Top 10 Wisconsin Badgers running backs of all time
1. Ron Dayne (1996-1999)
In a program that has produced so many great running backs, Dayne still stands above the rest. The New Jersey native stepped right into the Badgers’ lineup as just a freshman and delivered 2,109 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He ran for over 1,400 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons, totaling 30 touchdowns in 1997 and 1998. As a senior in 1999, Dayne had arguably his best season with 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns, winning nearly every major college football award including the Heisman Trophy as he broke the NCAA all-time rushing record. In his Badgers career, Dayne ran for 71 touchdowns and a program-best 7,125 yards, a mark that likely won’t be touched anytime soon. The Badgers standout ran the ball 1,220 times in his Wisconsin career and averaged an impressive 5.8 yards per carry as well as an astounding 169.5 yards per game. The three-time first-team All-American helped lead Wisconsin to two Big Ten titles and back-to-back Rose Bowl victories in 1999 and 2000 at the height of the Barry Alvarez era. Dayne rushed for an impressive 446 yards and five touchdowns in those games, taking home MVP honors in both. While his NFL career didn’t exactly live up to the billing, Dayne’s Wisconsin career remains unmatched.
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Happy Birthday, “RONNNNNNNN DAYYYYYYYYNNNNNE!”@Ron33Dayne pic.twitter.com/SU4f7PpZm2
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 14, 2019
Twenty years later… and @Ron33Dayne is still the 🐐
Today, we recognized Ron Dayne on the 20-year anniversary of him winning the 1999 Heisman Trophy#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/xMb3oOz0L6
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 9, 2019
