Earlier this month, the National Football Foundation (NFF) released their ballot for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class and former Stanford running back Toby Gerhart made the cut. The NFF said of Gerhart in their release:
“Unanimous First Team All-American, winner of the Doak Walker award and Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2009…Led the nation in points (178), TDs (29) and rushing yards (1,871) during prolific season campaign…2009 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year who is Stanford's all-time leader in career rushing TDs (44).”
After having relatively quiet freshman and sophomore seasons on The Farm, Gerhart exploded onto the scene in his junior year, rushing for 1136 yards on 210 carries for 15 touchdowns and a 5.4 yards per carry average. He also tacked on 114 receiving yards on 13 receptions for an 8.8 yards per reception average.
As a senior, Gerhart went from being one of the best running backs in the Pac-10 to being perhaps the best running back in the country: 1871 rushing yards on 343 carries for 28 touchdowns and a 5.5 yards per carry average. He also had 157 receiving yards on 11 receptions for a 14.3 yards per reception average. He was second in the Heisman voting behind Alabama running back Mark Ingram and took home the Doak Walker award, which goes to the top running back in the nation.
What made Gerhart such a great running back was his physicality, shiftiness, and overall feel for the game. At 6’1”, 235 pounds, Gerhart usually needed at least three or four defenders to take him down and once he got into the open field, he was tough to get a hand on. He broke tackles with ease and in the red zone, he was money. He was more of an old-school running back in that it was all about handing the ball off to him and letting him go to work. He wasn’t much of a threat as a receiver and didn’t do anything in the return game. He was a pure workhorse of a running back and few have done it better.
As far as Gerhart’s Hall of Fame candidacy is concerned, it’s no surprise he’s on the ballot and if he doesn’t get in the Hall of Fame in 2023, he’s bound to get in at some point. He was on the ballot last year and did not get in, so maybe this is the year he’ll get in. Very few guys get in on the first crack. Whether it’s in 2023 or in a future season, at some point, he’s going to get in and when it does happen, it’ll be well-deserved.
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