Top 10 Wisconsin Badgers running backs of all time
8. Billy Marek (1972-1975)
Predictably, a lot of recent Wisconsin running backs will find their way to this list, but one of the few to truly shine during the down years of Badger football in the 1970s and 1980s prior to the Barry Alvarez era was Marek. After seeing little action as a freshman, Marek burst on the scene with 1,207 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore in 1973. In 1974, he was even better with 1,215 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, which is eighth-best in a single season among running backs in program history. Marek’s 1974 season included an impressive 304-yard performance against rival Minnesota, which is the fourth-best single-game rushing performance in Badgers history. His five touchdowns in that contest are also tied for the most by a Badgers running back in one game. Marek earned his third-consecutive 1,200-yard season in 1975, again posting a double-digit touchdown total with 13. The two-time first-team All-Big Ten running back finished his Wisconsin career with a then program-best 3,709 rushing yards, breaking a record previously held by another tremendous Wisconsin running back in Ferguson. The career yardage total still ranks as the eighth-best mark in Badgers history, while his 44 career touchdowns also stand at No. 6 on Wisconsin’s all-time list.
No shortage of standout RBs in @BadgerFootball history, and Billy Marek is one of them.#WayBackWednesday pic.twitter.com/sUmPQ611r9
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 19, 2018
