Jawhar Jordan Stepping Up as a Leader and Role Model for Louisville's Running Backs

The Cardinals' leading returning rusher is making strides not only on the field, but off of it as well.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At this point in time, Jawhar Jordan's talent and capabilities are well documented. After starting the 2022 college football season at fourth on the depth chart, the running back for the Louisville football program wound up leading the team in rushing with 815 yards - which was also fifth-most in the ACC - while also scoring four touchdowns.

This offseason, Jordan has started generating a fair amount of buzz, being named to the watch lists for both the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung awards. While the Cardinals are transitioning to an offensive system under new head coach Jeff Brohm that has a heavy emphasis on the passing attack, Jordan will undoubtedly play a large role in the success of not only the offensive side of the ball, but the team as a whole.

But if you ask the coaching staff, while his football talents are certainly noteworthy, his efforts when it comes to stepping up as a leader for the rest of his position group might be the most impressive aspect about him.

"He's just a great kid, great leader, understands it, very unselfish, plays the game for the team and not for himself," running backs coach Chris Barclay said. "When you have a guy like that, when your best player is your hardest worker, as well as vocal, it raises the room. There's a bar, there's a standard that we must meet. He makes sure that we're all setting that standard and meeting that standard. He's almost like a coach on the field for the guys, and it's certainly been very beneficial for the room.

A transfer from Syracuse who joined the program just prior to fall camp in 2021, Jordan had limited run in the first eight games of the season. His best performance during this span was a 17-carry, 91-yard outing against Florida State, but he failed to crack 50 yards in the other seven games.

But when injuries to Tiyon Evans, Trevion Cooley and Jalen Mitchell forced Jordan into a bigger role down the stretch, the 5-foot-10 and 185-pound back took the opportunity and ran with it (pun very much intended). He rushed for 555 yards over the final five games of the season, which included going for over 100 yards in four of these games. He capped off the 2022 season by rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries against Cincinnati, easily being named the 2022 Fenway Bowl MVP.

Jordan wasn't the only running back left during this span. This also allowed an opportunity for true freshman Maurice Turner to step up over the final month of the season. When it was just those two backs left, Turner says he and Jordan stuck together. He even says that he now is trying to model his game after him.

"Jawhar is amazing," Turner said. "I've actually try to model my game after Jawhar ever since I came in. ... Throughout those last few games, I was like, 'This man is really good.' I never actually got to see him play before that because we had Tiyon Evans and Trevion Cooley, but at the end of the season, I was like, 'I want to be like that when I get my chance to get in the game.'"

When he did get his chance, he also took it and ran with it. In the Fenway Bowl, Turner had a whopping 31 rushing attempts, collecting 160 yards in the process. It was the second-most rushing yards by a Louisville player in a bowl in school history. He finished the season with 314 rushing yards.

Being the model for someone who once ran stride-for-stride with NFL superstar Tyreek Hill is certainly nothing to take lightly. In fact, Turner has exploded this offseason, arguably having the best spring ball and fall camp out of any of the running backs on the roster. Turner credits a lot of this with teachings from Jordan and the amount of time he has spent with him this offseason.

"He teaches me a lot of things," Turner said. "I learned a lot of moves from Jawhar. Spending time together with him and other running backs off the field, I feel like that's a big priority for us. We stretch together, get treatment together, we hang out together outside of football just spending time with each other. I feel like there's a big part with football, because we're away from family so much."

On top of carrying Turner under his wing, Jordan was extremely hospitable to Isaac Guerendo, a transfer from Wisconsin who committed to Louisville just before spring ball. While most high-profile running backs would scoff at the notion of someone like Guerendo coming in and chipping into his playing time, Jordan welcomed him with open arms. That helped forge a relationship between the three primary backs that has elevated the comfort level Guerendo has with his new home.

"I came in on my visit, I was able to meet both of them. Obviously, we've built a very strong relationship," Guerendo said. "The relationships helps with everything. Just seeing them on the field, seeing the way they can pull a rabbit out of a hat is crazy. They make plays. There's plays that you think it's gonna be a tackle for a loss, and then somehow they make something happen. Seeing that out of both of them, it's been awesome."

(Photo of Mark Canha: Eric Canha - USA TODAY Sports)

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