NORMAN, Okla. -- When he runs the ball, Alex Ross says it feels like he's skating or floating.
He's talked about books he's read and jeans he'd wear, speaking on everything from philosophy to Fashion Week.
Ross once showed up after a game, dressed in an all-black, short-sleeved, buttoned-up-to-the-top shirt with a matching black Fedora looking like he was more suited for a poetry slam than a post-game interview.
He's answered football questions as if he's auditioning for Masterpiece Theater, a hand to the chin, his gaze shifting to the stars - "But of course" - and doesn't hesitate to suggest what changes he'd make to Russell Westbrook's wardrobe.
The next day, Ross will go silent, taking the stand as a hostile witness.
Got all that?
That's Alex Ross, Oklahoma's sophomore running back who already has a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, an 82-yard run for a touchdown and is about as easy to figure out as a soup sandwich.
"I'm just letting you know, I don't know what's going on upstairs," Oklahoma special teams coach Jay Boulware said. "That mouse could have jumped off the wheel a long time ago."
While most athletes and coaches show up for their mandated meets with the media offering up their saccharine smiles, complete with the standard package of synthetic sound bites, here comes Ross.
Don't try to figure Ross out. Embrace the enigma. It's better to just let it wash over you, because his rise to the running back spot at Oklahoma isn't exactly easy to sort out, either.
A season ago, Ross had a first-quarter rush in the first game of the season. An 8-yard gain. After the play, Ross was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. He didn't get another carry until November and had two attempts the rest of the season. So while his potential has never been questioned, his ascension up the depth chart is surprising.
"Last year, I couldn't put Alex on one thing where I felt like, 'Man, he could get that job done,'" Boulware said. "This year, I'm thinking, 'Alex could go there or Alex could do a good job here.' He could realistically go out and play all four of our special teams positions and be really, really good."
Ross came to Oklahoma as the No. 1 player in Oklahoma out of Jenks High School and the No. 12 running back in the nation. He was a state champion in the 200-meter run and finished third in the 100. But at OU he redshirted and was hurt. He was hurt and he played. He played and he was benched.
But now it seems Ross has found his place. Good luck trying to put a name on what that place is.
"Everyone likes to present themselves in different ways," says fullback Aaron Ripkowski. "I'd say he's an odd character. He brings something to the table that not a lot have."
Ross describes himself as a down-to-Earth guy who just likes to "Chill out," he describes the bearded Ripkowski as a "Viking who feels no pain." Ross likes "Skinny jeans" and thinks Russell Westbrook, the enigmatic face of fashion in the NBA, wears too many bright colors. "More dark shades. Nobody likes likes fake."
Ross speaks slowly and presents himself as thoughtful and contemplative, but says other things that make you want to back away slowly. "My favorite color is black," Ross said. "When I put that on, I just go way faster. Way stronger."
Yeah, OK. Sure thing, Alex. Everything OK in there?
"I just ponder about a lot of things sometimes," he said. "I have to sometimes censor (myself). I don't want to get too loose."
Too late for that. Nothing is tied down. It's not stream of consciousness with Ross, it's a flowing river.
"He walks in and completely changes the atmosphere of the room," said freshman running back Dimitri Flowers. "He's completely random. Really off-topic."
Ross is one of three running backs, along with Samaje Perine and Keith Ford, in the rotation, but is without peer in the lockerroom.
"Alex? Personality," Boulware asked. "I don't care what's going on up there if he keeps running 100-yard touchdowns."
What's going on in there is a Technicolor array of opinions and facts, all presented as truths. On good days, Ross will tell you what he's reading â he just finished "The Maze Runner." On bad days, Ross seems incapable of answering the simplest questions about football, his role on the team, what he's done to improve, what he's eaten for breakfast, or how he puts his helmet on.
No one on the team can be as accommodating, friendly and free as Ross. No one can be more stubborn, showing an impressive array of one-word answers.
"I'll come in and he'll be joking around," said tight end Blake Bell who lockers next to Ross. "One day he'll be serious and one day he'll come up acting like he's serious, and he's joking around. You never know what to expect."
Expect this:
More carries on the field. More black in the wardrobe.
More jokes and more personality.
"As he would say, everyone has their own swag," Ripkowski said. "Everyone likes to present themselves in a different way. Whatever you do, that's you."
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
