By Brendon Rosenau
Love of NFL Correspondent

We previously brought you our take on some of the greatest collegiate quarterbacks who failed in any attempt to flourish at the next level. In keeping with the same thought process, we figured it’d be interesting to examine some of the NCAA’s elite running backs who ultimately fell apart after declaring themselves eligible for the NFL draft.

So without further ado, here’s a look at the Top 10 Running Backs who never were (in no particular order), and for all you Penn State fans, we thought we’d kick things off with a miniature tribute to a few of your favorite Nittany Lions.

Curtis Enis: Penn State University (1995-1997)
Had he played all four years, Curtis Enis could’ve been PSU’s all-time greatest running back. Instead, he settled for fourth place, finishing with 3,256 yards and 36 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Enis ran for 1,210 yards and 13 TD’s, which includes his unforgettable 241-yard game against USC. The next year Enis eclipsed the century mark in eight straight games, breaking a record previously held by Blair Thomas. He finished the season with 1,363 yards and 19 touchdowns, was the Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year and an All-American. Enis looked so good that the Bears, who were only a few years removed from the Rashaan Salaam fiasco (more on that further down), took him with the fifth overall pick. Unfortunately, he gained an abysmal 1,497 yards and only scored four times in three seasons. If we were forced to choose a “best” season, it’d be 1999, where he gained 916 yards, but only crossed the goal line three times.

Blair Thomas: Penn State University (1985-1989)
Ask a Jets fan about Blair Thomas and you’ll either get a groan or punch in the mouth. On the flipside, discuss him with a Penn State fan and you’ll probably get a free beer. Thomas is one of the greatest backs of Joe Pa era. He rushed for 3,301 yards over his career, and was an All-American in 1989. Thomas’ junior year (1987) was his most prolific, as he ran for 1,414 yards and 11 TD’s. In retrospect, this was the year his stock went from good to great. His career nearly came to a premature end in the following season, as he underwent reconstructive knee surgery. Thomas bounced back two years later, as a fifth-year senior and ran for 1,341 yards. His Penn State career concluded on a memorable streak of six straight 100+ yard games, which seemed to prove his knee was capable of handling the strain of the gridiron. The Jets took Thomas with the second pick of the 1989 draft, thus initiating the downfall of the PSU back. He lasted four years with the Jets, gaining a measly 468 yards and scoring just five touchdowns. He bounced around the league for the rest of his injury riddled career, ultimately retiring after seven seasons with a laughable 2,236 yards and seven touchdowns.

Ki-Jana Carter: Penn State University (1992-1994)
Carter gained 2,829 yards and averaged over seven yards per rush in his three seasons at PSU. As a junior, he ran for 1,539 yards and scored 23 touchdowns, leading the Nittany Lions to a 13-0 record. Carter, who finished as runner-up in Heisman voting, ended his Penn State career with a bang, rushing for 227 yards and five TD’s in a romp over Michigan State. A month later he took center stage in the “Grand Daddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl. On the first play from scrimmage he scampered 83 yards for a TD, en route to a 38-20 Penn State victory. Carter finished with 156 yards on the ground, scored a touchdown and was named Co-MVP of the game. It was his ninth 100-yard game of the season, which established a PSU record. In addition to that, his 38 rushing scores are also a school record. He was an All-American in that season, and his strong finish made him the cream of a seemingly talented crop of NFL-ready running backs. The Cincinnati Bengals had the first pick that year, and the rest, as they say, is history. Carter tore a knee ligament on his third carry of the preseason, which basically ended his rookie year before it started. Carter rehabbed like a madman and managed to gain 728 yards over the next two years, not to mention scoring an impressive 15 touchdowns. Sadly, injuries derailed his career again, limiting him to four games in the next two years. He battled back again and played for the Redskins and Saints. When all was said and done, Carter played seven years, gaining 1,144 yards and scoring 20 TD’s, which is actually more than the combined total of his Nittany Lions brethren. 

Eric Bieniemy: University of Colorado (1987-1990)
Eric “Sleeping With” Bieniemy is the Buffalos all-time leading rusher, and was the backbone of a National Title team. He earned All Big Eight (former Big 12) honors as a sophomore (1998), but became a Buffalo legend in 1990, when he rushed for 1,628 yards (second in the nation) and led Colorado to a National Title. It was his second 1,000 yard season, which was a first and only in school history. His collegiate career ended with an impressive 3,940 yards and 254 points. Bieniemy was the Chargers second-round pick in 1991 and bounced around the league for nine years. Despite missing only two games, he only managed to start one, which was for the Bengals in 1995. Bieniemy was mostly a back-up RB and return man, retiring with 11 touchdowns in his career. As far as rushing is concerned, he gained more yards during his senior year at Colorado than he did in 142 NFL games.

Rashaan Salaam: University of Colorado (1992-1994)
The winner of the 1994 Heisman Trophy seemed destined for greatness in the NFL. Salaam first appeared on the national radar as a sophomore, when he scored three TD’s and gained 135 yards during the Aloha Bowl. Suffice to say he chose the perfect venue to turn in an MVP performance. Salaam lit the NCAA world on fire the following fall, when he became just the fourth back in history to top 2,000 yards rushing in a season (2,055) and scored 24 touchdowns on a Buffalos team that finished 11-1. Salaam was the star on a team that featured Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and Christian Fauria. Take for example the Hail Marry against Michigan (You know the play). Check out the block before Air Kordell rolls right. That’s right, it’s Salaam, the same dude who ran for 165 yards at the Big House that day. He laid down 312 yards against the Longhorns the following Saturday, thus cementing his spot as the Heisman favorite. He capped his season with a three touchdown performance against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Salaam finished his final collegiate season with nine 100-yard games and four 200-yard games. He was a unanimous All-American, was named to the All-Big Eight team and the Chicago Bears thought they struck gold when he fell into their laps with the 21st overall pick. His initial transition to the Pros resulted in winning the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, as Salaam chewed up 1,074 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately for him and the Bears, that was pretty much it. His career flamed out quicker than the sticky green that he seemingly loved more than playing football. In addition to that, he suffered from a severe case of fumbleitis and was also somewhat injury prone. He finished his career with 14 fumbles and 13 touchdowns, and Chicago was so devastated by the flop that they didn’t take another RB until Curtis Enis in 1998 (nice luck, right?).

Cedric Benson: University of Texas (2001-04)
You may be shocked to find Benson on this list so soon, but I’ll say it; Cedric Benson’s a bust. He had a historic college career in which he gained 5,540 yards (6th all-time). He’s the only Texas player to have four 1,000-yard seasons, holds a school record 1,112 carries and is second in school history with 64 touchdowns. Benson holds the freshman record with 1,053 yards and followed that with 1,293 as a sophomore. That year he ran for a personal best 283 yards against Texas A&M. As a junior, Benson gained 1,360 yards with 21 touchdowns, and followed up the feat by leading the Longhorns to the Rose Bowl with 1,834 yards and 19 TD’s in his senior year. In the end, he finished with twenty-five 100-yard games and was an All-American in 2004. That April the Bears drafted him fourth overall, but he failed to meet expectations during his three years with the team. If you combine his failure to lock down a top running back spot with his off-the-field struggles and current unemployment, the end result’s definitely worth a spot on this list.

Lawrence Phillips: Nebraska (1993-1995)
Dick Vermeil once said Phillips had the potential to be the greatest running back he’d ever coached and Ray Lewis said Phillips was the toughest running back he ever faced. His amazing blend of raw power and blinding speed had pro scouts drooling, but there was a small problem; Phillips had the same explosiveness off the field as he did while playing. Phillips arrived in Lincoln and was immediately compared to some of the school’s all-time greats. After showing flashes of greatness as a freshman, Phillips blew up as a sophomore, rushing for 1,722 yards en route to a National Championship. It’s crazy to think the Cornhuskers had an offense that was dependant on a third string quarterback for half of the year. This meant eight and nine man fronts were the norm; yet they had zero impact on Phillips. Off-field issues had him sidelined for much of his senior year, but he did manage to go off for 165 yards and three touchdowns in his final game, which happened to be a Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida for another title. Although he only played the equivalent of two seasons at Nebraska, Phillips managed to earn a spot amongst the schools top ten runners of all time, with 2,777 yards. Despite the red flags, his talent proved to be too great to overlook. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in 1996 and actually racked up over 600 yards in each of first two seasons, and scored 12 touchdowns. Sadly, personal demons got the best of him, and he was never able to recreate the potential greatness he showed in Nebraska.

Troy Davis: Iowa State (1994-1996)
Who knew that the little town of Ames would play host to one of college football’s greatest running backs? It took just two years for Davis to break into the record books. As a sophomore, he became the fifth back in school history to rush for 2,000 yards (2,010), not to mention he led the nation with a 182.7 yards-per-game average. Davis ran for 291 yards against Ohio in the first game of the season. Later that year he posted 302 yards against UNLV, and ran for over 200 yards on four different occasions throughout the 1995 season. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting, and was a consensus member of the All-American team. As a junior, Davis led the nation in rushing again, this time gaining 2,185 (3rd highest all-time) yards to become the only player with consecutive 2,000-yard seasons. He ran for at least 130 yards every game and scored 21 touchdowns. His 378 yard game against Mizzou is good for the third best single game rushing total in NCAA history. He earned another trip to New York and was second in Heisman voting, not to mention finding a spot on every All-American team. Davis left Iowa State after three years and was the second round pick of the New Orleans Saints. Things didn’t work out in the pros, as the Sunday grind proved to be too much. On the bright side of things, Davis did find success in the CFL, where he has amassed over 6,000 yards on the ground in seven years.

William Green: Boston College (1999-2001)
Green’s time at Boston College elevated him from virtual unknown to potential All-Pro in just three years. After riding the pine for most of his freshman year, Green took over ball carrying duties as a sophomore. As the main focus of a mediocre team, he gained 1,194 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He followed that up during his junior year, which saw him post a draw-dropping 162.8 yards-per-game. That in turn led Green to the All-American team and potential NFL riches. A combination of the aforementioned average and 15 TD’s gave him ammunition to skip his final year. He left as the Eagles second best scorer (33 TD’s) and third best runner (3,073 yards), both of which would’ve been shattered had he stayed around a bit longer. Green was drafted 16th overall by the Browns in 2002, and after an 887 yard, six touchdown rookie year, the Browns thought they had their feature back. But alas, Green’s love for the green landed him in a bit of hot water, and he played in just seven games of the 2003 season. He was out of the NFL by 2006.

Tim Biakabutuka: University of Michigan (1993-95)
In one game, the name Tshimanga Biakabutuka became as prominent as Ron Johnson for Wolverine fans. In 1995, Biakabutuka, a native of Zaire, had one of the most storied seasons in college football. That year he ran for a school record 1,818 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, which is actually an after thought when compared to his performance against Ohio State. The Buckeyes were undefeated coming into the game, and were aiming for a national title. Conversely, Biakabutuka was aiming for Wolverine immortality, and succeeded. He rushed for 313 yards in what went down as one of the rivalries single greatest performances. Biakabutuka’s monster game led the Wolverines to a 31-23 win and put the kibosh on Ohio State’s title dreams. He’d have nine 100 yard games that season, including a four game stretch that totaled 719 yards. His draft status went through the roof as the year went on, and he was drafted with the eighth overall pick, by the Carolina Panthers. Regrettably, Biakabutuka suffered a series of injuries throughout his career, never regained his powerful running form and was done after just six seasons.

Honorable Mention:
Maurice Clarett
Byron Hanspard
Napoleon Kaufmann