Top 50 UGA Players of All Time - No. 36 - Rodney Hampton
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Top 50 UGA Players of All Time - No. 36 - Rodney Hampton, RB from Houston, TX
The 80s were an incredible decade for Georgia Bulldog running backs.
It started with the great Herschel Walker, considered by many to be the greatest college football player of all time. Then came Tim Worley in the mid 80s. Keith Henderson also made an impact for the Bulldogs at that time. Then came Rodney Hampton. “Sweet feet” they called him. The Houston, Texas native made his way to Athens and made an instant impact during his freshman season in 1987, rushing for 890 yards and four touchdowns.
Hampton’s numbers dipped a little the following year with the return of senior Tim Worley, but Hampton still managed to rush for 719 yards and six touchdowns. As a junior in 1989, Hampton became a national name across the country as he rushed for 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 219 yards that season.
In total, Hampton rushed 472 times for 2,668 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes for 438 career receiving yards and three touchdowns. Hampton’s career rushing yards rank 8th all-time in school history.
Hampton was 3-0 all-time against the Florida Gators, leading to his later induction into the Georgia/Florida Hall of Fame. Hampton was also 2-1 against rival Georgia Tech in his Bulldog career.
After a big junior season, Hampton decided to enter the 1990 draft and was selected in the 1st round at pick number 24 to the New York Giants. Hampton played for the Giants for 8 years from 1990-1997, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’92 and ’93. Hampton rushed for over 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons from 1991-1995, and was a Super Bowl XXV champion in his rookie season with the Giants.
In 8 NFL seasons, Hampton rushed for a total of 6,897 yards and scored 49 touchdowns. Of all the great University of Georgia running backs over the years, not many have had the NFL success that Hampton had during the mid-90s. The late 80’s Georgia running back is still held in high regard by Bulldog fans to this day.