James Aston is triple threat for Kat offense
10/25/2009 9:15:00 AM | Football
By Cody Stark, Huntsville Item
Moving into the top 10 in Sam Houston State career all-purpose yards in a season-and-a-half, Bearkat running back James Aston has established himself as one of the top players in the Southland Conference.
The senior from Katy is one of the most exciting players to watch when the ball is in his hands, but it isn't just his running ability that makes him such a dangerous weapon in the Bearkats' arsenal.
He can catch and he also happens to be the league's top kick returner. Yes, Aston can do it all.
"He is a luxury," Sam Houston offensive coordinator James Ferguson said. "It is just a forgone conclusion that he is going to play hard, first of all. He doesn't make mistakes and he is very competitive. He is going to do what he needs to do for us to be successful.
"When you call his number, you know you have a chance to do something big."
Aston has been doing big things for the Bearkats, but his journey to Huntsville is a little off the beaten path.
An all-state wrestler and the most valuable player of the 2003 Class 5A Division I state championship game after leading Katy High School past Southlake Carroll, Aston originally signed to play both sports at Ohio State.
But after a year in Columbus, Ohio, Aston was ready for a change.
"It has been a long journey to find my way here to Huntsville, but I really cherish the experience I had at Ohio State," Aston said. "It is a top-notch program there and I was around a lot of great athletes and coaches. It was just tough being a two-sport athlete, so after I went through it a year, I decided to be just a one-sport athlete.
"I have a little bit more fun with the explosiveness of football, so I chose it. I wanted to come back closer to home near my family and friends and Huntsville was the place for me."
But there were also a couple of brief stops before Aston found his way to Sam Houston State. He originally transferred to Texas State, but a lot of his hours didn't transfer and he wasn't eligible.
That forced him to go to Houston Community College for a semester to get enough credits to get back into school.
Once Aston got things on track, he enrolled at Sam Houston. He was forced to sit out the 2007 season, but the wait was about to be worth it.
As a junior in 2008, Aston, who is Katy's all-time leading rusher (4,634 yards), exploded onto the scene. He rushed for 886 yards on 169 carries (5.23 yards a carry) and scored 11 touchdowns. He also caught 41 passes for 326 yards and three more scores.
Aston is on pace to do even better this season.
He is second in the SLC in rushing (478 yards) and his tied for first with eight touchdowns on the ground. He is second on the Bearkats in receptions (20) and third in receiving yards (227) to go along with another score.
But it has been his kick returning that has elevated him to another level. Aston has accumulated 441 yards on 16 returns, which is a league-leading average of 27.6 yards. He also ran a kick back 89 yards for a score in a loss at Southeastern Louisiana on Oct. 17. It was the first return for a touchdown by a Bearkat in three years.
"I try to bring anything to this team that I can to win," said Aston, who leads the SLC in all-purpose yards (1,146). "When I was young, my dad always emphasized that you have to do it all as a running back. There are a lot of running backs that can just run. I try to make sure I'm a great blocker, a great receiver and a great runner out of the backfield.
"Last year, they put me back there as returner because they needed someone to hold on to the ball. I decided to take that more seriously this year because I can help the team out in that area."
In his two seasons at Sam Houston, the running back has rolled up career totals of 1,364 yards rushing, 553 pass receiving and 636 in kickoff returns for a total of 2,553 all-purpose yards. He is 447 yards away from becoming one of only six
Bearkats to post a career total of 3,000 all-purpose yards. Tony January (1978-82) holds the school career record with 4,614 yards.
At first glance, Aston doesn't look like he would be as elusive as he is. He is 5-foot-8 and weighs a little over 200 pounds. But he looks like he was chiseled out of stone.
Aston's biceps are the size of the football he cradles and protects like a baby in his arms. So one would think that he would be a bruiser, relying on his brute strength to pick up extra yards.
But he is deceptively fast and can turn on a dime. Just when a defender thinks he has Aston in his sights, one move and the running back is in the open field.
"Guys always under estimate what I can do," Aston said. "Just last game, I caught a swing route out in the flats and the corner sat on me thinking I was going to run right at him. A gave him a step and ran right around him.
"A lot of people see me as short and thicker and think I'm going to run you over as more of a power back. So I definitely think I'm deceptive in that aspect."
