TAMPA - The questions come quickly, like so many linebackers stepping into the same running lane. They are razor-sharp, like so many hits he has taken.
But, as he has done so many times the past two seasons, Iowa running back Fred Russell meets them head-on, pushes them aside and moves forward.
Critics questioned the 5-foot-8, 190-pound senior's size, durability, pass catching and effectiveness without an experienced line to run behind.
Again and again, Russell proved them wrong, rushing for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons while helping the Hawkeyes to back-to-back January bowls.
Days before the Outback Bowl, likely Russell's final college game, they come calling once more. But Russell won't be stopped. Not by critics, anyway.
"That's the job, find negatives," Russell said. "They're always going to find negatives on everybody. I can show them I can catch. As far as personal work, I answered a few questions that a lot of people were saying. Like last year, the numbers I had, they could say anybody could put up the numbers behind the offensive line, and this year I put up the same amount of numbers just about with four new starters."
Playing behind a line that sent four members to the NFL and a fifth (Outland Trophy winner Robert Gallery) who will join them next season, Russell rushed for 1,264 yards in 2002, fourth most in Iowa history.
He received first-team All-Big Ten honors, but thigh and shoulder injuries led to questions about his durability. A nine-carry, 45-yard performance in an Orange Bowl loss to Southern California did little to quell the criticism.
The loss of seven offensive starters, including quarterback Brad Banks, to the NFL and injuries to running back Jermelle Lewis and receiver Maurice Brown made Russell the focal point of the offense this season, so Russell prepared by improving his diet, putting on weight and increasing his upper-body strength.
His offseason work showed as he rushed for 1,205 yards, becoming only the third back in team history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He answered questions about his durability by starting all 12 games.
"He's a very determined guy," offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe said. "I'm not going to say he hasn't smiled as much as he used to, but he's been very serious and focused in the last two years. It's really been something to watch."
Russell, 23, could have asked for an extra year of eligibility because a broken leg limited him to three games during his freshman season. Instead, he announced his decision to enter the NFL draft. Coach Kirk Ferentz said he couldn't give Russell a compelling reason to stay in school.
"He's going to graduate in May, and that's first and foremost," Ferentz said. "So, if he gets that done, he's got our blessings. But if he wants to hang around a year, we certainly won't object, believe me."
Iowa was only too happy to sign Russell after Michigan gave up on the Inkster, Mich., native.
Russell signed with Michigan out of high school but didn't have a high enough ACT score to qualify as a freshman. After he spent a year at Milford Academy in Connecticut, Michigan chose not to renew its scholarship offer.
Russell made the Wolverines pay by rushing for 110 yards in a 30-27 Iowa win, the Big Ten champions' only conference loss of the season. It was one of six 100-yard performances for Russell this season and 14 in his career.
Among the admirers Russell gained along the way was Florida defensive back Keiwan Ratliff, a finalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back.
"He's a small running back in size, but he runs big," Ratliff said. "If you watch the film, you forget how (small) he is, because you'll see him run through tackles and he'll run past DBs. So you know he's small, but you know he's quick, and you know he's strong."
Some analysts have Russell pegged as no more than a third-down back in the NFL, and that's only if he improves his pass-catching ability.
But Russell isn't about to listen to the critics. Not after silencing them for so long.
"You come in with a label," Russell said. "You've just got to show them that you can be durable, just like when you come to college. They have plans for you, but everything will work out. You've just got to prove to them that you can carry the load."
