In Franchise Player 3, a character picks up the ball and becomes the "runner".
The Runner (aka "Trick Runner", aka "Grif") is the guy who carries the ball and is responsible for scoring. It's also his job to function as a quarterback for the team and make callouts for his teammates. A vocal runner is usually much more successful than one who is not. Some teams have a dedicated runner, while others expect every player to be able to run the ball, if needed.