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Best college football running back from every state

By Nicholas Ian Allen

LOUISIANA, NO - JANUARY 1: Running back Herschel Walker #34 of the University of Georgia Bull Dogs carries the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Sugar Bowl game January 1, 1981 at the Louisiana Superbowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bull Dogs won the game 17-10. Walker played at the University of Georgia from 1980-1983, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LOUISIANA, NO - JANUARY 1: Running back Herschel Walker #34 of the University of Georgia Bull Dogs carries the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Sugar Bowl game January 1, 1981 at the Louisiana Superbowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bull Dogs won the game 17-10. Walker played at the University of Georgia from 1980-1983, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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From Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker to Ralph LaPointe and Jim Crawford, we name the best college football running back from every state.

A star running back can come from anywhere. Sure, some states produce more than others, but each of the 50 United States boasts at least one running back worth celebrating. Therefore, we set out to find the best each state has to offer by naming the best college football running back born in each state.

Compiling such a list is fun, but difficult. Some players are obvious: Herschel Walker, a Georgia native, was one of the greatest ever to play the position. Walker starred for his home-state school, winning both a national championship and a Heisman Trophy.

Others are less obvious, or face stiffer competition, such as a crowded field of options from the state of California. At USC alone, five running backs born in the state won the Heisman Trophy. Which one earned the top spot on our list? Maybe none of them. After all, schools all across the country flock to the West Coast to find talent.

Elsewhere, proud states such as Alaska, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Vermont aren’t exactly college football hotbeds, and finding star running backs from born there was a challenge. Still, each offered options worthy of recognition.

Note: When available, references to total rushing yards, and the all-time FBS (or Division I) rushing leaderboard refer to the statistics available at Sports-Reference.com. In some though not all cases, Sports-Reference accounts for bowl game statistics that are not counted in official NCAA record books.

1985: Bo Jackson running back for Auburn in 1985. (Photo by Sporting News Archives/Sporting News via Getty Images)
1985: Bo Jackson running back for Auburn in 1985. (Photo by Sporting News Archives/Sporting News via Getty Images) /

Alabama

Bo Jackson, Auburn Tigers

Also a star baseball player that who would go on to become the MVP of the 1989 MLB All-Star Game, Bo Jackson was a three-time All-SEC, two-time All-American and the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner as a running back at Auburn.

Born in Bessemer, Jackson made an immediate impact as a freshman with the Tigers in 1982. He surpassed 100 rushing yards in his first career game, and ended the season with 829 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He also made what is perhaps his most famous play – “Bo over the top” – in a win over arch rival Alabama, which stands as one of the most celebrated plays in Auburn football history.

Jackson gained 1,213 rushing yards with 12 TDs as a sophomore. He was limited as a junior, and gained just 475 yards with five touchdowns in 1984, but exploded for 1,786 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, as well as an SEC record 6.6 yards per carry as a senior. His 1985 performance earned Jackson the Heisman, as well as the Walter Camp Award and SEC Player of the Year honors. Bo is one of only three Alabama natives, and the only running back born in the state, to win the Heisman.

He finished his career with 4,303 career rushing yards, and an average of 110.3 rushing yards per game. Jackson was selected No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft, but chose to pursue a pro baseball career with the Kansas City Royals instead and spent nine years in the big leagues. He did make it to the NFL in 1987, however, with the Los Angeles Raiders and spent four seasons with the team before suffering a career-ending injury.

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