ARKADELPHIA - Nothing has stopped Willie Hopson this season.
After a 1,000-yard season four years ago as a freshman at Central Arkansas, Hopson struggled for three years with injuries and academics.
Hopson transferred to Ouachita Baptist before the 2006 season, but broke his hand, missed two games and played the remainder of the season in a cast.
This season, for the first time since 2003, Hopson has overcome all obstacles and is playing like the college star coaches thought he would become when they lined up at Nashville High School to recruit him.
"This year, we've been able to see what he can do," Ouachita Baptist Coach Todd Knight said. "He's carrying the ball a ton."
Hopson rushed for 1,157 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman at Central Arkansas in 2003, and was named the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year.
He did not play in 2004, as punishment for what Central Arkansas Coach Clint Conque defined as a lack of academic effort and achievement, Hopson said.
"I wasn't going to class, basically," Hopson said. "I got my grades up to where I would've been eligible to play, but he put me on suspension to teach me a lesson, and it worked. It just made me appreciate college that much more. I got going after that."
Hopson rushed for a total of 919 yards his next two seasons, as a sophomore at Central Arkansas and a juniorat Ouachita Baptist.
In eight games this season, Hopson has rushed for 893 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards a carry.
Knight said he remembers sitting in former Nashville Coach Billy Laird's office with then-Ouachita Baptist assistant Todd Cooley, a former Nashville quarterback who is now an assistant at Central Arkansas.
"We recruited him [Hopson] extremely hard," Knight said.
Arkansas Tech Coach Steve Mullins was among the state college coaches who recruited Hopson, and said he still sees traits in Hopson he noticed when Hopson was in high school.
"He just had skills," Mullins said. "He showed he could do all the things that he can do now."
Mullins watched last Saturday as Hopson rushed for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries in Arkansas Tech's 38-28 victory. Hopson's second touchdown put Ouachita Baptist within 28-21 with 14:55 left in the fourth quarter.
"I'm glad he's a senior," Mullins said. "I'm happy not to have to see him anymore."
Hopson gained 125 yards and 1 touchdown on 22 carries in Ouachita Baptist's 38-17 victory over Southern Arkansas on Oct. 13.
"Hopson won't impress you with any kind of great breakaway ability, but he keeps going for 8 yards and 15 yards," Southern Arkansas Coach Steve Quinn said. "He's the kind of guy who rushes for 120 yards and you don't even notice until you look up and he's beat you.
"There's no doubt he's beena big key to their offensive success."
Hopson transferred to Ouachita Baptist when Central Arkansas joined the Southland Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division IAA). He had not completed enough classroom hours to qualify for the new level, but he did meet the standards at Ouachita Baptist's Division II level. He said he considered trying to meet Central Arkansas' new standards, but opted for the guarantee at Ouachita Baptist.
Cooley helped facilitate Hopson's move, Knight said.
"Todd knew [Hopson] would get his degree if he came here," Knight said. "That was important to him, and his family."
"Todd, being from Nashville, had become a good friend of mine," Hopson said. "When I got ready to leave, we talked. He didn't tell me to come to [Ouachita Baptist]. He just mentioned it. He said, 'If you're thinking about getting into a field of work, you might want to go to Ouachita.' The academics here are outstanding, and they do a very good job with job placement. I considered it, talked about it with my family, and decided to come here."
Hopson said he expects to graduate in December 2008, and that he then might try to sell real estate, or coach.
"There's no doubt he'd make a good coach," Knight said. "He coaches for me now. He does a great job working with our young backs."
Knight said Hopson sets an ideal example.
"He has great hands. He blocks. He has great vision," Knight said. "And he's just a classy kid."
Sports, Pages 31 on 10/26/2007