Former Alabama prep star ‘having the time of my life’

Camerun Peoples has had a couple of games that most running backs can only dream about.

Peoples ran for 326 yards and three touchdowns in Central-Clay County’s 42-21 victory over Sylacauga on Oct. 20, 2017, in a Class 5A Region 4 game as a high school senior.

Peoples ran for 317 yards and five touchdowns in Appalachian State’s 56-28 victory over North Texas on Dec. 20, 2020, in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. He set a school single-game record and broke the NCAA bowl record for rushing yards.

MORE SENIOR BOWL:

· MALIK CUNNINGHAM EAGER TO JOIN ALABAMA PREP QBS IN NFL

· SOUTH ALABAMA’S LUTER, WAYNE HAVE HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE

· SHAUN DION HAMILTON FINALLY GETS ON THE FIELD AT THE SENIOR BOWL

“Honestly, they were kind of similar as far as the way I felt, just kind of being in the zone and feeling like I was a dominant player and unstoppable,” Peoples said. “Looking back at it, that feeling I get when I’m having those types of games just shows the hard work that I put in going into the game and the mindset that I had going into the game. They’re more similar than different, just one’s at a bigger level.”

One also came before Peoples tore an anterior cruciate ligament, and one came after the knee injury.

Peoples got hurt on a 17-yard run against East Tennessee State in the opening game of the 2019 season and missed the rest of Appalachian State’s campaign.

“I just feel like I had a lot to prove,” Peoples said. “Coming off that injury was one of the toughest things I ever had to do, so I put my head down and went to work. I was excited to get back on the field, and once I got back on the field, I wanted to help my team win and I wanted to get a ring. Coming back from that knee injury, I wanted to show people I’m truly a talented player and I have a lot of grit and ability to go out there and do some amazing things when the ball gets in my hands.”

Peoples has been aiming to prove himself again this week during practices for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. After catching only 11 passes during his college career, he wanted to show NFL talent evaluators “that I’m a complete back, that I can block, I can run physical and I can get out of the backfield and catch the ball. Just that I’m a valuable asset that can help the team win.”

After rushing for 1,672 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior at Central-Clay County, Peoples took a redshirt season in 2018 at Appalachian State, although he did have a 63-yard touchdown run in a 45-13 victory over Middle Tennessee in the New Orleans Bowl.

Peoples rebounded from his knee injury with 1,124 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020. In 2021, he had 926 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and, in 2022, when he missed three games, he had 593 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

During his college career, Peoples averaged 6.2 yards on his 455 carries.

“I was excited,” Peoples said about receiving his invitation to the Senior Bowl. “It was a dream come true, honestly. I dreamt of doing this. I grew up in Alabama, so I’ve been watching the Senior Bowl, so it was always a dream of mine, and to actually be here, I’m having the time of my life.”

Peoples is under the scrutiny of NFL scouts this week, but he already has learned to deal with the spotlight as a football standout in Lineville, Alabama, and Boone, North Carolina.

“Growing up in that small town, everybody knows everybody,” Peoples said, “so when I started to do good on the field and in class, all eyes were on me. Kind of the same once I got to Boone – everybody’s watching me. One thing that I’ve picked up is to always try to be a good person, always try to have good character because you never know who’s looking at you. There’s kids and people in the community who look up to you and see you doing good things, and so I just try to be a good example for people, especially to the younger kids to let them know this could be them one day.”

As a member of the National team, Peoples will play one more time in an Appalachian State helmet when the 74th annual Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. NFL Network will televise the game. Tickets can be purchased online.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.