Jasen Oden represents what it means to be “stalwart.”
At Colorado State, players are lauded for being “stalwart” Rams, as it says in the school’s fight song. Stalwart is defined as a person who is loyal, reliable and hardworking; three of the best adjectives to describe Oden and his immense love for the game of football.
His first two years with CSU were spent as a defensive back, but he embraced the move to running back, even when he was buried on the depth chart in his junior year. Still, Oden showed flashes in 2014, rushing for 276 yards and two touchdowns while receiving a score, as well.
2015 seemed to be his time to shine, but then Colorado State brought in Dalyn Dawkins, a sophomore transfer out of Purdue, and Dawkins’ lightning quickness pushed him to the starting spot. In fact, despite being a senior, Oden was again buried on the depth chart as the school’s No. 3 running back. But as he explained to us in February, he didn’t let that get him down.
“I didn’t complain about it,” Oden said. “I just promised myself I was going to give everything I got…I always had that ‘never say never’ attitude. That ‘never die.’ I believe in grind and hard work.”
After finally being named the starter against the University of Texas San Antonio, Oden shone: He rushed for a career-high 143 yards and one score while being a major reason why the Rams were victorious that day. Oden went on to rush for 89 yards and two touchdowns against Air Force on a mere 11 carries, a superb 8.1 YPC as he pushed Colorado State to their first win in nine years over the rival Falcons.
But, the next week, he injured his shoulder — something which was hidden from the media as he continued to grind through the season — which Oden said hurt his on-field performance and postseason playing chances.
“I was on track to accomplish a lot,” Oden said of his senior season. “I had goals, like to go over 1,000 yards, 15 touchdowns, things like that. I really wasn’t significant in the second half of the season. It really hurt me, but I think a lot of teams will look past that and how productive I was in the first part of the season.”
In the end, even with the shoulder injury, the bruising back totaled 746 yards rushing with eight touchdowns on a 4.8 yards per carry average.
All season long, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Oden was an ox; he bullied defenders and busted through the line of scrimmage for the tough, crucial yards. If there were a short-yardage situation, the senior’s number would be called, and more often than not, he’d gain the key first down.
After the season, the “Heart of Buffalo” got to work on rehabbing his shoulder, simultaneously preparing for CSU’s Pro Day while also traveling back and forth from Fort Collins to New Jersey in order to finish his degree. Work ethic? This kid has a wonderful one.
But, then Pro Day came — on March, 9 — and Oden wasn’t able to run his 40-yard dash to prove to scouts in attendance he’s more than just a bruiser.
Oden told us he suffered another injury in January, this time a partial and minor LCL tear in his right knee, which kept him from running in March. After getting back on the rehab regimen in Los Angeles with specialist Fernando Rayas, now he’s ready to run.
Jasen Oden will hold his own, personal Pro Day on Wednesday, April 6 inside the Indoor Practice Facility on Colorado State University’s campus. He’ll run the 40-yard dash, the vertical, broad jump and every other drill and then follow it up with position-specific drills.
Here’s a look at Oden running the 40 at Parabolic in January:
And, here’s a highlight tape of his play while at Colorado State. What translates to the NFL the best is his ability to not only gain the tough yards, but his unwavering determination to continue gaining positive yards even after first contact. Oden doesn’t look to avoid hits, he creates them himself and keeps on trucking.
One of Oden’s lifelong goals has been to become a college graduate, which is why he’s going to school this semester to finish his degree while also trying to fulfill that other lifelong dream: To play in the NFL.
We wish Jasen the best and hope many scouts come to Fort Collins to see him perform.
