No one calls him All Day. That's reserved for Adrian Peterson, the man Patrick is replacing as Oklahoma's tailback.
But he's got a nickname.
"They used to call me the All-out Crusher," Patrick said Monday.
That's what he was called back in Conway, S.C., when he was a high school all-stater as a safety and running back.
Now, the All-out Crusher is option No. 1 for the Sooners as they try to replace Peterson, perhaps the best college running back in the country.
Peterson was likely lost for six to eight weeks when he broke his collarbone at the end of a 53-yard touchdown run last Saturday against Iowa State.
And it will likely take more than one player to fill Peterson's void.
"(Peterson) did all facets of the game very good," running backs coach Cale Gundy said. "Now we've got to try to find who does what best for us in certain situations."
Patrick gets the first crack, along with junior Jacob Gutierrez and possibly a true freshman.
Patrick and Gutierrez shared the load during four games last season, when Peterson battled an ankle injury. They combined for 552 yards in those four contests.
"We're two guys that go out there and get the job done," Patrick said. "It was a loss, but we got to go out there and stick it out and do what we got to do.
"Nothing changed. We still go out there and practice the same. Just got to go out there and play a little harder now."
Patrick looked good at times last season and hasn't had many chances this year. When he's had a chance, it hasn't gone well. The junior fumbled twice against Middle Tennessee State and dropped a pass last week.
Still, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said he feels confident in Patrick as long as he doesn't get overloaded.
"I think he's pretty good," Wilson said. "It'll be interesting. When you go from a role guy to the main guy, how much can you put on your plate?
"When you start putting a little bit on a guy's plate, it's a little more than they're used to handling and if mentally you're overloading them, then they're not going to play well."
A short meeting with Wilson reaffirmed Patrick's confidence in himself.
"(Wilson) came to me and just told me I'm the man now, so I've got to go out there and take control," Patrick said.
There were two reasons it was hard for Patrick to see Peterson get injured last Saturday.
Patrick and Peterson are close friends, so Patrick hurt for him when he went down.
"I wish it wouldn't have happened (to Peterson), but here you go. I've got to give it my all. I'm gonna make plays. That's what I do.
"I'm gonna run with a little definition behind it. I'm gonna run for him, too."
Oklahoma’s Allen Patrick drops Iowa State kick returner DeAndre Jackson on Saturday. Jackson was hurt on the play and did not return to the game. Patrick, who is replacing injured Adrian Peterson at tailback, says his nickname used to be “the All-out Crusher.” ASSOCIATED PRESS
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