Continuing our series of the Texas Longhorns team of the century, we now look at running backs.
Related: Texas Longhorns team of the century: Quarterbacks
Over its’ history, Texas has had world-class running backs come through the program. Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams both won the Heisman Trophy during their time in Austin.
Moving into the 2000s, nothing changed for the Longhorns as they have continued to produce great running backs. Two players, in particular, stand out, as they were both apart of great Texas teams and are atop the all-time leaderboards in rushing.
Starting Running Back: Cedric Benson
- 5,540 rushing yards
- 64 rushing touchdowns
- 621 receiving yards
- Three receiving touchdowns
- 49 games played
Benson rushing for 1,000+ yards in all four of his seasons is an incredible stat that will not happen in Austin again for a long time. He got better and better as the years went on, eventually rushing for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns his senior season.
His 2003 performance against Texas A&M remains one of the greatest in the history of the rivalry. On 35 carries, Benson had 283 yards and four touchdowns. Texas dominated the Aggies and won 46-15.
Second in all-time rushing yards behind Ricky Williams, Benson is in the top three all-time running backs to play for the Longhorns. From start to finish, he put up monster numbers for Texas.
Backup Running Back: Jamaal Charles
- 3,328 rushing yards
- 36 rushing touchdowns
- 539 receiving yards
- Three receiving touchdowns
- 38 games played
A part of the 2005 National Championship team, Charles got to play with both Vince Young and Colt McCoy during his three years at Texas. Sharing carries with Selvin Young in 2005 and 2006, once Charles became the every-down back in 2007, he exploded for 1,619 yards.
Charles’ speed and agility are what made him special for the Longhorns. A play that always comes to mind is his 80-yard touchdown against Oklahoma in the 2005 Red River Shootout.
Despite only playing for three years and having another running back in the backfield with him for two seasons, Charles is still fourth all-time in rushing yards. What if Charles had returned for the 2008 season to help a 12-1 Texas team? It could be one of the biggest ‘What ifs?’ in Longhorns history.
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