The running back position has changed in the modern era of the game, and that evolution is evident when looking at the best seasons from a running back in the last two decades of the Texas Tech football program.
There was a time when no position on the field was more important to the Texas Tech football program than running back. But in the last 20 years, what that position has been asked to do has changed.
Tech now needs its running backs to be all-around weapons fully capable of being receivers and pass blockers as well as ball carriers. That’s different than how some of the best RBs in the history of the program had been utilized.
For instance, the best RB in Tech history, Byron Handpard, caught more than 20 passes in a season just once in his three years. In fact, he averaged just 21 passes per year even with 35 catches as a sophomore.
Likewise, James Gray caught just 16.2 passes per year in his four-year run. The most he ever hauled in over the course of a season was 27 in 1988.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Byron “Bam” Morris averaged a mere 12 receptions per year as a Red Raider. His most prolific season in that category was 22 in 1993.
But one player who was ahead of his time in Lubbock was Donny Anderson. The “Golden Palomino” would be an absolute weapon in today’s game thanks to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. From 1963-65, Anderson made 107 receptions. That included an impressive 60 as a senior.
However, in today’s game, running backs are as important to the passing game as they are to the ground game. That’s because the spread offense is all about creating mismatches and one way to do that is to try to isolate a running back on a linebacker. And of course, RBs have always been required to be the last line of protection for the QB as their ability to take on a blitzing LB is essential to keeping the offense moving.
Recently, we took a look back at the 10 best seasons by a QB in the “Air Raid” era of Texas Tech football (2000-2019). And while those players are the ones that are the most invaluable to any offense, almost any great season by a QB comes when he has a quality RB joining him in the backfield. So let’s give the RBs their due by looking at the best seasons by one in the last two decades.