Mike Rozier

Running Back (1980)

Mike grew up in Camden, New Jersey and attended Coffeyville Community College for one year leading the Ravens to a 9-0 season.  He had 157 carries for 1157 yards for an average of 7.4 yards per carry, and 10 touchdowns.  Mike was a first team All-American in both the NJCAA and the Gridwire Polls while playing for the Ravens.

While at the University of Nebraska, he rewrote the Nebraska rushing and scoring record books, along with making a considerable dent in the Big Eight and NCAA books as well during a phenomenal senior season.  Rozier set Nebraska rushing records for attempts in a season (273) and career (668) and yards in a game (285 vs Kansas) Big Eight record for yards in a season (2148) and career (4780) and a NCAA record for yards per carry in a season (7.81) and career (7.16) and yards gained in four consecutive games (929 in his last four).  Mike set Nebraska and Big Eight marks with 29 touchdowns and 174 points in 1983.  Mike’s 51 career TD’s and 312 points are both school records.  All 29 touchdowns in 1983 came on the ground, setting an NCAA record in addition to tying the NCAA record for total TDs.  His 11 - 100 plus yard games in 1983 tied yet another NCAA record shared by six other players (five of them Heisman Winners).

Rozier’s 1983 total of 2148 yards was the second highest in NCAA history and he was only the second over 2000 yards in a season.  Nebraska’s first-ever NCAA rushing champion (179.0 yards per game; the fourth best in NCAA history and the second national scoring leader with an average of 14.5 points per game) finished his career with 4780 yards rushing.  He was selected first team All-American both his junior and senior years and won the highest award for a college football player, The Heisman Trophy, his senior year.

Mike was the first player picked in the USFL Pittsburgh Maullers and would have been the second pick in the NFL.  He played for the Houston Oilers for five seasons and then two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.  During his seven seasons in the NFL he had over 4600 yards rushing and over 40 TDs.

Mike is in private business living in his home state of New Jersey.