Ron Dayne — Wisconsin
Ron Dayne epitomized what it meant to be a Wisconsin football. Badgers’ icon Barry Alvarez managed to convince the New Jersey native to come and play running back at 270 pounds. Simply put, he was a load. Dayne thrived behind traditionally massive Wisconsin offensive lines. A big guy himself, he was unbelievably nimble. A starter all four years in college, he finished his career with over 7,000 career rushing yards, 71 TDs, and two Rose Bowl MVP trophies.
Dayne was a first-round pick by the New York Giants (No. 11 overall). Whether being worn down in college or simply in not good enough shape for the professional ranks, Dayne’s NFL career was not a productive one. He morphed into more of a short-yardage back. Conditioning issues plagued him, and as such Dayne didn’t register one 1,000-yard season in the seven he featured in.
