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SEC Running Backs taken in the first round since 1980
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:22 pm
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:22 pm
I am putting them in order by Rushing Yards (ignoring other stats) and I'm including the number of years and whether or not they're still active. (I AM including for all current SEC schools even though they might not have been SEC at the time). Some of these guys have really good receiving numbers, but this is purely about being a runner.
Emmitt Smith, Florida, 17th overall - 15 years, 18,355 yards
Fred Taylor, Florida, 9th overall - 13 years, 11,695 yards
Jamal Lewis, Tennessee, 5th overall - 9 years, 10,607 yards
Shaun Alexander, Alabama, 19th overall - 9 years, 9,453 yards
Garrison Hearst, Georgia, 3rd overall - 10 years, 7,966 yards
James Brooks, Auburn, 24th overall - 12 years, 7,962 yards
George Rogers, South Carolina, 1st overall - 7 years, 7,176 yards
Rodney Hampton, Georgia, 24th overall - 8 years, 6,897 yards
Neal Anderson, Florida, 27th overall - 8 years, 6,166 yards
Deuce McAllister, Mississippi, 23rd overall - 8 years, 6,096 yards
James Stewart, Tennessee, 19th overall - 8 years, 5,841 yards
Ronnie Brown, Auburn, 2nd overall - 10 years, 5,391 yards
Darren McFadden, Arkansas, 4th overall - 8 years, 5,145 yards (active)
Joseph Addai, LSU, 30th overall - 6 years, 4,453 yards
Cadillac Williams, Auburn, 5th overall - 7 years, 4,038 yards
Curtis Dickey, Texas A&M, 5th overall - 7 years, 4,019 yards
Harvey Williams, LSU, 21st overall - 8 years, 3,952 yards
James Jones, Florida, 13th overall - 10 years, 3,626 yards
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 12th overall - 6 years, 3,616 yards
Gary Anderson, Arkansas, 20th overall - 8 years, 3,409 yards
Greg Hill, Texas A&M, 25th overall - 6 years, 3,218 yards
Mark Ingram, Alabama, 28th overall - 5 years, 3,195 yards (active)
Rod Bernstine, Texas A&M, 24th overall - 9 years, 2,990 yards
Felix Jones, Arkansas, 21st overall - 6 years, 2,912 yards
Bobby Humphrey, Alabama, 3rd overall - 4 years, 2,847 yards
Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1st overall - 4 years, 2,782 yards
Trent Richardson, Alabama, 3rd overall - 3 years, 2,032 yards
Lorenzo Hampton, Florida, 27th overall - 5 years, 1,949 yards
Tim Worley, Georgia, 7th overall - 5 years, 1,792 yards
Brent Fullwood, Auburn, 4th overall - 4 years, 1,702 yards
Michael Haddix, Mississippi St., 8th overall - 8 years, 1,635 yards
Todd Gurley, Georgia, 10th Overall - 1 years, 1,023 yards (active)
George Adams, Kentucky, 19th overall - 6 years, 886 yards
John Avery, Mississipi, 29th overall - 3 years, 524 yards
Emmitt Smith, Florida, 17th overall - 15 years, 18,355 yards
Fred Taylor, Florida, 9th overall - 13 years, 11,695 yards
Jamal Lewis, Tennessee, 5th overall - 9 years, 10,607 yards
Shaun Alexander, Alabama, 19th overall - 9 years, 9,453 yards
Garrison Hearst, Georgia, 3rd overall - 10 years, 7,966 yards
James Brooks, Auburn, 24th overall - 12 years, 7,962 yards
George Rogers, South Carolina, 1st overall - 7 years, 7,176 yards
Rodney Hampton, Georgia, 24th overall - 8 years, 6,897 yards
Neal Anderson, Florida, 27th overall - 8 years, 6,166 yards
Deuce McAllister, Mississippi, 23rd overall - 8 years, 6,096 yards
James Stewart, Tennessee, 19th overall - 8 years, 5,841 yards
Ronnie Brown, Auburn, 2nd overall - 10 years, 5,391 yards
Darren McFadden, Arkansas, 4th overall - 8 years, 5,145 yards (active)
Joseph Addai, LSU, 30th overall - 6 years, 4,453 yards
Cadillac Williams, Auburn, 5th overall - 7 years, 4,038 yards
Curtis Dickey, Texas A&M, 5th overall - 7 years, 4,019 yards
Harvey Williams, LSU, 21st overall - 8 years, 3,952 yards
James Jones, Florida, 13th overall - 10 years, 3,626 yards
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 12th overall - 6 years, 3,616 yards
Gary Anderson, Arkansas, 20th overall - 8 years, 3,409 yards
Greg Hill, Texas A&M, 25th overall - 6 years, 3,218 yards
Mark Ingram, Alabama, 28th overall - 5 years, 3,195 yards (active)
Rod Bernstine, Texas A&M, 24th overall - 9 years, 2,990 yards
Felix Jones, Arkansas, 21st overall - 6 years, 2,912 yards
Bobby Humphrey, Alabama, 3rd overall - 4 years, 2,847 yards
Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1st overall - 4 years, 2,782 yards
Trent Richardson, Alabama, 3rd overall - 3 years, 2,032 yards
Lorenzo Hampton, Florida, 27th overall - 5 years, 1,949 yards
Tim Worley, Georgia, 7th overall - 5 years, 1,792 yards
Brent Fullwood, Auburn, 4th overall - 4 years, 1,702 yards
Michael Haddix, Mississippi St., 8th overall - 8 years, 1,635 yards
Todd Gurley, Georgia, 10th Overall - 1 years, 1,023 yards (active)
George Adams, Kentucky, 19th overall - 6 years, 886 yards
John Avery, Mississipi, 29th overall - 3 years, 524 yards
This post was edited on 12/26/15 at 12:38 pm
13
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:24 pm to Killean
A player like John Avery could've really benefited from playing in the modern era.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:25 pm to Killean
quote:
Bobby Humphrey, Alabama, 3rd overall - 4 years, 2,847 yards
Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1st overall - 4 years, 2,782 yards
Trent Richardson, Alabama, 3rd overall - 3 years, 2,032 yards
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:26 pm to Killean
quote:Avery was great at Ole Miss but it shocks me that he was taken in the first round.
John Avery, Mississipi, 29th overall - 3 years, 524 yards
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:27 pm to Killean
Ten years ago the NFL was a running back league, now they are next to kickers in importance .
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:27 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Leave it to the Cowboys to draft a 5'9" 170 rb in the 1st round
In todays NFL he could play a Darren Sproles/Danny Woodhead role I think. Not a chance in the 90's
In todays NFL he could play a Darren Sproles/Danny Woodhead role I think. Not a chance in the 90's
This post was edited on 12/26/15 at 12:29 pm
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:29 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Are you kidding me? John Avery was an absolute BUM. You guys are so obnoxious.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:30 pm to TT9
quote:
quote:
Bobby Humphrey, Alabama, 3rd overall - 4 years, 2,847 yards
Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1st overall - 4 years, 2,782 yards
Trent Richardson, Alabama, 3rd overall - 3 years, 2,032 yards
How many HR does Humphrey and Richardson have during their careers. They were playing Baseball during half of the season just like Bo weren't they ?
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:31 pm to MSU5
Of note, the only 2 SEC schools that did not make the list were Missouri and Vanderbilt.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:32 pm to MSU5
quote:
Are you kidding me? John Avery was an absolute BUM. You guys are so obnoxious.
He was no Michael Haddix for sure
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:32 pm to TT9
Sorry he was busy playing two sports.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:35 pm to Quicksilver
Haddix was an even bigger bum. 
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:35 pm to Killean
List is missing Joe Addai.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:38 pm to blackandgolddude
Added Joseph Addai. He wasn't on the list I was working with but he's in now.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:39 pm to Killean
quote:
Emmitt Smith, Florida, 17th overall - 15 years, 18,355 yards
Fred Taylor, Florida, 9th overall - 13 years, 11,695 yards
Jamal Lewis, Tennessee, 5th overall - 9 years, 10,607 yards
Shaun Alexander, Alabama, 19th overall - 9 years, 9,453 yards
George Rogers, South Carolina, 1st overall - 7 years, 7,176 yards
Those five, with the exception of Taylor .... averaged over 1,000 yds per year in the NFL, that's solid production. All of them played over the 4 year life span of an average NFL back's career. But those first three, especially those first three ... those are just exceptional. It's doubtful we'll ever see that kind of prolonged production from another back anytime soon.
I remember Lewis being part of that Tennessee class that just raped the state of Georgia that year. Was Rodney Garner responsible for signing all those players out of Georgia for Tennessee that year? What class was that? Signing class of '98 maybe?
ETA: Shawn Alexander is one of my favorite all-time players. And George Rogers, poor Boo ... he could have played much longer but he was so beaten-up and battered by the time he finally got out of New Orleans it's a wonder he can even walk today. His hands are permanently deformed. I guess he suffered the curse of New Orleans sorta like Archie Manning did ... it was a black hole for some great players through the 70s and 80s.
This post was edited on 12/26/15 at 12:42 pm
Posted on 12/26/15 at 12:39 pm to MSU5
quote:Uh at Ole Miss he was really good. And I said he shouldn't have been taken in the first round. Where did I saw anything wrong?
Are you kidding me? John Avery was an absolute BUM. You guys are so obnoxious.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 1:08 pm to Killean
ETA:
Nevermind.
Forgot he was taken in 2nd.
Nevermind.
Forgot he was taken in 2nd.
This post was edited on 12/26/15 at 1:11 pm
Posted on 12/26/15 at 1:10 pm to magildachunks
Kevin Faulk was a 2nd round draft pick.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 1:18 pm to Killean
Stephen Davis should be on this list, but his is a weird story.
He was projected to go in the first round his junior year. Bowden talked him into coming back to AU and he has an ok senior season on a poor AU offense. Still finished first team all SEC with about 1500 yards, bit inexplicably fell to the 4th round despite ridiculous combine numbers.
He was projected to go in the first round his junior year. Bowden talked him into coming back to AU and he has an ok senior season on a poor AU offense. Still finished first team all SEC with about 1500 yards, bit inexplicably fell to the 4th round despite ridiculous combine numbers.
Posted on 12/26/15 at 1:19 pm to Killean
quote:
Jamal Lewis, Tennessee, 5th overall - 9 years, 10,607 yards
Could have destroyed the record books if he wasn't a thug.
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