Before Texas Tech became known as the epicenter of the passing game revolution for college football, Lubbock was home to some of the best running backs in the nation for decades. In fact, the program’s first national star was a RB.
Nicknamed the “Golden Palomino” Borger, Texas native Donny Anderson was a top-4 finisher in the 1965 Heisman Trophy voting and became the first player from Texas Tech to be a household name for football fans. Thus began a long tradition of star running backs to come through Lubbock.
Since then, names such as James Gray, Byron Hanspard, Bam Morris, Ricky Williams, James Hadnot, and Taurean Henderson have become stars while playing running back for the Red Raiders.