A (Rashaad) Penny for Detroit Lions' thoughts at running back? Maybe

MOBILE, Ala. — Rashaad Penny led the NCAA with 2,248 yards rushing last season, and finished with one of the five most productive seasons in major college football history.

But when it came time to hand out the postseason awards, Penny’s name was nowhere on the list.

He wasn’t invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony – two running backs, Stanford’s Bryce Love and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, finished ahead of Penny in the voting – and he was an afterthought for the Doak Walker Award for the nation's best running back.

So before San Diego State’s bowl game, Aztecs coach Rocky Long decided to surprise Penny with his own award.

“Our head coach told us to meet in the auditorium, and then he just played a Heisman presentation and then gave the definition of a Heisman, which said it awarded the best player in college football," Penny said Tuesday. "So all my teammates voted and they recognized that I was the best college football player. So I got that and it was amazing because of all the guys that supported me.”

Whether Penny was the best player in college football or not, he’s considered one of the top running backs in a deep draft at the position, and this week he has a chance to boost his stock with a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

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A backup to his cousin, three-time 1,600-yard rusher Donnel Pumphrey, early in his career, Penny took over as San Diego State’s feature back last season.

He amassed 289 carries, scored 23 touchdowns, more than doubled his 2016 rushing total (1,018 yards) was the biggest reason the Aztecs won 10 games.

“It was definitely fun being the feature back,” Penny said. “I never had the opportunity before, so getting that many carries was definitely fun. I felt like I got stronger throughout the game.”

Penny said his rushing style is a mix of Arian Foster and Ezekiel Elliott, and his workhorse potential could interest a running back-needy team like the Lions.

The Lions finished last in the NFL in rushing last season, and their struggles were especially evident in short-yardage situations.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said earlier this month that he “absolutely” plans to add help at the running back position this offseason.

While Barkley projects as a top-10 pick who won't be around when the Lions are on the clock, and other backs like LSU's Derrius Guice and USC's Ronald Jones are considered superior prospects by NFL scouts, Penny said he expects to prove doubters wrong in the NFL like another small-school back, Toledo's Kareem Hunt, did as a mid-round pick with the Kansas City Chiefs this season.

Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 yards rushing as a rookie.

"Most definitely," Penny said. "Kareem Hunt did it, so why not?"

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!