Tailback Ken Malcome is on track for success with Bulldogs
Georgia's Ken Malcome has embraced his role on the team as a power runner who 'can carry the load.' (UGA photo by Rob Saye)
ATHENS – This past summer, Ken Malcome said he hoped Georgia fans would call him by his hometown nickname of “Boo.” Less than a year later, Malcome has put the kibosh on that.
“I actually kind of stopped that,” Malcome said this past week. “Next year if I have a good year, I’ll let people call me that. I figured I haven’t done anything so I don’t deserve to be called Boo yet. I’ve told everybody just to call me Ken for now.”
Silly as it may seem, such a proclamation is just another sign of the tremendous growth in maturity the Bulldogs are observing in Malcome. The soon-to-be redshirt sophomore from Decatur started at tailback for the No. 1 offense in the G-Day Game this past Saturday. Not even six months before that, Malcome sat in coach Mark Richt’s office informing him of his intention to transfer due to a lack of playing time and general unhappiness.
“I don’t know for sure how he’s going to finish, but he’s on a great track right now,” Richt said of Malcome after the G-Day Game. “It does my heart good to see guys that are struggling, that don’t think they can make it, that maybe make a mistake that’s foolish and they just think it’s over. And then they stick it out; they decide to do it ‘the Georgia way;’ and then all of the sudden you see how good a guy can be; and then you all of the sudden you see him get confidence and you’re happy for them.
“Ken has really blossomed for us, as a football player and as a student and as a person. I’m just real happy for him.”
It’s hard to ignore Malcome’s progress. Here’s what has happened with him since deciding to quit the team the week before the Mississippi State game in late September:
- He ended up starting the two of the last three games of the seasons and played in six overall, finishing with 174 yards on 42 carries.
- He led the Bulldogs with 51 yards rushing on 12 carries against Michigan State in the Outback Bowl and would’ve had more if he hadn’t been sidelined with concussion;
- He played extensively in the SEC Championship game and finished with 37 yards on five carries and caught a 17-yard pass;
- He got his first career start in his hometown against Georgia Tech. He ended up with just 39 yards on 12 carries but had some critical first-down runs in short-yardage situations late to help preserve the victory.
Accordingly, Malcome didn’t turn in a jaw-dropping performance in the G-Day Game, totaling 32 yards on 8 carries. But he scored two touchdowns and Malcome’s work came against a stout No. 1 Georgia defense. He did a lot of small things well, which continued to draw the praise of coaches and teammates.
“Ken Malcome ran hard and ran through some tackles on both touchdown runs,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “It’s hard to get any running room when you’re using 21 personnel groupings and doing different things with your tight ends and fullbacks. But I saw some creases, I saw him run the ball hard and make some guys miss.”
Said Richt: “Malcome had a run on third-and-one-or-two and he hit the right side and there was nothing there and he either spun off or cut back and just kind of knocked it out and got the first down. Those are the kind of tough yards you’ve got to get to move the chains.”
Understanding what the Bulldogs are expecting out of him has been half the battle for Malcome. After a redshirt year, Malcome found himself bowed up and determined to prove he could be everything to everybody when Isaiah Crowell came in this past summer with the tag as the nation’s No. 1 running back prospect.
Georgia has since added to that number, bringing in the nation’s top back for the second straight year in Keith Marshall, recruiting another highly-touted back in Todd Gurley and keeping Richard Samuel at tailback. But instead of being disillusioned by the situation, Malcome has decided to get better at what the coaches are asking him to do. Now it sounds as if Malcome has adopted the team concept and can see where he fits in, now and in the future.
“I think what I bring to the backfield is I can carry the load,” said the 6-foot, 226-pound bruiser. “I’m a power back and that’s what I plan to be. I know my strengths and weaknesses and that’s what I do. We’ve got a lot of people that have speed and other things. I know what I can do and I’m going to stick to it. I’m trying not to do too much; just go out there and do what Coach tells me to do.”
That is not to say that Malcome is suddenly a mild-mannered, shrinking violet. He still carries himself with the bravado and swagger that characterized his personality as a star running back at Southwest DeKalb. It just has been re-channeled after 18 months of trial and tribulation as just one of many elite athletes at a powerhouse program.
“The motto this year is to be the best backfield in America,” said Malcome, his braggadocio fully intact. “I think we’ve got some time to go before we can say that, but I definitely see the potential for us being the backfield that ESPN and everybody’s talking about. But we’ve got to keep working. We’ve got to cut out the mistakes and other things like that. But that’s why we practice and if we keep it up I really believe we’ll be the best backfield in the nation.”
And maybe if all goes well, Malcome will feel worthy again of being called “Boo.”
– Chip Towers, The UGA Blog
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158 comments Add your comment
The Honorable Bobby Petrino
April 18th, 2012
9:49 am
And we criticize UGA and Mark Richt, LOL:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/uga/arkansas-player-charged-with-1420942.html
The Honorable Bobby Petrino
April 18th, 2012
9:56 am
The good news is I have insured a spot at the top of the Fulmer Cup Hall of Fame!
Jax Falcon/Dog Fan
April 18th, 2012
10:00 am
One of the Tech bloggers suggested that Boo might want to transfer to another school because he is ruining his chances of making it to the pros. I seem to remember a seldom used back by the name of Terrell Davis who seemed to pick up the pro game fairly well after his college days in Athens.
We all know that the running backs we have would be welcomed on any team in the nation. Now if the offensive linemen could get that same notoriety, THEN we’re talkin’.
kingdaddy
April 18th, 2012
10:02 am
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s a great year to be a Doggie ..n
LogicalUS
April 18th, 2012
10:11 am
Geez…why does the AJC do this to the short bus UGA fans?
142 yrds in three games is now translated to a guaranteed NFL back and something for SEC teans to worry about? Good lord.
Hades, that Lattimore kid is averaging that against UGA in just the 4th Q along the last two years and Trent Richardson would do the same, yet any first down run by UGA RB gets a full blown article on the AJC.
No wonder UGA is now widely known at the perennial preseason MNC winners and their fans believe the nonsense.
This is almost as bad as the Samuel is going to be a bigger, faster Richardson\Lattimore who other teams will be scared to tackle nonsense from last year.
UGA Insider
April 18th, 2012
10:17 am
UGA is installing a run-first offense this season. That’s why Hines Ward in hanging around so much……We are going to look allot like the Pittsburgh Steelers. All UGA is going to do is run and play defense…….
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
10:23 am
It is much more about seeing his ability and using your brain than looking at statistics. That is the knock on GT grads you know.
Name some other great running backs in history who didn’t score touchdowns and barely averaged 4 yards per carry.
BigTimeTechFan
April 18th, 2012
10:25 am
Jimmy Johnson to coach Arkansas?
DawginLex
April 18th, 2012
10:28 am
Illogical idiot
i don’t believe Malcome is a sure fire NFL prospect.
I believe he should get credit for not quitting.
I believe he should get an opportunity to compete for a spot now that he has paid his dues.
That being said, I don’t believe he is elite. I believe Crowell and Marshall are elite and will get the most yards this year. Malcome will probably get about 300 yards while Crowell will get over 1,000 and Marshall will come pretty close to that.
No one believes what you type.
Why? Because you are an idiot and you lie about UGA and its fanbase.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
10:32 am
I seem to remember a seldom used back by the name of Terrell Davis who seemed to pick up the pro game fairly well after his college days in Athens.
Terrell Davis had 317 attempts at UGA. 167 in one season. That isn’t exactly the definition of seldom used. I doubt Malcome will run the ball half as much as Davis did.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
10:36 am
Malcome will probably get about 300 yards while Crowell will get over 1,000 and Marshall will come pretty close to that.
You really think Crowell, Marshall, and Malcome are going to have 2300 yards between the three of them? That would be more then the entire UGA team had last year.
HapevilleDawg
April 18th, 2012
10:45 am
I like Ken Boo Malcome and all but when it comes to playing time in august, you know they won’t be able to red shirt a player who names Keith Marshal…i won’t be surprised if he is playing with No 1 team but of course Isiah Crowell is the man right now.
DawginLex
April 18th, 2012
10:52 am
We averaged 170 yards per game rushing last year. I expect the same or more which is around 2,400 yards
Crowell-1,000
Marshall-750(I said Marshall will come close to 1,000)
Malcome-300
Leaves plenty of yards for fullbacks and QB
CHDawg
April 18th, 2012
10:56 am
GTBob…I can name a lot if we are only talking about their freshman year! Wake up, man.
TOO TOUGH44
April 18th, 2012
11:09 am
Punish the opposing teams K-BOO! Go DAWGS!
RedandBlackDawg
April 18th, 2012
11:11 am
Malcome could be the guy to get you those few tough yards when you need them. He appears to be a load to bring down, and if he can pop through a hole, it would seem to be stupid to try and arm tackle him. He needs to not fall back into fumbling at times like he did last year, but so far, the 2012 version of Malcome seems to have left that behind him. He will most likely be #2 behind Crowell, which should give him at least 15 carries on average per game. Marshall will get some carries and possibly even Gurley, once he is on campus. Harton will also see a few carries a game, so there should never be a time, we have a winded or wounded back on the field.
Now, if our OL starts gelling as a unit in the fall, the running game should be able to account for at least 50% of the offensive plays, and keep UGA from becoming too one dimensional. This will help the QB, ball control and keep the defense fresh, as they have the ability to be lights out.
Spike 80DF
April 18th, 2012
11:13 am
you don’t have to be a super star first teamer in college to make it in the NFL, just look at Danny Ware….hard working team player.
kingdaddy
April 18th, 2012
11:14 am
Morning Lex,
and trolls….. First I.C. has to prove he can stay on the field. Second, Marshall has never had a SEC lineman or defender try to take his head off. Boo has proved he can take a lickin and keep on tickin. What makes an elite player, stats, 40 time, blood-lines??? No my friends, it’s a little more complicated. How many 4/5* recruits don’t make it to the big-times? I don’t know much, but I would rather have a kid with HEART, an Iron Will or Drive that motivates him to become better everyday. Give me a humble kid with heart and loyalty, who resist smoking pot or stealing from team-mates. Give me a fighter, someone that hasn’t been pampered all their life. Give me Ken Boo Malcome…
RedandBlackDawg
April 18th, 2012
11:17 am
UGA Insider,
I would be interested where you came up with that mostly running the ball analogy. UGA will never run the ball at a 70/30% clip, no matter who the RB’s are. That is the definition of one dimensional, and will not work in the SEC. 50/50% maybe, but against SEC defenses, you had better have more than just a running game. Ask LSU how that worked against Alabama in the NC game. They didn’t have a QB they trusted enough, so they tried running the whole game for the most part and see where it got them.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
11:25 am
Give me a humble kid with heart and loyalty, who resist smoking pot or stealing from team-mates.
Ken Malcome was suspended for a game last year for smoking pot. I guess he isn’t what you are looking for.
kingdaddy
April 18th, 2012
11:26 am
If you are a hater from another school, please just give it a rest. You do not want what is best for our school. If you have something constructive to say, that’s great. There’s a lot of people from other schools with really good input, but if you just want to critize just for the sake of starting a blog fight, just put a sock in it. Save it. Use your brain for something other than a battering-ram. Oh yeah, grow up…
GT BOB and CPJ
April 18th, 2012
11:33 am
Paul Johnson is on the hot seat. Funny thing is however, his recruiting is always ranked around 56th best in the nation and this next recruiting class of 2013 it will be 57th or 59th, so it will not hurt their recruiting becaus, they really never are in the hunt for blue chips. Yes, GT will get one or two blue chips every two or three years, especially when Chan The Man ran the show but the brilliant Tech Fund Boys allowed him to get gone ………………4 bowl losses in a row NOW have them in a lather;I hear around the Waffle House.
CPJ will be gone by 2013 1/2 or 2014. It will turn very ugly over at The Flats around Turkey Day.
Brainiac
April 18th, 2012
11:34 am
@ Kyle:
Easy there Bro!!!
You got so excited that you are confused. Boo ain’t going to “Hit the WHOLES well against our first team OFFENSE” He certainly “Hit the HOLES wella gainst our first team DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!
It EXSIGHTS me two!!!
Just funning Bro!! Kiyle = DGD
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
11:40 am
CPJ will be gone by 2013 1/2 or 2014. It will turn very ugly over at The Flats around Turkey Day.
Sorry, we are not very eager to fire the winningest coach at GT since Bobby Dodd. He would have to go like 2-10 this year and if he does that I will help him clean out his office.
Brainiac
April 18th, 2012
11:41 am
@ Red and Black Dawg:
Don’t leave out Richard Samuels. He can move the pile and is faster than Boo but apparently will always be a straight ahead runner!!!!!!!!!!
kingdaddy
April 18th, 2012
11:44 am
Bob
he hit the bottom and could have given up, but he didn’t. Tell me Bob, are you perfect? You ev er make a mistake and then give up? You love to twist things around just to be antagonistic. Because he’s a DGD you want others to see him in a negative light. He fell down and then pulled himself back-up. You know this, but you’re always working the physchological warfare angle. You been one of the haters on the UGA blogs that only has one theme, Ga. Sux… It has gotten stale and I like you but take your opinion with a grain of salt. You want to hate me for being a Doggie on a Dawg site, think how that makes you look to everyone that reads these post. Think they believe you or me???
bubba4dawgs
April 18th, 2012
11:47 am
So glad Malcome is back!! He’s a good running back with power and that’s what the DAWGS need! He and Samuel offer a lot in the power running game. What a good thing to have him, Crowell, Samuel and Marshall. Let’s not forget Scott Wellesley either! The DAWGS are stacked! They have the potential to be the best running backs group in the country! We just need the OL to help make it all happen! GO DAWGS!!
UGA Envy!
April 18th, 2012
11:52 am
GT BOB: your info must be from the tabs. KM was suspended because he was leaving the program and decided to come back hours later. Also, he was a frosh last season, give the kid a chance and UGA will be laughing at U. I see why you are unemployeed and sitting in you moms basement making cracks at kids.
UGA gets slack from other powerhouse programs for allowing TECH to be on our schedule each year. Not saying we defend your weak program but we have no defesense when this point is brought up.
over/under
April 18th, 2012
11:53 am
tech may get 8k fans to the annual scrimage this season?
kingdaddy
April 18th, 2012
11:56 am
Brainiac
R. Samuel made me LMAO during the spring g-day game. The defenders eyes were as big as sausers when they saw him rolling their way with the ball. LOL, nobody wanted to tackle him. He was fast enough to get to the corner and the DBs do not want anything to do with R.S. Also, several other backs looked good ca5ching the ball out of the backfield and I hope Bobo took note…
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
11:59 am
UGA gets slack from other powerhouse programs for allowing TECH to be on our schedule each year. Not saying we defend your weak program but we have no defesense when this point is brought up.
By all means, remove us from your schedule then. If there is anything in college football that needs to end, its the UGA/GT game.
Top Dawg
April 18th, 2012
11:59 am
Watched the spring game, and I saw no reason to believe we will win more than 9 games this season. South Carolina was more impressive, and I really worry about going to Columbia and facing both them and Missouri. Vandy also was super impressive, with Franklin doing a great job rebuilding the ‘Dores. Call me cautious, but I would rather be pessimistic and be surprised than to be optimistic and be let down by another CMR underacheiving team.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
12:02 pm
he hit the bottom and could have given up, but he didn’t.
A little over dramatization there don’t ya think? He is a kid playing football, not a wounded war hero. The only reason he even played was because of Crowell and Samuel’s injury problems. I will make the bold prediction that he will choose to transfer after this season. He made the same mistake that Logan Grey made, but at least he has a little more time to correct it.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
12:03 pm
tech may get 8k fans to the annual scrimage this season?
To the spring game? If 8k losers with nothing else to do show up.
SEC Football Morning Coffee: Jessica Dorrell Reaches Settlement | SEC Football
April 18th, 2012
12:06 pm
[...] running back Ken Malcome is back on track following spring practice, according to Chip Towers of the Atlanta [...]
DawginLex
April 18th, 2012
12:34 pm
So GTBob, friends and family of current players and other supporters of GT football are losers?
News | MrSEC
April 18th, 2012
12:41 pm
[...] out a two-way strategy for the wideout/corner.4. Tailback Ken “Boo” Malcome is on track for success this fall.5. John Calipari will have to mold a new bunch of all-starts into a team-first unit next [...]
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
12:47 pm
So GTBob, friends and family of current players and other supporters of GT football are losers?
Friends and Family, no. You get a pass if you are supporting a loved one. Supporters, yes. If you have nothing better to do on a Friday night except watch a football team play itself then you are a bit of a loser.
brick
April 18th, 2012
12:50 pm
I really have to tip my hat to Tech, they don’t have a single player on their roster that could make our 2 deep, but get fired up to play us every year and stay within a couple of scores most of the time.
DawgInaTruck
April 18th, 2012
12:53 pm
Two questions Lex:
1-How do you think our stable of backs will share the load this year and/or who do you see carrying th majority of that load?
2-What do you think about our prospects this year?
Barring injury I see Crowell, Samuel and Malcome providing us with a three-pronged attack most of the time with Marshall and Gurley being worked in carefully. A lot of folks criticized Crowell last year(unfairly in my opinion some of the time) but I believe he is a perfect example of what asking too much of a true freshman will get you in the SEC.
Prospects-Normally I am very pessimistic this time of year but I am cautiously optimistic/bordering on excited about this team.
GTBob
April 18th, 2012
1:02 pm
I really have to tip my hat to Tech, they don’t have a single player on their roster that could make our 2 deep, but get fired up to play us every year and stay within a couple of scores most of the time.
This I agree with. I have always found it amazing that GT can keep the game somewhat competitive with 1/20th of the talent UGA has.
Rico
April 18th, 2012
1:25 pm
New Practice facility ? University of Wyoming has one. Fire the President !
SugarHillDawg
April 18th, 2012
1:41 pm
King Daddy, I don’t and I won’t prove my bona fides to you BUT I will. I was a lifelong dawg fan before I graduated from there back in 88. It’s fans like you who guarantee us being nothing but average.If Malcome was worth a damn we would’ve seen it by now.You need to take off the rose colored glasses and quit the Mark Richt fan club and embrace reality.
Josh
April 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
Preseason, blah blah, UGA running back, blah blah, high expectations, blah blah, season starts, blah blah, rules violation, blah blah, suspensions, blah blah, off season, blah blah, repeat year after year.
Contractor
April 18th, 2012
2:12 pm
Glad to see Ken is doing well. You can only start to think bad things when transferring talk comes up and that a player will never regain their form or hit their potential, leading towards a downward spiral in life. But it is awesome to hear that Ken is getting it together, maximizing the potential given to him and making the best decisions to find his way to the top of the list in the backfield. The picture used in this article is pretty inspiring and he looks good in that Georgia uniform, like you would picture a good football player looking suited up and all. Keep up the hard work, because the competition will not stop, and they’ll want it even more when they realize you’re on top and they aren’t.
7576DAWG
April 18th, 2012
2:15 pm
Samuels will be at fullback with Ogletree and Crowell, Malcome,Marshall and Gurley will play Tailback. All will get plenty of carries. How many times has a running back at Georgia gone an entire season and didn’t miss 2 to 5 games because of a foot , a knee , concussion, or hand injury. We need all the great backs we can get because to have a successful balance attack if one of our running backs go down the production from the next guy can’t fall off , any.
Richt is really liking our defense which could be dominate like Alabama’s was last year in the championship game and with this many great running backs we are set up to have a great year. The biggest thing that Bobo needs to make sure of is that Murray doesn’t turn the ball over. With a great defense not making mistakes will be enough to win the close ones.
Contractor
April 18th, 2012
2:27 pm
7576DAWG,
I agree with your post, but I think Bobo’s biggest problem he needs to face is not sitting on a three point lead in the first half and continuing to beat down opposing defenses and putting points on the board. I feel as if he takes his foot off the pedal, making the defense work extra hard, and in the end we were relying on a kicker that couldn’t be relied on. Murray is turnover prone, but he is also in situations where he is forced to make things happen, which is usually when Bobo is playing catchup since he turned the heat off due to a small lead.
Chris Mike
April 18th, 2012
2:28 pm
Malcom has come on strong. But lets not kid our selves IC will be the starter and Ken will back up. IC has G.Hearst like quality and Ken is R. Hampton as best.
Hey Hey Hey We're the Monkees
April 18th, 2012
2:34 pm
Chris Mike
We hope that Malcome is as good as Hampton. Rodney Hampton was a first round draft pick. I think one year he averaged around 7 ypc at UGA.
Castle Pines Canine
April 18th, 2012
6:34 pm
My favorite Malcome story is when he came into the SEC championship game and the fans called his name Boo, everyone thought it was the fans booing Crowell.