Ranking the 10 best small school college football RBs of all time
By Zach Bigalke
It is hard to remember, but there was a time in the not-too-distant past when Arizona and Arizona State were small schools. Until realigning with the expanded Pac-10 in 1978, the two schools in the Copper State were part of the Western Athletic Conference. For three years in the early 1970s, Woody Green dominated WAC competition en route to a brief NFL career.
Between 1971 and 1973, the Sun Devils went 32-4 under head coach Frank Kush. Green played a major role in Arizona State’s success. His first year as a starter resulted in over 1,200 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns. The following year, Green posted 1,363 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns to rank second nationally. In his final year in Tempe, Green regressed to rush for only 1,182 yards and nine touchdowns. But he added another 328 receiving yards and five scores.
Arizona State ultimately finished in the top 15 of the AP poll each of Green’s three years with the Sun Devils. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft and featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a rookie. Unfortunately, though, multiple knee injuries derailed his career and Green was out of pro football after just three years with Kansas City.