Iowa Hawkeyes’ Ronnie Harmon named one of ESPN’s top 100 running backs of the last 60 years
ESPN’s Bill Connelly compiled his list of the top 100 college running backs of the past 60 years. Former Iowa running back Ronnie Harmon made the list as the No. 99 running back.
Harmon was electric as a Hawkeye. According to sports-reference.com, Harmon carried 190 times for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns in his junior season. Then, in his final year with Iowa, Harmon rushed 209 times for 1,111 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry his junior season and 5.3 yards per tote in his senior year.
Harmon also caught 32 passes for 318 yards and a score in his junior year and had 49 receptions for 597 yards and a touchdown his senior year. Harmon was included in Connelly’s “dual threats” category. Washington’s Greg Lewis, Washington State’s Rueben Mayes, Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe, Texas Tech’s Donny Anderson and Clemson’s Travis Etienne were listed along with Harmon in Connelly’s “duel threats” group.
The first six players on the list proved almost as dangerous catching passes as they were taking handoffs. And after players such as Donny Anderson and Ronnie Harmon paved the way, Travis Etienne showed the finished form of such a back, rushing for more than 1,600 yards twice and catching 85 balls for 1,020 yards over his last two seasons. – Connelly, ESPN.
Alongside Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback Chuck Long, Harmon helped Iowa to a Big Ten championship and a 10-2 record. The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 for five weeks.
That stretch included a thrilling win over Michigan State where Long ran in a 2-yard touchdown on a naked bootleg with 27 seconds remaining for a 35-31 win over the Spartans. Then, in a battle versus No. 2 Michigan, Iowa kicker Rob Houghtlin connected on his fourth of the day to propel the Hawkeyes to a 12-10 win.
Iowa’s only losses came at No. 8 Ohio State, 22-13, and in the Rose Bowl against No. 13 UCLA, 45-28. Harmon was drafted in the first round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. Long was selected No. 12 overall by the Detroit Lions and offensive tackle Mike Haight was chosen No. 22 overall by the New York Jets.
Before T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant went in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft with picks No. 8 and No. 20 to the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, respectively, Long and Harmon represented the last pair of Hawkeyes to be drafted inside the top 20 of the first round. According to pro-footballreference.com, Harmon played 12 NFL seasons and rushed 615 times for 2,774 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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