Then there’s one more running back, Tompkins.
“It’s been very tough, very hard,” Tompkins said.
This was not the role he envisioned or that MSU envisioned for him. After all, the Spartans chose Tompkins over Indiana-turned-Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman in the same class.
“I’m surprised,” Buonamia said. “I understand he is definitely a smaller running back, and I had no idea what a running back was supposed to look like when I was in high school. I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten more playing time.
“He was by far the best player I played with. And, when we were in all-star games in high school, he was still understood as the best player on the field.”
Tompkins could have transferred and tried to find a better football fit — though at the diva positions in college football, the difference between Big Ten and mid-major athletes is often minimal, if at all.
“I had talked to my parents,” Tompkins said. “But I had to think about the whole picture, not just football. The grass is not always greener.”
The NCAA should consider using Tompkins in its commercials about 99 percent of its student-athletes going pro in something other than sports. He is an example of an athlete who doesn’t see college football as the entire college experience.
“I’ve got a lot of love for my teammates, I’ve got a lot of great relationships here. Also, I was able to get my sales minor this past year,” Tompkins said.
“I’ve made a lot of connections within (the sales program). It’s just a fit. We’ve got a huge fan base, a lot of alumni, so you get a lot of opportunities. I wanted to make sure I got my degree and I graduated from Michigan State, because it’s going to benefit me in the future and long run.”
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Tompkins has come to the realization that his future is not playing football. It would take a rash of injuries for him to see time in the backfield at any point this season, beyond perhaps mop-up duty. As of the time of this interview, he wasn’t starting on any special teams, either.
His best chance might have been in 2013, but he was injured early, and Jeremy Langford took it from there.
Tompkins switched positions. Tried cornerback. Picked off a pass in his only action at corner, two years ago against Jacksonville State.
“They just felt that tailback was still going to be the best fit for me so they moved me back after my third year,” Tompkins said. “I’m trying to grind it out, just work as hard as I can out on the field when I get my opportunity, whether it’s playing special teams or running back. I’m really just trying to finish out my commitment to Michigan State and finish off strong.”
Most of his game action has come against two Football Championship Subdivision opponents, Youngstown and Jacksonville State. Maybe that means a few carries are coming his way Friday against FCS-foe Furman.
At the very least, he’ll see an old friend, Buonamia. They nearly met up last summer in New York, where Buonamia was interning for Bank of America (he’ll begin working for them as a corporate bond trader next summer).
Buonamia still keeps tabs on Tompkins, hearing of spring game highlights, hoping his old friend will break through.
“When we were in high school, if he got a 10-yard hole or a little gap, he was gone,” Buonamia said. “No one could beat him to the sidelines. And if he got to the corner, he’s gone.”
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.
