Healthy and at Home, Felix Looks to Show The Talent That Made Him a Coveted Back
By Joey Johnston
There's no mystery about what junior running back Darrian Felix can accomplish for the USF Bulls.
"I run away from people,'' Felix said.
"No question, he can take it to the house,'' Bulls running backs coach Cam Aiken said.
But after three mostly unfulfilling seasons at Oregon, what Felix wanted most was to come home.
He needed to be closer to his nearly 2-year-old daughter Dailyn Nicole, who lives with her mother in Fort Myers. He'll truly be a happy man if he can avoid the injuries that limited him to just three games after transferring to USF in 2020, while seeing his daughter regularly,
"I really feel like if I can stay healthy, I'll have it all,'' said Felix, 5-foot-11 and hovering near 200 pounds (about 18 more than he carried last season). "So far, so good. I don't feel like the people at USF have seen the real me yet. I can't wait to show them.''
Felix, who said he had "two holes in both hamstrings'' last season, only carried 10 times for 25 yards on the year, while making three catches for 14 yards (all receptions were in the season finale against UCF). In his final Oregon season (2019), he had 34 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard run against Nevada.
With the Ducks, Felix also was haunted by injuries, which caused him to miss most of the 2018 season. But with his performance during USF's spring and fall camps, Felix said he has never felt more prepared for a season.
"Even without the ball, Darrian can impact the game with his pass protections, his blocking, carrying out fakes, being an outlet and just generally playing fast,'' Aiken said. "He's doing all of that. He's doing it the right way.
"Last season, he had injuries. It was his first season being at a new place. There was COVID. It was a lot. Now he's back and he's doing everything the right way. He's a real talent. You watch his high-school stuff and he doesn't get tackled for the first nine minutes of the film.''
By the time he was done at Fort Myers High School, Felix (nicknamed "Flex'') had become one of the legendary Lee County athletes. He ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash. He had a 43-inch vertical jump. Whether he was a tailback or a quarterback (where he dabbled as a senior), Felix was elusive, slippery and just fun to watch.
In a spring game against Island Coast, Felix had six carries for 143 yards and four touchdowns (Oregon coaches were there that night). He once got the call on a game's opening snap. It was an electrifying 70-yard touchdown. But it was called back on a holding penalty. Felix immediately got the call again. And he scored again.
"Flex can run inside and get the extra yards or he can take it outside and turn the corner,'' Bulls offensive tackle Donovan Jennings said. "He's so quick, so light on his feet. His jump cuts are super clean. I'm so eager to see what he can do this year.''
Felix considered USF out of high school, but ultimately selected Oregon (and Coach Willie Taggart) over Clemson, Nebraska, North Carolina and Tennessee. What swung the decision? Felix said he had a late-night dream in which he saw himself in an Oregon uniform (no word on which of the 256 uniform combinations he visualized).
There were positives about his westward decision. He made new friends and saw parts of the country he had only imagined. But being away from his daughter was too much. She was born during Oregon's Friday practice to prepare for Stanford in 2019. Felix first met her on FaceTime.
"My first child … and I couldn't be there,'' Felix said. "I used to cry because I couldn't be there with her. It had to change.''
When Felix entered the transfer portal, USF was an appealing option because of its proximity to Fort Myers, but also due to his familiarity with Coach Jeff Scott and other assistants who he knew from Clemson.
"For me, the best thing Darrian does is his understanding of what we're trying to accomplish,'' Aiken said. "Football is the biggest team sport in the world. You can be talented, but if you don't know what we're trying to accomplish or why you're doing your job, it doesn't matter. He knows the why.''
Felix is proud to be considered a versatile back. What does he most enjoy? It's not hard to guess.
"Blocking is huge and if there's a crease, I'm going to hit it,'' Felix said. "But give me that open field and I'm gone. If you're chasing me and you're more than 225 pounds, you might have a problem.''
For Felix, the dream is real at USF.
"He's the back we thought he was going to be,'' said Bulls offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
Taking it to the house.
Feeling at home.
