Fansided

25 best Pac-12 football players of the last 25 years

By Nathaniel Reeves

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 28: Toby Gerhart #7 of the Stanford Cardinal is tackled by Manti Te’o #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Stadium on November 28, 2009 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 28: Toby Gerhart #7 of the Stanford Cardinal is tackled by Manti Te’o #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Stadium on November 28, 2009 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

12. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

One of the most noteworthy recent Heisman snubs, Gerhart was a key cog of the Jim Harbaugh era, which helped build Stanford into a consistent contender.

Gerhart rushed for just shy of 10,000 yards during his career at Norco High School to set a California state record. Despite generating interest from a number of top teams around the nation, Gerhart signed with Stanford, a program that had won a combined 15 games over the previous four years heading into the 2006 season.

Stanford didn’t play Gerhart much as a freshman, and a knee injury ended his sophomore campaign after one game. Finally, Gerhart rounded into form in 2008 with 210 carries for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The next season went even better, as Gerhart led Stanford to an 8-5 season with 343 carries for 1,871 yards and 28 scores, setting both school single-season and career records for touchdowns. Gerhart narrowly lost out on the Heisman to Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the closest margin in Heisman history despite having better numbers nearly across the board.

After forgoing an additional season of eligibility due to the knee injury, Gerhart was selected in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings and has racked up 1,675 career rushing yards with seven touchdowns.

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