30 Best College Running Backs of All-Time
Career Statistics
- Games: 31
- Carries: 748
- Rushing Yards: 4,041
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 130.4
- Rushing Yards Per Season: 1,347
- Rushing Touchdowns: 41
- Yards Per Carry: 5.4
- Receptions: 24
- Receiving Yards: 198
- Receiving Touchdowns: 1
- Notable: All-American 2004
One of the best college football running backs never to win the Heisman Trophy, Adrian Peterson came closer to taking home the hardware as a true freshman than any player before him, finishing second to USC quarterback Matt Leinart.
Peterson’s freshman season at Oklahoma was simply incredible. He led the nation in rushing attempts with 339 and ran for 1,925 yards (which is still an Oklahoma single-season school record and ranks No. 34 on the all-time FBS single-season list) and 15 touchdowns. Had Peterson not had to compete with his own quarterback, Jason White, who won the award the previous year and finished third in the voting in 2004, Peterson may have been able to overtake Leinart and become the first freshman to win the Heisman.
Unfortunately, Peterson has the odd distinction of declining production over the course of his collegiate career. As the result of foot and ankle injuries, Peterson played in only 11 games as a sophomore and gained 1,104 rushing yards and 14 TDs that season. As a junior in 2006, a broken collarbone limited Peterson to just seven games, though he still cracked the 1,000-yard mark with 1,012 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground and added another with a TD reception.
Had he been able to stay healthy, Peterson would probably have gone down in history as one of the top ten running backs in college football history. As it stands, earns the No. 16 spot on our list, just ahead of fellow Sooner, Billy Sims.
Next: Billy Sims