In its history, the Memphis football program has produced several high-caliber talents who made significant impacts on the field while they suited up for the blue-and-gray. Among many others, wide receiver Anthony Miller and linebacker Genard Avery are the most recent active NFL players from the University of Memphis.
However, one name that stands out from the rest is DeAngelo Williams, a running back who enjoyed a very successful professional career with the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
During his four-year stint with the Tigers, Williams rewrote the school records, and his 6,026 career yards on the ground is by far the most any player has in program history. In his best campaign, his 2005 senior season, Williams finished with 1,964 rushing yards to go along with 18 touchdowns. Current Tigers running back Darrell Henderson is putting up numbers that remind fans of the days when number 20 in blue would put up a show at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Through eight games, Henderson leads the NCAA in all-purpose yards, with a stellar 1,470 yards, 183.75 per game. In addition to that, Henderson is also tied for the national lead in touchdowns with 15, even after missing much of the contest in Missouri. At his current rate, Henderson is on pace to close the year with 1,722 yards on the ground and 20 touchdowns. During the Tigers’ week of preparation leading up to a road tilt at East Carolina, Henderson was even announced as a semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award, awarded annually to college football’s best player.
Williams, the 27th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, currently sits at No. 6th in NCAA career rush yards and in the top-25 in total touchdowns, with 55. He also owns six of the top-10 single-game performances by a running back in Tiger history to go along with all of the top three most successful regular seasons by statistics.
Although Henderson’s collegiate totals most likely won’t top Williams’, his level of production places him right there in the discussion as it relates to the two players impacts on games. While Williams was widely viewed as a first-round prospect through much of his time at Memphis, Henderson’s professional potential is a bit harder to project.
Henderson has garnered attention from scouts for his big-play ability, and some offenses may see him as the type of home-run hitter who can put their attack over the top. Many analysts expect the star tailback to be a mid-round selection, and whichever team decides to take Henderson will likely be betting on his vision and fluid running style to translate well at the next level.
Despite being wildly productive nearly every time he takes the field, Henderson may face some potential roadblocks on the way. He could be considerred too undersized to play running back in the NFL, and his time spent in the potent spread offense may not serve him well in more complex schemes and play-styles. Like Henderson, Williams was labeled as undersized and lacking elite speed in the buildup to the 2006 draft. However, those initial doubts didn’t stop Williams from going on to become the Carolina Panthers’ second all-time leading rusher in franchise history.
Historically, the Memphis Tigers football program is one that does not churn out first-round NFL talent year after year like some powerhouse teams do. For Williams and Henderson, who have both been doubted by pro scouts while also scorching the rest of NCAA statistically, all there is to do is let the numbers speak for themselves.
Former Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams ran for over 6,000 yards and scored 60 touchdowns in four seasons for the Blue and Gray. Photo courtsey of the University of Memphis.
Darrell Henderson rushed for 233 yards on 14 carries and became the second Tiger in the program’s history to have back-to-back 200 rushing yards games since DeAngelo Williams. He accumulated roughly 34 percent of the total Memphis offensive yards.
