Boston College Eagles: Top 5 running backs in school history

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 26: AJ Dillon #2 of the Boston College Eagles runs past Michael Jackson #28 of the Miami Hurricanes at Alumni Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 26: AJ Dillon #2 of the Boston College Eagles runs past Michael Jackson #28 of the Miami Hurricanes at Alumni Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Boston College Eagles
BLACKSBURG, VA – NOVEMBER 3: Running back AJ Dillon #2 of the Boston College Eagles (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

AJ Dillon just finished up his sophomore campaign and, at the rate he’s going, could end up being the best running back ever to suit up for the Boston College Eagles.

Mother Nature intervened on December 26 in what might have been a huge day for sophomore running back AJ Dillon and the Boston College Eagles.

Dillon scored on a 19-yard touchdown run on the Boston College Eagles first drive of the game, but Mother Nature intervened with 5:08 left in the first quarter. Lightning strikes near the stadium delayed — and ultimately forced cancellation of — the First Responder Bowl in Dallas, TX.

It is believed to be the first bowl game ever to be canceled due to weather.

More from Chowder and Champions

All stats were taken off the board, meaning Dillon finished up his sophomore season with 1,108 yards. Dillon played in ten games, but some of these were only partial appearances due to injuries. He had five games of 100 yards or more, finishing with 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Dillon, as a freshman, had 1,589 yards on the ground, fourth-highest for a single season in program history. His 272 yards against Louisville in 2017 ranks as the third best single-game performance in Boston College history.

During his time at Boston College, Dillon has 2,697 yards on the ground, already ranking ninth in school history.

An over-the-moon performance in his freshman campaign, along with a steady sophomore year has Dillon on track to be one of the best ever at Boston College. A healthy and productive junior season could vault Dillon to number one in many categories.

Until then, here are the top-five running backs who paved the way in the record books before Dillon came along.

5-William Green

William Green (1999-2001) carried the Boston College Eagles into the 21st-century, notching back-to-back 1000-yard seasons in 2000 and 2001. Green’s 33 career touchdowns rank 2nd-best in school history.

In ’01, Green was a consensus first-team All-American in 2001 and won the Big East Offensive Player of the Year the same season. It was also during this season in which Green failed to crack the 100-yard mark only once and he ran for 180 or more yards five times, including 213 in a game at Rutgers.

Green finished with 2,974 career rushing yards and played four seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Green finished with 887 yards as a rookie but ran into off-the-field problems that slowed his career.