By Russ Brown
Special to NKyTribune
LOUISVILLE–Jamari Staples is Louisville’s leading receiver and perhaps the most dangerous offensive threat Kentucky (5-6) will face in Saturday’s battle against the Cardinals (6-5) at noon in Commonwealth Stadium.
So just imagine what he could have done if he hadn’t missed an entire month of the season.
Staples, who is coming off the best performance of his career when he caught nine passes for 194 yards in last week’s 45-34 loss to Pittsburgh, was forced to sit out the first four games of the season with a knee injury and has played in just six games.
Yet he leads UofL with 599 yards on 35 catches, having surpassed James Quick (31/457) with his burst at Pitt, which included a 49-yard touchdown reception and earned him ACC Receiver of the Week honors.
“He’s a guy we really trust,” UofL coach Bobby Petrino says. “He’s going to do exactly what he’s supposed to do. He’s going to be on time on his routes. he’s got great hands. He can make big plays for us.”
Dating back to his first stint as Louisville’s head coach, Petrino’s offensive philosophy has been to “feed the studs,” and the 6-4 Staples is definitely one of the Cards’ studs.
“I just got on a roll,” Staples says of his big day at Heinz Field. “I just got going and Coach kept feeding me the ball.”
Staples suffered a shoulder injury against the Panthers, but says he will be ready to play by Saturday. It will be interesting to see how UK coach Mark Stoops elects to defend Staples, who is similar to former UofL standout receiver DeVante Parker.
In last year’s 44-40 UofL win, UK tried to play Parker man-to-man and he made the Cats pay, catching six passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
“I’ve heard a lot about replacing Parker,” Staples says. “I really don’t let all that into my head. I just want to come out and contribute. People on this team look at me as a leader, so I take it upon myself to make plays.”
The similarity to Parker, who was the 14th overall pick in the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, doesn’t end with the comparisons in skill and production. Parker was also hampered by injuries before keying the Cards’ passing attack during the second half of the season. He missed the first seven games of his senior season with a foot injury, then caught 43 passes for 855 yards and five touchdowns in the final six games and was a second-team All-ACC selection.
“It does make me feel good (about being compared to Parker),” Staples says. “It makes me feel people really see a lot in me and expect a lot out of me. I think I’ve done good this year just living up to what people thought I may be.”
A junior, Staples is in his first season at UofL after playing his first two years at UAB under head coach Garrick McGee, who is now the Cards’ offensive coordinator. Staples, who picked Louisville over Auburn when UAB eliminated its football program (now reinstated), had nearly 500 yards in receptions as a true freshman. But he was hindered by injuries as a sophomore and managed just over 100 yards.
Staples’ quick transition into a playmaker at UofL was aided by his knowledge and comfort in McGee’s system, which had its genesis in McGee’s former time under Petrino as a player and coach.
“He knows the system, he’s a veteran and he’s a big, strong guy who can make plays,” McGee says. “He’s a really talented kid and he’s such a hard worker. He can play and I’m glad we were able to get him here.”
While this will be Staples’ first experience with the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry, he said he quickly found out how important the game is, and it has been reinforced time and again since he arrived on campus last January.
“When I first committed, a UK fan on Twitter said, ‘Welcome to the rivalry,'” Staples said. “I said, ‘Glad to be a part of it.’ It’s really a big deal. I think it should be a fun game.”