Fansided

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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6 Oct 1990: Halfback Anthony Thompson of the Indiana Hoosiers in action during a game against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Indiana Hoosiers won the game 42-0.
6 Oct 1990: Halfback Anthony Thompson of the Indiana Hoosiers in action during a game against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Indiana Hoosiers won the game 42-0. /

Indiana

Anthony Thompson, Indiana Hoosiers

Terre Haute, Indiana native Anthony Thompson set a Division 1-A record with 67 career rushing touchdowns for his home state Hoosiers from 1986-89. The record stood for 10 seasons until Ricky Williams broke it, and Thompson still ranks No. 7 on the FBS leaderboard.

The 1989 Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award winner, Thompson was a two-time Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player, a two-time consensus All-American, and a two-time All-Big Ten performer – all during his junior and senior seasons. He was also Second-Team All-Big Ten as a sophomore.

Thompson amassed 5,299 career rushing yards at Indiana, which was the fourth best total in Division 1-A history when he ran out of eligibility, and still ranks No. 12 on the FBS leaderboard. He currently ranks third in Big Ten history behind Ron Dayne and Archie Griffin.

The runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1989, Thompson led the country with 1,793 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. He also caught 35 passes out of the backfield that year, which earned him 201 receiving yards and his only career TD catch. He led the nation with 1,994 yards from scrimmage.

Thompson also led the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,686) and rushing touchdowns (26) as a sophomore. He is one of just 24 players in FBS history to score 26 touchdowns on the ground in a single season.

An incredibly dependable ball carrier, Thompson still ranks second in league history and fourth all-time in carries (1,161), and holds the Big Ten record and ranks second overall with 1,263 career touches.

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