Elite speed has no competition. Elite speed doesn’t care if it’s in the SEC, ACC, or NFL. Elite speed always finds ways to overcome. Elite speed always gives you the best chance to win.

Lift weights and an athlete becomes stronger. Practice technique and an athlete will become a better tackler. To some degree, an athlete can do drills and improve instincts. But no coach can’t teach elite speed – speed is an innate trait. Not many have it, maybe that’s why it’s such an advantage.

Meet Corvin Lamb, the very definition of elite speed. 4.3 speed. 100m and 200m National Champion type of speed. If Louisville CB Charles Gaines runs with the animals, then Corvin Lamb is the carrot those animals are chasing. A former Louisville Football player even went as far as to say Lamb is ‘what ACC defenses should fear’.

Injuries hampered Corvin’s 2013 campaign, Lamb torn his ACL in only the second game of the season. Now in 2014, Lamb is by all accounts ready and available.

“He might hit over 1,000 All-Purpose Yards [in 2014] if we use him correctly,” former Cardinal Jarel McGriff-Culver stated.

Quite a bold prediction. Especially for a guy that’s fourth or fifth on the Depth Chart of a talented stable of running backs.

The RS Junior has played in only seven games in his career at Louisville. Despite that, he’s averaging a touchdown every ten touches while at Louisville. It’s perplexing to wonder why Lamb hasn’t seen the field more at Louisville, because each time he’s on it he’s shown flashes of game breaking ability. I asked Jarel why this was the case.

“A combination of offensive scheming and the vets in front of him,” He noted.

Corvin Lamb is now one of those veterans, the stale offensive scheming that didn’t fit his mold in 2012 & 2013 is also gone as well. Petrino wants to do everything fast, Former Louisville Head Man Charlie Strong would rather take his time. According to ESPNs Andrea Adelson, Charlie Strong never tested forty times rather just the mile. Conversely, Bobby Petrino was testing forty times back in the early days of spring ball.

In a scheme that demands precision and speed, Bobby Petrino is bound to include his fastest player on that field. That’s practical thinking…right?

“They are gonna give [Corvin] Lamb the ball,” the McGriff-Culver explained. “Coach [Petrino] thrives on explosion plays. Lamb is a home-run threat every time he touches the ball.”

These are valid points. Cardinal fans know that and saw it against Syracuse two years ago where he took a 1 yard pass for a 55 yard touchdown, in an absolute blink of an eye. The play must have been like giving a child a taste of candy and immediately taking it away for Louisville Fans. It left them salivating, as they’d only see that type of play from Lamb one more time that season.

South Florida especially knows it. They saw Lamb average over 10 yards per carry his Senior Season at Northwestern High School alongside current Cardinals Michalee Harris, Eli Rogers. Lamb boosted off plays of 84 yards, 65 yards and 77 yards that season. That’s game changing speed for you.

Now here we are and the case for playing time for Corvin Lamb looks more appealing than ever.

Louisville has suffered a devastating injury to their most electric play maker in DeVante Parker. He’ll be out for 6-8 weeks. Michael Dyer is banged up and may not play in the Cardinals’ season opener. Louisville isn’t going to find a DeVante Parker replacement. But they may find a game-changer listed 4th on their depth chart. In every college football game, there’s a turning point. An electric play that changes the course of the game.

I am reminded of Devante Parker 68-yard run for a touchdown against Cincinnati. That play, probably to this point, has been the best play of his career. Louisville needed that to happen or the Cards could have very well lost to the Bearcats. Over the next 6-8 weeks if/when Louisville needs that type of play to happen, Parker won’t be there – perhaps Corvin Lamb instead can be present.

Lamb played Wide Receiver in High School. He switched there for a season because of the Division I caliber backs in front of him. Unlike other guys that could sit and wait their turn behind the talented backs, his Head Coach knew he had to find a way to get him on the field.

Could a sweeping bit of irony occur to him again his junior year at Louisville? We know we’ll see him in kick returning game- he’s listed at the top spot on the depth chart- Could we see him line up at the Wide Receiver position? Who knows, but it makes sense to do whatever it takes to get him on the field.

When asked about Corvin Lamb, Petrino doesn’t say a lot. Maybe because he would not like to reveal is hand or maybe truly Lamb has yet to give his coach much to talk about. Although, the spring scrimmage where Lamb lined up in various positions seems to speak to the former.

Every great coach doesn’t reveal everything up his sleeve. Petrino is a lot of things but he’s mostly a great coach.

Whatever the plan may be, it would seem unjust to keep a talent like Lamb off the field. Like a cruel joke where you’re promised something, told how incredible it is but it’s never given. Jarel McGriff-Culver would seem to think Lamb’s destiny in 2014 is already set, telling me the following: ‘Trust me, he’s gonna be a big contributor.’

If I was betting man I would say he’s right. If Bobby Petrino can do anything in his high-powered offense, he can feed the studds. Corvin Lamb oozes exactly what a stud is.

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Chris Hatfield

Residing in Louisville, KY (via Bardstown, KY). I write things about Louisville Sports. Sometimes you'll like them. Get a $2000 loan online. Follow me @_ChrisHatfield Email me at chatfield60@gmail.com Hacked by Zeerx7

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