It may seem as if Orleans Darkwa burst on to the scene Sunday night the way he burst through the line of scrimmage for his 47-yard run. There is no doubt that his 117-yard rushing performance in a prime-time game garnered him a measure of improved recognition, not to mention a snazzy pre-painted game ball from the broadcasting crew and a postgame interview on national television.
But Darkwa’s arrival was far less sudden than any of that.
And that’s what makes it so significant.
In a league in which rookie running backs routinely make life in the NFL look easy and teams shuffle their backfields in search of the next — typically younger — best option, Darkwa has taken a less direct path to become the Giants’ starter and main contributor at the position.