Sampson James a Perfect Example of What Fuels Indiana's Turnaround

Sampson James could have played college football just about anywhere, but he chose Indiana to stay home and make things better. He proved that on Saturday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — He stood outside the tiny visitor's locker room at Ross-Ade Stadium with a walking boot on his foot and a smile on his face.

That was all Sampson James needed, really. After a job well done, the boot was nothing more than a nuisance after he got his ankle rolled up on during the Old Oaken Bucket game against Purdue. 

It was no big deal. The smile, though, that's a whole other story.

It took 12 games for the spotlight to shine brightly on the 4-start recruit from Avon, Ind. Stevie Scott, Indiana's starting running back, couldn't go because of a lower leg injury, so James got his first start of the year.

All he did was rush for 118 yards on 22 carries, and run the ball hard on every down. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back made the most of his day in the sun — or, more accurately, the clouds and cold, spitting rain.

Next man up? Yep, that was Sampson James. And he was more than ready. 

And why? Because that's how it works at Indiana these days.

Always being ready to play

A lot has been made all year about Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey repeatedly coming off the bench to rescue the Hoosiers after a Michael Penix Jr. injury. He's been praised for always being ready, for preparing diligently in the weight room and the film room every week, even if there's little chance of playing time.

Well, he's not alone.

That's the mindset at Indiana now under Tom Allen, where everyone is all-in together. It's all about helping the team, even if that means working hard every day, day after day, week after week, month after month, just waiting for your chance.

That's what James did. He's worked his tail off since arriving in Bloomington in January, just waiting for his number to be called. And when Indiana needed to win the Old Oaken Bucket, he delivered. 

“This means everything to me. It just shows how hard work pays off,'' James said. "I’ve worked hard in he weight room, on the field, on our own. You have to be ready for your chance, and It definitely paid off.

“I've just been learning all I can. Stevie, he’s an amazing back, and he tells me everything, and since January he’s been helping me. I’ve just been practicing hard, doing what I was doing in the weight room, and when my opportunity came up, I took advantage.’’

That's the thing that is so impressive about this team. Stevie Scott does all he can to help James be a better running back. It doesn't matter that James might take his job one day, because it's all about the greater good. 

It was the same with Ramsey. He was the starting quarterback, but when Penix beat him out, he didn't sulk. Sure, he was disappointed, but he kept on working, And when Penix went down — all three times — he was ready. That's just how the culture is at Indiana these days.

“I felt like I was ready,'' James said. "I had a good week of practice. I studied a lot, and made sure I was prepared for every situation. I felt like I could do some damage.''

He did.

Wanting to be a part of change

That's what is special about James, too. He was one of the best running backs in the country last year at Avon, ranked in the top-10 by just about every recruiting service. He committed to Ohio State in March of 2018, but he never felt quite certain about it. 

He was on his official visit to Columbus last October, standing on the Buckeyes sidelines, but looking across the field at Indiana. It was then that he knew.

He wanted to stay home and play football at Indiana instead. And he did.

He decommitted the next day and announced he was going to sign with Indiana. He did so in the early signing period in December and enrolled in January. He was a key piece of Indiana's best recruiting class ever.

And now they're doing special things together.

"We’re 8-4 now, and that’s great. We haven’t been 8-4 in a minute,'' James said of the Hoosiers' 26-year drought without winning at least eight games. "Me and the guys in my class, that’s what we talked about after the game. That's why we came here, to make a change.

"I’m just so excited for the future of our program. I'm happy for the win (against Purdue). I just love those guys, the coaches, everybody.''

This was just the first big day for Sampson James at Indiana. That's very clear. Everyone, coaches and teammates alike, praise James for how hard he always works.  

They know he's a real talent. And they knew he'd be ready when his time came.

“Sampson ran really hard, but we’ve seen that from him. We all know Sampson is a beast when he gets the ball,'' Ramsey said. "He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder and hit people.

"Where he’s really learned is in pass protections, receiving, those little kind of things that freshmen aren’t really in tuned to. He’s gotten so much better during the course of the year. I’m sure he doesn’t get the touches he’d like with Stevie here, but he’s grown so much and it all came out today.’’

Being ready. That's what matters.

That, and enjoying the rewards that come with it.

“It was an amazing feeling at the end,'' James said. "It was a great team win. The defense had a huge stop at the end of the game. I feel like we collectively we all did what we had to do all week to get this win. That's what makes it so special.''