Four years ago, Mike Warren was just a true freshman running back at Iowa State, sitting out the entire season to redshirt and prepare for the next four years of his college career.

Nothing has changed in that regard; Warren is still a running back at Iowa State. He’s a veteran, and a leader, just as most fifth-year seniors are expected to be. Entering his final college season, Warren ranks fifth in school history in yards per carry (5.07). His 1,339 rushing yards in 2015 still ranks as the fifth-best total in a single season at Iowa State — and the top two, both by Troy Davis, were Heisman-worthy performances.

In 2015, Warren was the subject of a piece by ESPN’s Max Olson. Olson pointed out that, at the time, Warren was the No. 2 runner in the country behind current NFL running back Leonard Fournette. The headline read, “Meet Iowa State RB Mike Warren, the nation’s top freshman rusher.”

Fast-forward to 2018.

Warren isn’t in the NFL. He’s still at Iowa State, preparing for his fifth and final college season. At Media Day in Ames, Warren wasn’t the talk of the town. In fact, the depth chart at running back reads:

Starter: David Montgomery

Backup: Kene Nwangwu, OR Sheldon Croney, OR Mike Warren, OR Johnnie Lang.

Warren is one of four backups in the backfield, fighting for carries and playing time.

Since head coach Matt Campbell arrived in Ames, one of the things he’s preached is a “player-led program.” That means, in short, the players are the ones leading things.

“When you become an elite level football program,” Campbell said. “90 percent of the time it’s the players leading, 10 percent of the time it’s the coaches leading.”

Perhaps nobody better exemplifies that than Mike Warren.

He’s taken a reduced role on the field after putting together one of the best seasons by a running back in Iowa State history. Many players would consider transferring in those circumstances, but Warren remained committed to Iowa State.

From being labeled one of the nation’s best running backs, to competing for carries with four other running backs, he’s stuck it out for all five years, trying to help the team win.

“It’s become competitive, but we also know that we can’t be successful without each other,” Warren said of the other running backs. “We all critique each other and we just want to see each other grow each day.”

Warren wants to play, of course. He wants carries, he wants to be on the field to help his teammates.

But, as he’s proven already, Warren’s main goal is winning. And if that means ceding some carries to Montgomery, so be it.

“Me and David are so close,” Warren said. “I cherish that friendship that we have because he’s not afraid to ask me for something, I’m not afraid to ask him for something. We just feed off each other.”

Warren said they’re friends off the field, too. They go bowling “all the time,” he said, and their friendship has helped with the entire running backs group on the field.

Still, going from the No. 1 freshman running back in the country in 2015, to a backup as a senior, isn’t easy for anyone’s ego.

“It was really humbling,” Warren said. “Coming in as a freshman, I really didn’t know what to expect.

“Now I’m kind of guiding the younger guys. Teaching them everything I know, so they can be better and succeed in the future.”

New running backs coach Nate Scheelhaase commended Warren for his attitude.

“He’s got a lot of perspective because he’s been through a whole lot,” Scheelhaase said. “He’s able to help the whole room. This is his fifth camp — he’s been through things, he knows what it’s like hitting a wall in camp, he knows what it’s like battling through a season.”

That has helped both Warren and Montgomery. When Montgomery jumped onto the scene last year with over 1,000 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, he credited Warren for his help multiple times. Scheelhaase agreed.

“Mike is a great picture of what a teammate is and what a teammate should look like,” Scheelhaase said. “He comes with a workman-like mentality every day. He’s exactly what you want in a teammate.”