Running back Cam’rom “Cam” Barfield is an early riser.
During summer breaks, he will sprint “The Hill” near his alma mater, Bishop Gorman High, in Summerlin, Nev. The early start beats the full wrath of the triple-digit temperatures, but it does not ease the challenge of running up and down the hiking trail six times. “You have to push through,” Barfield said.
By the fifth time — hitting the runner’s “wall” — Barfield relies on what UH associate coach Chris Brown refers to as the “fighter’s breath.”
“Short in, short out,” Barfield said of the breathing tempo.
It is a tactic Barfield uses as a running back. “I’m always ready for that next play,” Barfield said. “You don’t know when that big play is going to break. After the fourth (carry in a row), I can be tired. But it could be the fifth one that breaks for a touchdown. That’s why I give my all every play.”
He has played that way since he was 5, when he convinced his father to let him sign up for a flag-football league. He eventually developed his football skills in Las Vegas’ desert heat. There were youth-league practices when heat waves emitted from the field.
“It was probably 128 degrees on the turf,” he said. “Your feet are burning. Your cleats are melting. But it builds your endurance to the heat.”
He also learned to take a hit. “I remember there were times I got knocked loose,” Barfield said. “Those happen in football. It’s important to get up. Just getting up shows, ‘Oh, he got up from that? He’s the real deal.’ It puts a note in (a tackler’s) head, ‘I got him good, but he still got up.’ It’s like a boxer. Boxers get knocked down all the time. It’s about getting back up. It doesn’t mean you’re going to win the fight, but it makes the other dude respect you.”
After two seasons — and chilly and dank autumns — at Boston College, Barfield transferred to UH. At 5 feet 7 and 190 pounds, Barfield is fast and deceptively strong. Teammates gave him the nickname “Luh Quick.” He can back-squat 450 pounds. He also is a sure-handed ballcarrier who did not fumble in 35 carries for Boston College.
He said he squeezes grips to strengthen his hands. He also burrows his fists into a bucket of rice to build up his forearms. He often sleeps with a football, clutching it high and tight, with the laces up.
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“I’m a running back, and ball security is the main thing,” Barfield said. “It’s the mentality I have. I believe it’s a privilege to carry the football. You have to cherish the football. It’s not my football when it’s in my hands, it’s the whole team’s ball. I have to protect it.”
Scouting report
New running backs coach Anthony Arceneaux takes over a revamped room. Tylan Hines moved to wideout, and the Warriors brought in power back Christian Vaughn, multi-skilled Cam’ron “Cam” Barfield and 5-11, 240-pound Sitani Mikaele. Landon Sims — son of former UH running back Travis Sims — has been the standout of training camp. Sims has shown burst on counters and ferocity on blocks. Sims, who can back-squat 450 pounds, did not allow a sack in 282 snaps last year. He follows Bruce Lee’s training philosophy in honing the art of blocking. “You’ve got to do it 10,000 times to master it,” Sims said. “My first time playing was on special teams. I was able to transfer that knowledge to blocking in the backfield. It’s a lot of repetition and getting to know your opponents’ tendencies.”
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At this position
9 Cam Barfield 5-7 190 So.
10 David Cordero 5-9 200 Jr.
42 Sitani Mikaele 5-11 240 Fr.
30 Landon Sims 6-1 220 Jr.
47 Christian Vaughn 5-10 225 Jr.
