Giants Country

Why New York Giants' RB Tyrone Tracy Jr Changed Positions Late in Collegiate Career

Tracy began his collegiate career as a running back, but his position coach, Lamar Conard, saw an easier path for him to realize his NFL dreams.

Patricia Traina

Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
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Purdue assistant coach Lamar Conard has been coaching running backs for over seven years at the collegiate level, so he knows a thing or two about what a good running back candidate looks like.

Yes, even when that candidate is a wide receiver, such as with Tyrone Tracy, Jr., the New York Giants’ fifth-round draft pick this year. 

Tracy, who has one to full season of experience playing running back, agreed to switch on the suggestion of Conard, who believed that it would not only help the Boilermaker's offense but also make Tracy's path to the NFL easier. 

“If you just watch how he runs, even at receiver, when he catches the ball, you can't tackle him,” Conard told Giants Country at SI.com when asked how he knew Tracy would be an ideal fit at running back. 

“He could make you miss I space and all that receiver stuff, but it was his contact runs—he was just hard to get on the ground. He would bounce off of people, run through people, and run through defenders. And he did the same thing at tailback. 

“And in my brain, I'm like, ‘Man, he's 5-11, he's 180 pounds. He's only going to get bigger, faster, and stronger. At times, he moves with the strength and explosion of a tailback. So, he had the traits that I think married up to modern football at tailback.'

Conard, it turns out, was one of a very few talent evaluators who, during the recruitment period, saw Tracy as a running back. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to recruit the Indianapolis, Indiana native. Still, Tracy eventually transferred to the Boilermakers program, where, in his first season, he continued on his quest as a receiver before finally realizing that his best path to the NFL would be as a running back. 

That’s when Conard, hired by Purdue in January 2023, approached head coach Ryan Walters about the position switch for Tracy.

“When I got there, the first conversation with the coach was, ‘I believe he's a tailback. I think he's a running back.’ He thought we needed to find a way to get him the football, so what's the best way? Running back was the decision.” 

The next step was to convince the player that a position change would be in his best interest. That’s where Conard’s prior history through his past recruiting efforts came into play. 

“I have a relationship with his family. I coached two of his two younger brothers at Miami of Ohio before I took the job at Purdue. So, there was already some trust built in my ability to help him achieve his goals,” Conard said. 

“He's a young man of faith. He spent time praying about it and doing his research to see if this would be the best thing for his career. And ultimately, he came to the same conclusion as we did.”

Tracy worked on his strength to prepare for the switch and added 10 pounds of bulk to his frame. The conversion proved successful--Tracy’s 6.3 yards per carry paced the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally, the second-best rushing average in school history.

He also produced three 100-yard rushing games, all in Big Ten play, and he became the first running back to lead Purdue in touchdowns since 2015.

Conard believes Tracy’s prior experience as a receiver gives him yet another competitive edge in a quest for a roster spot.

“I think it helps him greatly because he spent so much time running precision routes, getting in and out of breaks, and having to identify coverages. So, he understood, ‘Hey, do I need to sit this route down, or do I need to carry another two steps before I, I break this thing off?’” Conard said. 

“So, he was already comfortable playing in space, doing the skill things, catching the ball naturally. And if you think about modern football, you know, if you're a tailback today, you might have 15 carries, but there are five or six touches for you out of the backfield catching the ball. So, there was a real comfort for him in being able to start outside the box, motion back in, start in the box, motion out.”

 Tracy’s versatility would also be a plus if he were to compete for the Giants’ kickoff return role.

“A kickoff return is very much like a run play, right? You know, you got guys up in front of you blocking for, and you gotta be able to find a crease and, and, and all that stuff,” Conard said. But the flip side is you're catching the ball so deep. It's, to some degree, like playing receiver, you know what I mean? Like, ‘I gotta catch a ball with guys running at me.’ 

“And I think that's one of his elite traits: the ability to run through contact and stay on his feet through contact. So, I think it'll be a huge attribute for his long-term success.” 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.