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FAYETTEVILLE — Throughout last season, Jeff Traylor tried every motivational tactic he could imagine with his star running back.

No matter how many times Arkansas’ running backs coach called Rakeem Boyd “soft” and other names, he couldn’t get him to practice the way he played on Saturdays. Shortly after the season, though, Traylor found out why: Boyd was dealing with a torn labrum and rotator cuff.

“I went from 6-foot-3 to about 4-foot-10 in a day,” Traylor said. “I felt terrible. I love the kid, I’ve spent a lot of time with him through the years, and he’s a tough young man.”

Despite the injury, Boyd still managed to rack up a team-high 899 all-purpose yards, with a big chunk of that coming over a six-game stretch in the middle of the season. There were flashes of brilliance, such as his 102-yard performance against Alabama and his 106-yard first quarter against Ole Miss, but he had a hard time staying on the field.