As a rookie, fullback Tommy Bohanon had to fight off veteran Lex Hilliard to earn a spot on the New York Jets' depth chart. This time around, things should be a little easier for the second-year pro.
But despite having only undrafted fullback Chad Young accompanying him on the roster, Bohanon is prepared for battle.
“I have to earn my job like anybody else on the team,” he said recently, via NewYorkJets.com. “I have to go in and do my best every day, because it’s still a competition no matter what.”
Bohanon rushed for 62 yards on 17 carries as an NFL freshman, snagging 11 receptions for 69 yards in the process. Those are fair numbers for a player at a seemingly diminishing position, but he's more concerned with the production of the offensive backfield as a whole.
"The fact that we were sixth in the NFL [134.9 rushing yards per game] makes last season a big success for me personally," he said. "I take a lot of pride in opening up holes and being able to give the running backs all the room that they need."
A little more than 12 months removed from first delving into Marty Mornhinweg's system, Bohanon feels much more comfortable entering Year 2.
“I think I definitely have progressed in the aspect of knowing the ins and outs of the playbook,” he said. “Before, I was learning a new system and all the terminology. Now it’s just getting that much more advanced in the system and understanding everything about it as opposed to just knowing what I needed to do.”
