Alabama Football: Crimson Tide Top 10 All-Time Rushers
By Ronald Evans
No. 6 TJ Yeldon (2012, 2013, 2014)
- Career Rushing – 3,322 yards on 576 carries
- Career Yards-Per-Carry average of 5.77 yards
- 2013 First-team All-SEC
TJ Yeldon had a successful three-season career for the Alabama Crimson Tide. His career numbers would have been higher but for two reasons. In his third season, Nick Saban brought in Lane Kiffin to modernize the Alabama football offense. In the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the Crimson Tide offense under Doug Nussmeier was still tied to a heavy dependence on ‘ground-and-pound’. Running through and over opponents was complemented by strategic passing, but the Crimson Tide, before Lane Kiffin, was basically a power football team.
Not only did Kiffin change that, in the 2014 season, Yeldon had to share carries with freshman, Derrick Henry. In addition, the running back turned quarterback, Blake Sims had over 80 carries in the 2014 season.
Yeldon was the lead back in 2014 in terms of carries, but Henry was close behind him and produced more rushing yards.
Yeldon played six NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills.