It was not enough that running back Diocemy Saint Juste rushed for 1,006 yards in 2016 or averaged 3.6 yards after contact or caught a team-best 80 percent of the passes when he was the primary target.
He also wanted to raise the barre.
“I took ballet,” he said. “It helped with flexibility. It was nice. It opened my mind to a whole different kind of athleticism. It was a lot harder than it looked. It was a completely different flexibility. It helped me out with football.”
Saint Juste, who was raised in Florida, developed skills necessary to become a versatile back. At Santaluces High, he ran 40 yards in 4.42 seconds and 100 meters in 10.8 seconds. At UH, he discovered his quadriceps were stronger than his hamstrings. “I overcompensated,” he said of the condition that led to tightness and pulls in his legs.
After missing the 2015 season because of a hamstring injury suffered during training camp, Saint Juste increased his fluid intake and adopted stretching routines before workouts and practices. The Warriors also went with a three-back rotation last year to spread the workload. Saint Juste averaged 6.1 yards per carry and had 10 rushes of at least 20 yards.
“Every time he’s in, he’s trying to make the big play,” offensive coordinator Brian Smith said. “He has the ability to do that. He has all the tools to do everything we need on an everyday basis. He blocks a lot better than people think. He’s explosive. Speed wise, he has good quickness and vision. There’s a lot that makes him dangerous in our offense.”
This year’s blueprint is to increase Saint Juste’s usage. He averaged 14.4 touches per game in 2016. He was a pass target only 10 times in 12 games. Saint Juste has been told he will remain in the game in short-shortage situations. He did not score a touchdown in 13 red-zone carries.
“Dee brings some quickness and some burst,” head coach Nick Rolovich said. “It’s not like he can’t be a short-yardage back. I think he’ll be a great short-yardage back.”
Rolovich is well aware of Saint Juste’s elusiveness.
“I tried to recruit him when I was at Nevada,” Rolovich said. “Then I was going to take the job at Temple, and I called him and tried to recruit him there. Then I recruited him back to Nevada. He was like, ‘Hey, Coach, I don’t know what’s going on here.’”
After accepting the UH coaching job in November 2016, Rolovich said, “I got to coach him.”
Saint Juste is admittedly a “private” person who rarely displays outbursts. But during a drill in training camp, Saint Juste scolded a teammate for not running at full speed. “Those things are important from a leader,” Rolovich said.
SCOUTING REPORT: RUNNING BACKS
Diocemy Saint Juste was the most productive piece in a three-back rotation last year. With the departure of speed back Paul Harris and short-yardage grinder Steven Lakalaka, Saint Juste will assume a bigger role as receiver and red-zone runner. Ryan Tuiasoa added muscle and trimmed body fat thanks to extra workouts and his sister Pua’s menu. Freddie Holly III used a redshirt year to fully comprehend the offense. He’s had a terrific preseason. Elijah Dale, a walk-on from City College of San Franciso, has surprised with his multiple skills. Miles Reed, who draws comparisons to Michael Brewster, and Hekili Keliiliki, who is the latest in a line of plus-sized backs, might get work this freshman year.
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RUNNING BACKS
22 | Diocemy Saint Juste | 5-8 | 200 | Sr. | Boynton Beach, Fla.
48 | Ryan Tuiasoa | 5-11 | 210 | Sr. | Kailua
21 | Freddie Holly | 6-0 | 210 | Fr. | Riverside, Calif.
25 | Elijah Dale | 5-10 | 210 | Jr. | San Francisco
26 | Miles Reed | 5-8 | 190 | Fr. | Corona, Calif.
44 | Hekili Keliiliki | 6-2 | 225 | Fr. | Bentonville, Ark.
