Hambrick finally gets his chance to run

SAN ANTONIO -- Troy Hambrick always tried to prove himself while he was stuck in Emmitt Smith's shadow. Now he has to impress Bill Parcells.

Hambrick was never shy about wanting to be the No. 1 running back for the Dallas Cowboys, even when the NFL's career rushing leader was still on the team. He's getting his chance now, and is already figuring out the best way to be the starter for the new coach.

Run hard and run straight ahead.

"He told me not to go for the home runs, that they'll come," Hambrick said. "He told me to run for first downs. All of that shakin' and bakin', I don't have in my system."

Hambrick is expected to start Saturday night's preseason opener, against Arizona and Smith, but Parcells still has concerns about the running back position -- a job that is far from settled.

"We're going to give him the ball enough to where we'll have a good sense. We have to do that," Parcells said.

Making his case

During camp last year, when Smith was just 540 yards shy of breaking Walter Payton's rushing record, Hambrick said he was the best running back on the team. He stayed relatively quiet until after Smith broke the record, then acknowledged it had been hard to bite his tongue.

The Cowboys released Smith in February, primarily because of the $10 million he would have counted against the salary cap, and the running back signed with the Cardinals.

Hambrick, the fourth-year back out of NCAA Division II Savannah State, was the obvious choice to replace him, especially after the team didn't add another running back through free agency or the draft.

Still, Parcells won't say the job belongs to Hambrick. And he hasn't dismissed the possibility of a running back-by-committee approach.

Michael Wiley is the only other back who had carries last season. Aveion Cason, who spent the past two seasons in Detroit, was acquired on the second day of the April draft for a seventh-round pick. Dallas also signed undrafted rookie ReShard Lee.

"We might just have to do it a little different," Parcells said. "When you had a great back here for so many years, a productive tailback, the fans are used to seeing a certain style of runner. There's no doubt about it. None of them are Emmitt Smith."

Narrowing the field

Parcells' preference, however, would be to settle on one workhorse. Such as a pitcher with a 102-mph fastball would depend on his best pitch all the time, the coach would like to have one back to rely on.

Hambrick ran four times for 26 yards with a 12-yard run in a controlled scrimmage Saturday against Houston. Lee had 10 carries for 68 yards, including a 42-yard gain, and Wiley and Cason combined for 20 yards on five carries.

Parcells said the backs ran hard, but was concerned that "the plays were blocked better than the results."

Hambrick wasn't surprised by the critique, and doesn't take it lightly.

"In the long run, I'm the guy he expects to perform well. He's not going to be easy on me, I'm not easy on me," Hambrick said. "I could have done more. I could have jumped over this guy, or outran that guy."

Hambrick ran for 317 yards on 79 carries last season. He gained 579 yards in 2001 when he made 11 starts, two replacing an injured Smith and the other nine at fullback because of other injuries.

During the offseason, Hambrick reported to minicamp at 260 pounds. Parcells likes big runners, but not that big, so the 6-foot-1 Hambrick changed his diet and trimmed down to 233 pounds by the start of training camp.

Now he's adjusting to Parcells' demands on the field.

"Mentally, I'm strong. But I want to know what the next page holds," Hambrick said. "Not knowing what he's going to do next, that's kind of intimidating. He might make us take off running and never stop."