Ranking the 10 best small school college football RBs of all time
By Zach Bigalke
College football’s early history is marked by the dominance of Ivy League schools, which were the original powerhouses of the sport. But after the conference de-emphasized football in the mid-1950s, Ivy schools turned nearly overnight from bluebloods into small schools. At the time Ed Marinaro was suiting up for Cornell from 1969 to 1971, the official split had not occurred within Division I football. But the Ivy League was decidedly a mid-major league.
Fans of Hill Street Blues remember Ed Marinaro as Officer Joe Coffey. But before he started his career as an actor, Marinaro was setting records in the Big Red backfield. The runner-up behind Pat Sullivan in the 1971 Heisman Trophy race, Marinaro averaged over 170 yards and nearly two touchdowns per game on the ground. He led the nation in rushing in both 1970 and 1971. His per-game averages put him on a league unseen in the modern game, among small school and Power Five running backs alike.
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Marinaro was also the first running back to post over 4,000 career yards in college, passing the mark midway through his senior season. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft and played six seasons as a pro. He played in Super Bowls VIII and IX for the Vikings, but finished his career with only 1,300 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns.