UCLA junior running back Carson Steele already has the look of someone set to be cast in a superhero movie, maybe as a Thor body double. There’s the physique at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds that is the result of his tenacious work in the weight room, which endeared himself early to teammates and coaches.
Steele showed off that strength shedding would-be-tacklers last season, running for 1,556 yards to rank ninth nationally – including an FBS-leading 1,161 yards after contact. It’s the type of toughness that can withstand a couple of scratches and scars on his arms from his beloved pet alligator, Crocky-J.
The Ball State transfer even has the flowing blonde locks that scream more Hollywood than it does Greenwood, Ind., his hometown.
Like many great superheroes, there’s also a trusty sidekick and one reporter even workshopped a nickname for the pair, “Hardened Steele,” that’s been floating around on social media.
“I haven’t heard it yet, but it sounds pretty cool,” said Bruins sophomore T.J. Harden, the other half of the dynamic duo, after Sunday’s practice at Spaulding Field.