Texas Football: 3 most under-appreciated running backs ever

3. Shon Mitchell

One of the most intriguing stories to look back on and see why a former Longhorn running back star never made it to the NFL is Shon Mitchell. This former stud Texas running back looked like he was going to be a star for the two years he played on the Forty Acres. Mitchell came out of the gates flying in 1995, his first year in Austin.

During a very solid 1995 season for Mitchell, he led the Southwest Conference in rushing yards per attempt, was third in rushing touchdowns, and finished fourth in rushing yards. He tallied up 1,142 total yards from scrimmage and 10 rushing touchdowns during the 1995 season. Mitchell also added an average of 6.2 yards per carry to that solid stat line.

All signs pointed to Mitchell facing a very productive 1996 season. But he would ultimately take a step back. Mitchell got 176 rushing attempts in 1995, as really the only running back he had to regularly split carries was Williams. But Williams would start assuming the lead role in the backfield, followed by eventual Kansas City Chiefs star running back Priest Holmes.

During the 1996 season, Mitchell got 117 rushing attempts for 626 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He added just over 100 receiving yards in 1996 too.

By now, most Texas fans don’t look back on the backfield trio of Williams, Mitchell, and Holmes, with much fondness of the middle running back. Mitchell tallied up more than 1,800 total yards from scrimmage and 14 rushing touchdowns during his two years playing at Texas. He is one of the most efficient running backs to suit up in the burnt orange in the last three decades.