Ultimate Michigan Football Roster: Running Backs/Fullback
By David Cuff
Nov 1, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Drake Johnson (20) rushes in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
As we continue with our reveal of the Ultimate Michigan Football roster, we move on to the rest of the backfield with the running backs and fullbacks. There are five running backs and one fullback on the roster. Keep in mind that only these players’ Michigan careers are considered when coming up with the roster.
Starter- The starter at running back is Mike Hart. He was a four year starter at Michigan, and along with Jamie Morris, is one of only two players who led Michigan in rushing all four seasons he was at the school. Only a hamstring injury as a sophomore that caused him to miss four games kept him from being a 1,000 yard rusher in all four of his seasons at Michigan. Hart is currently Michigan’s all time leading rusher by nearly 600 yards. He also ranks number one in rushing attempts and third in rushing touchdowns.
Backups- The first backup is Jamie Morris. Morris ran for 1703 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. He also averaged an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. Morris ranks fourth on Michigan’s all time list in both rushing attempts and rushing yards. One record Morris still holds at Michigan is most all purpose yards in a career.
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The second backup is Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley played four years at Michigan and was the starting running back for three of them. He had double digit rushing touchdowns in his final three seasons and even as a freshman backup he still had nine rushing touchdowns. Wheatley was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1992 and was named the MVP of the Rose Bowl in 1993. Wheatley ranks second all time in rushing touchdowns at Michigan and fifth in rushing yards. He also averaged an impressive 6.1 yards per carry for his career.
The third back up is Denard Robinson. I know Robinson spent nearly all of his Michigan career at quarterback, but he did play his final three games at the running back position. Robinson’s rushing stats also stack up with all of the great backs in Michigan history. He ranks fifth all-time in total rushes, second in rushing yards, and tied for third in rushing touchdowns. He is the program’s all-time leader in total offense. You can’t have an Ultimate Michigan Football roster without Robinson.
The fourth and final backup is Tom Harmon. Harmon played for Michigan from 1938-40 so it’s hard to translate what he did then to today’s game, but he was easily one of the greatest players in college football history and has to be on this roster. He led the entire nation in scoring in both the 1939 and 1940 seasons. Harmon rushed for 2151 yards on 399 carries while at Michigan.
Fullback- The fullback on the roster is Chris Floyd. Floyd came to Michigan as a running back, but was switched to fullback as a sophomore due to the depth that was at running back. He started 21 games at fullback during his final three seasons at Michigan, and he saved his best season for last. Floyd was the starting fullback on the 1997 National Championship winning team, and was known for his great blocking in the backfield where he protected quarterback Brian Griese.