Hasty quits UW’s football team
SEATTLE – Running back J.R. Hasty, the Associated Press’ Washington state prep player of the year in 2004 who led Bellevue High School to four consecutive state titles before running into academic problems at Washington, has quit the Huskies football team, coach Tyrone Willingham said Thursday.
It’s a thudding end to a once-promising promising Huskies career. Hasty was the star of Willingham’s first recruiting class at Washington, in 2005.
Hasty redshirted in ‘05, and Willingham said at the beginning of last season that he was excited about Hasty’s potential for big plays. But then Hasty missed all of 2006 with academic issues.
This season, he has failed to get much playing time despite coaches saying there were increased opportunities to challenge inconsistent starter Louis Rankin. Hasty appeared in two games and had six carries for 18 yards – now his final career totals at Washington – while true freshman Brandon Johnson moved past him to become the No. 2 running back. Plus, five high school running backs are among the 14 players who have reportedly committed to Washington in the upcoming recruiting class.
“I don’t think anything happened with him. Obviously, when we brought in other players, the intensity of the competition increased, OK. That’s what happens,” said Willingham, who is 9-21 in 2 1/2 seasons leading the Huskies (2-5, 0-4 Pac-10) entering Saturday’s homecoming game against Arizona (2-6, 1-4).
Hasty practiced with the team on Tuesday, then skipped Wednesday’s drills before he informed Willingham and his staff of his decision to quit.
“It’s unfortunate that that happened,” Willingham said. “You don’t like anyone to leave your football team,”
Hasty, son of former Washington State and former NFL Pro Bowl cornerback James Hasty, rushed for 5,493 career yards at Bellevue and had 50 touchdowns as a senior. A UW spokesman said Hasty remains enrolled at the school.
Willingham said Hasty did not say where he might play next.
He could transfer to a school in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), or to a school in lower classifications, and be eligible to play next season. If he transfers to another major program, NCAA rules state he must sit out one season.