By David Shaw

For Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — It was another first in a season full of them for Jamal Rule.

Except that this one occurred on the last day of autumn, more than a month after Salisbury’s 12-1 football season ended in bittersweet disappointment. And it took place a long, post route from Ludwig Stadium, where the junior running back made headlines and carved out a slice of history. The 17-year old burst — shoot, he practically sprinted — through a half-opened door and into the SHS coach’s office for a wrap-the-season chat.

“That’s just how he is,” explained Clayton Trivett, the second-year coach who witnessed Rule’s 2023 wizardry from a ringside seat. “He’s got this nervous energy. Can’t sit still. We’re always trying to get him to slow down. Be a little more patient. But with a kid as special as he is, we don’t want to mess anything up.”

Rule was special and then some. He arrived a few minutes late, in a Taz-like whirl, and was still huffing and puffing when he settled into a comfortable chair. But it quickly became apparent that asking him to slow down — on the field or off — is like telling an Indy 500 driver to keep it at 35.

“I just like to keep moving,” he offered with a sheepish shrug. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to be patient.”

Not a problem. Rule somehow directed all of that energy and internal combustion into a body of work that should be hanging in a museum. He was firecrackers on the Fourth, establishing school records for yards rushing (2,712), rushing TDs (36) and total touchdowns (39). He averaged 208.6 yards per game and 9.9 per carry. As a receiver out of the backfield, he made 10 catches for 236 yards and three TDs. His reward, almost by default, is recognition as Rowan County’s Offensive Player of the Year.

“I put in a lot of hard work in the offseason,” noted Rule, a compact 180-pounder. “I’m just glad it transferred over into the season. I had to back up JyMikaah (Wells) last year and I wanted to keep that train rolling. When he got hurt, he told me, “I started it. You have to finish it.'”

Rule nearly did. That metaphorical train helped Salisbury roll to 12 straight season-opening victories, claim the Central Carolina Conference title and advance to Round 3 of the 2A state playoffs. The Hornets’ season ended when they unraveled in the second half of a 38-21 loss to Shelby on Nov. 17.

“I knew Jamal was going to have a good season, but I didn’t think it would be this outstanding,” said Trivett. “That surprised a lot of people. It was probably a combination of things. He’s got this great vision and sees cuts that a lot of backs don’t see. The offensive line got better and better as the season went along. And we had a new offensive coordinator in Darius Robinson, who was here during the Joe Pinyan years. The new schemes we ran, they weren’t so much straight-forward runs. We had a lot more RPOs in there, so that opened things up for Rule to run.”

From start to photo finish, Rule navigated the field with razor-sharp vision and the footwork of a dancer. Enamored teammates once compared him to NFL running backs Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette — in consecutive paragraphs, no less. A newspaper headline splashed the words “Golden Rule” over his photo. He was a threat to disappear into the end zone every time he took a handoff.

“Believe me, before the season I wanted to break the whole thing, like 3,800 yards,” said Rule, who’s rushing total was the fourth best in county history, trailing only West Rowan’s K.P. Parks (2008, 2009) and Carson’s Shaun Warren (2010). “We had all the pieces — Mike (Geter), Deuce (Walker) and a great o-line. They made my job easy.”

Rule was impossible to contain, eclipsing 200 yards against seven opponents and exploding for a career-high 360 and six touchdowns in Salisbury’s regular-season finale against North Rowan. Despite being limited to 77 yards in the opening half, he executed a hard-to-make adjustment and sparked a memorable, 55-14 triumph.

“The place was packed, so I really wanted to show what I could do that night,” he said. “But in the first half I couldn’t get anything going. I had to be patient, which isn’t easy for me. I had to wait for blocks, wait for holes to open.”

Trivett filled in the blanks. “In the second half,” he said, “Jamal ran like he was possessed. There was no tackling him.”

Three weeks later, there was. Rule was held to 180 yards and two scores as the Hornets put their season to bed. “I’ll be honest,” he said in a quiet, altar-boy voice. “Shelby’s defense wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. It still feels like we should’ve beat them. It was just little mental mistakes that added up. At the end, it felt like, ‘Dang, it’s really over.'”

Except that it isn’t over for Rule, who measures success one carry at a time. He’ll continue his vigorous, above-and-beyond workout sessions and run track for Salisbury’s indoor and outdoor teams. When he returns to the gridiron next season, he’ll be fortified with renewed determination and an even greater thirst for success.

“He sets so many goals and is really hard on himself,” Trivett revealed. “A 10-yard gain? He’s not satisfied with that. He wants to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball. Just all-business, all the time. As coaches, we’re always telling him to relax. Relax and smile.”

Relax, smile and take it all in.