“Lowest Man Wins in Football”: Ashton Jeanty Once Admitted His Muscular Build, Low Center of Gravity Give Him a Competitive Edge

Whether it’s the legendary Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders or soccer GOAT Lionel Messi, athletes with relatively shorter statures have demonstrated how their low center of gravity helps them evade opponents with ease. Last September, NFL-bound Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty elaborated on this in an interview, diving into how his low center of gravity has provided him a significant advantage in his career so far.

Speaking to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Jeanty revealed how being the lowest man on the field helped him achieve his video game-esque stats in CFB this season. At 5’9″ and 215 lbs, Ashton barely appears as a physical powerhouse on the field.

In the RB’s eyes, however, his short stature is a blessing as it makes him look like “a little ole bowling ball” when facing lanky and muscular defensive backs. This size mismatch helps him wriggle past defenders with ease. And, defensive backs often hesitate to tackle him, as doing so increases the likelihood of committing a foul.

“It definitely gives me an advantage. They say the lowest man wins in football, and I’m always the lowest. It’s a lot easier for me to get low compared to those taller guys.

“Defensive backs usually don’t have very big frames and they’re usually a little taller. When they see somebody like me, a little ole bowling ball coming at them, they don’t really want to tackle me,” Jeanty had said.

While Ashton’s short frame may limit his defensive presence, his low center of gravity more than compensates for it. The lower-than-usual placement of his bent knees and hips enhances his lateral agility, explosiveness in and out of cuts, curvilinear speed, power, and contact balance. He has the stats to back himself up too.

Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 rushing yards and 2,750 all-purpose yards in 2024, finishing second in rushing touchdowns (29) and total touchdowns (30). His rushing total of 2,601 yards was just 27 yards shy of equaling Barry Sanders’ all-time NCAA record. He became only the second player in FBS history to surpass the 2,600-yard mark in a single season.

However, there are some clear disadvantages too. Apart from the physicality, short legs also mean the athlete covers less distance than someone with longer legs. So to make up for the difference, shorter athletes end up expending more energy than their taller counterparts.

Keeping all this in mind, it’s no surprise that Jeanty has a “choice route out of the backfield” as his favorite to run. This route firstly plays to his strengths, allowing him to use his low center of gravity to break free from the crowd in the backfield.

Once Jeanty is in the open, the move allows him acres of space, options, and fewer defenders to deal with. At this point, he has two choices — engage in a foot race or use his low center of gravity once again to outsmart the defender with a feint in-breaker.

As we know, Jeanty is nearly unstoppable in one-on-one situations. No wonder he is fond of this route.

“I love running a choice route out of the backfield. That gives me the option to break it outside or make it an in-breaker. I like getting that linebacker in coverage, or a safety.

“That’s money every time (laughs). I’ll pick that scenario every time. If I break that choice route inside, I can catch it right up the middle and go score,” added the RB.

The most impressive takeaway from this interview is how deeply Jeanty thinks and analyzes his game. There is a clear method to his approach, and ahead of the NFL Draft, Jeanty’s analysis of his game must be music to the ears of the scouts.