ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell Hall of Famer Ed Marinaro has been named one of the top 150 college football players of all time by ESPN as part of the #CFB150 celebration. The team was voted on by a blue-ribbon panel of 150 media members, college administrators, and former coaches and players.
Marinaro, who graduated as college football's all-time leading rusher after finishing second for the Heisman Trophy in 1971, was slotted in at No. 126 on the prestigious list. He broke Steve Owens' all-time career rushing record of 3,867 yards, finishing his career with 4,715 yards to become the first player to go over the 4,000 mark. During his three years at Cornell, he set an NCAA season record of 1,881 yards and a season per-game average of 209.0. His career average of 174.6 also set an NCAA record. Overall, he established eight NCAA career marks and tied another and six NCAA single-season records. Marinaro won the national triple crown in 1971 - rushing, all-purpose running and scoring. He set several Ivy League records, including career and season rushing yardage. He was named co-recipient of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year in 1970 and won the award outright the following year. Marinaro was a three-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 1970 and '71. In 1981, he was selected to the Ivy League Silver Anniversary All-Star first team while also being named Ivy League Silver Anniversary Player of the Era. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
ESPN wrote of Marinaro:
"It is up for debate as to whether Marinaro is the last great running back produced by the Ivy League. What is not up for debate are the numbers that illustrate his production. Marinaro remains one of only nine rushers to lead the nation in rushing in consecutive seasons, joining such stars as O.J. Simpson, Ricky Williams and LaDainian Tomlinson. He averaged 174.6 yards per game, and he carried the ball an astounding 34 times per game over three seasons. As a senior, Marinaro made every All-America team, won the Maxwell Award and finished second for the Heisman."
Marinaro was one of three Ivy League players on the list, joining offensive lineman Chuck Bednarik of Penn (No. 30) and quarterback Sid Luckman of Columbia (No. 103).
