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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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 12: Texas tailback Ricky Williams, winner of the 1998 Heisman trophy, poses with US college football’s highest honor 12 December at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York. Williams ran for 2,124 yards and broke Tony Dorsett’s 22-year-old record career rushing record as he led the Longhorns to an 8-3 record and a trip to the Cotton Bowl on 01 January 1999. (Photo credit should read ADAM NADEL/AFP/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 12: Texas tailback Ricky Williams, winner of the 1998 Heisman trophy, poses with US college football’s highest honor 12 December at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York. Williams ran for 2,124 yards and broke Tony Dorsett’s 22-year-old record career rushing record as he led the Longhorns to an 8-3 record and a trip to the Cotton Bowl on 01 January 1999. (Photo credit should read ADAM NADEL/AFP/Getty Images) /

California

Ricky Williams, Texas Longhorns

It may be blasphemous, especially with Heisman Trophy winning running backs like Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush, O.J. Simpson, Mike Garrett and Charles White all born in California and becoming stars at USC, but the greatest college running back from the state actually spent four years toting the rock for the Texas Longhorns.

Ricky Williams broke the NCAA Division I rushing record in 1998, his Heisman-winning season, after compiling 6,279 rushing yards over four years in Austin. He also passed White as the all-time leader for rushing yards by a player born in California. A native of San Diego, Williams currently ranks No. 4 on the FBS career rushing leaderboard behind Ron Dayne (who broke Williams’ record the very next year), Tony Dorsett (whose bowl game statistics are not counted in the official NCAA records) and Donnel Humphrey (who joined the group in 2016).

In all, Williams averaged 136.5 rushing yards per game, and won the Doak Walker Award in both 1997 and 1998. He was also a two-time consensus All-American and two-time Big 12 Player of the Year. A well-rounded running back, Williams also caught 85 passes for 927 yards and three touchdowns during his career.

Williams nearly broke 1,000 rushing yards as a freshman, but ended just 10 yards shy of the feat in 1995. He gained steam each season with the Horns, rushing for 1,272 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 1,893 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior, and 2,124 yards and 27 TDs in his final season. He led the nation in both rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns in both 1997 and 1998.

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