Top 10 Leading Rushers in Texas Longhorns History by Patrick Conn June 27, 2020.
The Texas Longhorns have had quite the history at the running back position. Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson ran by and through opponents, James Saxton and Crain jitterbugged around them, and Earl ran flat over them. Players who dominated the game on the ground. This doesn’t even take into account others like former track star Jamaal Charles or the great Vince Young who did it at the quarterback position. There have also been many memorable games. One that comes to mind is the Texas-SMU game from 1969 when the team ran for 611 yards rushing. Four different Longhorns cracked the 100-yard mark as Texas won 45-14. Steve Worster, Jim Bertelsen, Ted Koy and quarterback James Street combined for 506 yards and all six touchdowns in this game.
The list of top ten running backs actually leaves off one of the most electrifying players in Eric Metcalf. He was dynamic as a runner, receiver and return man. He ranks at number 12 after being pushed down by the first two men listed in the top ten.
10) Malcolm Brown, Running Back (2011-14) Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports Brown played for the Longhorns from 2011-14. During his career, Brown rushed for 2,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. He ran the ball for an average of 4.3 yards per carry.
9) D'Onta Foreman, Running Back (2014-16) At number nine we have D’Onta Foreman who played for Texas from 2014-to 2016. In his junior season before leaving for the NFL, he had one of the best seasons by a Longhorn since Ricky Williams in 1998. Foreman posted the third-most yards in a game when he rushed for 341 yards against Texas Tech. In his career, Foreman rushed for 2,782 yards, 6.4 yards per carry, and 20 touchdowns.
8) A.J. "Jam" Jones, Running Back (1978-81)(AP Photo/David Breslauer) When “Jam” Jones stepped on the campus in Austin in 1978, he had big shoes to fill. The Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell was just selected number one overall. Jones finished his career with 2,874 yards, 4.5 ypc, and 27 touchdowns. At the time there were three players named Johnny Jones on the team. They were called Jam, Ham, and Lam.
7) Roosevelt Leaks, Fullback (1972-74)(AP Photo/Ted Powers)Roosevelt Leaks is the first nontailback to make the list inside the top 10. By the time Leaks finished his three-year career in Austin he set 10 school records, only two still stand. Leaks ran for 2,923 yards, 5.3 ypc, and 26 touchdowns. He was named SWC MVP in 1973, that year Leaks was also named All-American. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting which was the highest for a Longhorn until Earl Campbell made his mark.
6) Vince Young, Quarterback (2003-05)Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Network Vince Young is the only quarterback to find his way into the top 10. We all know the story of VY and how he brought Texas their first National Championship in 35 years. In three seasons Young rushed for 3,127 yards, 6.8 ypc, and 37 touchdowns. Young was the first FBS quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards and run for another 1,000 in history. Against USC, Young set a Rose Bowl record for most yards in a game. He finished with 467 yards, 200 came from running the ball.
5) Chris Gilbert, Running Back (1966-68)Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY SportsChris Gilbert rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season he played for the Longhorns. Gilbert was also the first college running back to pull off that feat. He finished with 3,231 yards, 5.4 ypc, and 28 touchdowns. Gilbert averaged over 100 yards for every game of his career. He would be elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
4) Jamaal Charles, Running Back (2005-07)Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Network Jamaal joined the Longhorns just in time to make a run at the National Championship. In his freshman year, he rushed for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns. By the time his three-year career was over, he found himself 4th in Texas Longhorns history. He accounted for 3,328 yards, 6.2 ypc, and 36 touchdowns.
3) Earl Campbell, Running Back (1974-77)Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports The Tyler Rose came to Texas and became a legend in Longhorns history. He was the first-ever player to win the Heisman Trophy. He would then be selected number one overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1978 NFL Draft. He has his best season as a senior with a blistering 6.5 yards per carry. He finished 4,443 yards, 5.8 ypc, and 40 touchdowns. He would remain the all-time leading rusher until Ricky Williams came along.
2) As a freshman during his first week at school, Cedric Benson, with supreme confidence, introduced himself to his teammates at their first meeting by saying, “ I’m Cedric Benson from Midland Lee, starting running back” at Texas
When Cedric Benson came to Austin, he quickly became one of the fanbase’s favorite runners. He is the only running back in school history to post four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He also holds the record for most carries in school history, edging Ricky Williams by one. He finished with 5,540 yards, 5.0 ypc, and 64 touchdowns. He rushed for a combined 40 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons.
1) Ricky Williams, Running Back (1995-98)Brian Bahr /Allsport When Texas running backs come to mind Ricky Williams is usually one of two that immediately come to mind. In his senior season he set the all-time rushing record in NCAA history, only to see it be broken a season later. He holds school records in yards, yards per game and touchdowns. He finished with a total of 6,279 yards, 6.2 ypc and 72 touchdowns. In his final year, Williams became only the second Longhorn to ever win the Heisman Trophy.