Best Wisconsin football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – From Ron Dayne to Jonathan Taylor

There are only two Heisman Trophy winners in the history of Wisconsin football. Fullback Alan Ameche took home the trophy in 1954 before putting together a Hall of Very Good career professionally with the then-Baltimore Colts. The other Wisconsin Heisman Trophy winner is running back Ron Dayne and was sensational for the Badgers in the late 1990s.

You take one look at the accumulation of stats Dayne put together at Wisconsin and you’ll wonder how that’s even possible. If we do the right thing and add in bowl game statistics, Dayne had 1,220 carries in 50 games for 7,125 yards and 71 touchdowns. His worst season was his sophomore campaign in 1997 and he still went for 1,457 yards on 263 carries for 15 touchdowns.

As a senior in 1999, Dayne took home everything. He cleaned up during awards season, netting the Heisman, the Doak Walker, the Maxwell and the Jim Brown. Dayne parlayed this incredible senior season of his into being the No. 11 pick by the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft. Though he played in a Super Bowl as a rookie, his professional career wasn’t anything special.

If his “unofficial” bowl game statistics are included, he has the most rushing yards in a college career all time, edging out Donnel Pumphrey of San Diego State fame. Dayne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 2013, the first player to make it into Atlanta who played for Barry Alvarez. Dayne’s No. 33 jersey is retired at his alma mater. Dayne is Big Ten football royalty.