Monday, February 23, 2015

GT Career Rushing Leaders

Georgia Tech’s official athletics website www.ramblingwreck.com only displays football statistics up to 2006. For an institution that prides itself on being at the forefront of all things technology this is shameful. Thankfully the College Football Reference website displays all the stats you’ll ever need. Recently one of those sports tabloid websites listed the top five rushers in Tech history. This made me want to do some research into the subject. The list left off recent transfers Anthony Allen and Tashard Choice as well as the mercurful PJ Daniels and Jonathan Dwyer (who left a year early for a tepid pro career).

.YDS.TD.PLAYER.YEARS
4066 45 Robert Lavette 81-84 (4)
3699 18 Jerry Mays 85-89 (4)
3517 22 Eddie Lee Ivery 75-78 (4) above
3365 28 Tashard Choice 05-07 (3)
3346 23 PJ Daniels 02-05 (4)
3226 35 Jonathan Dwyer 07-09 (3)
2806 35 Josh Nesbitt 07-10 QB (4)
2634 31 Joe Burns 98-01 (4)
2365 20 CJ Williams 94-96 (3)
2274 21 David Sims 1974-1976 (3)

2252 23 David Sims 2010-2013 (4)
2225 38 Tevin Washington 09-12 QB (4)
2033 17 Zack Laskey 11-14 (4)
2026 14 William Bell 89-93 (4)
1834 13 Anthony Allen 09-10 (2)
1846 14 Roddy Jones
1839 20 Orwin Smith
1794 22 Leon Hardeman 51-53 (3)
1777 11 Ronny Cone 79-83 (4)
1758 18 Joe Hamilton 96-99 QB (4)

1743 18 Lenny Snow 65-67 (3)
1601 05 Jimy Lincoln
1590 08 Cory Collier
1576 17 Malcolm King
1451 11 Reggie Ball QB
1446 06 Brent Cunningham 69-71
1431 19 Charles Wiley
1425 11 Greg Horne 71-73
1396 18 Synjin Days 11-14 (4)
1320 10 Justin Thomas 13-14 QB (2)

1287 05 Charlie Rogers
1191 11 Robert Godhigh 11-13 (3)
1162 03 Bucky Shamburger 75-78 (4)
1057 17 Vad Lee 12-13 QB (2)

There are other runners over the years with totals between Days and Lee. These leading rushers cover all the years between 1974 and 2014 – the past 41 seasons. I added some of the leading rushers going back from 1973 to 1954 (see below). Back in the day coaches like Bobby Dodd relied more on a stable of backs to share the load as opposed to just one bell cow.  

51-53 Leon Hardeman
53-56 George Volkert 990 8 (4)
57-59 Floyd Faucette 932 4 (3)
59-61 Billy Williamson 757 5 (3)
62-64 Johnny Gresham  
65-67 Lenny Snow
68-69 Kenny Bounds 343 3 (2)
69-71 Brent Cunningham
71-73 Greg Horne
74-76 David Sims
75-78 Eddie Lee Ivery
79-83 Ronny Cone
81-84 Robert Lavette
85-89 Jerry Mays
89-93 William Bell
94-96 CJ Williams
96-99 Joe Hamilton
98-01 Joe Burns
02-05 PJ Daniels
05-07 Tashard Choice
07-10 Josh Nesbitt
11-14 Zack Laskey

Justin Thomas could become Tech’s all-time leading rusher by staying healthy and averaging 106 yards rushing per game over the next two years. If Tech advances to the ACC Championship Game in 2015 and 2016 Thomas would only have to average 98 rushing yards per game to break the record. His yards per season number below is skewed because he only gained yards in limited playing time during his 2013 freshman season.

YARDS PER SEASON
1121 Tashard Choice (3)
1075 Jonathan Dwyer (3)
1017 Robert Lavette (4)
925 Jerry Mays (4)
917 Anthony Allen (2)
879 Eddie Lee Ivery (4)
837 PJ Daniels (4)
788 CJ Williams (3)
758 David Sims (3)
702 Josh Nesbitt QB (4)
660 Justin Thomas QB (2)
659 Joe Burns (4)
556 Tevin Washington QB (4)
508 Zack Laskey (4)
507 William Bell (4)
598 Leon Hardeman (3)
444 Ronny Cone (4)
440 Joe Hamilton QB (4)
349 Synjin Days (4)

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