Legendary college football running backs are some of the most recognizable names in sports: Red Grange ā¦ Doak Walker ā¦ Earl Campbell ā¦ Nate Kmic.
Yes, Nate Kmic.
The University of Mount Union (Ohio) graduate is the only running back in NCAA history to rush for more than 8,000 yards ā 8,074 to be exact.
And Kmic (pronounced āKUH-mickā) also leads the running backs noted above in another category: National Team selections. A member of the Austria-bound 2011 U.S. Menās National Team in football, the 25-year-old is a chiseled 195 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame.
āI get grief from my friends about that record,ā Kmic said after Team USA’s first training camp practice at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. Kmic also holds NCAA all-division records for most career touchdowns (130) and points (780). His best season came as a senior in 2008 when he posted NCAA all-division records for rushing yards (2,790) and rushing touchdowns (44) en route to a 15-0 season for the Purple Raiders. āThey call me all kinds of nicknames, but I owe a lot to my teammates. It was the (offensive line) that blocked for me; there was a great offense around me.
āAll records are made to be broken ā someday someone will surpass it.ā
How good were Kmicās Purple Raider teams? That would be 58-2 (.967) with three Division III National Championships.
Now heās running toward a gold medal at the IFAF Senior World Championship.
āWe understand that the seven other countries weāre competing against are gunning for us. And in talking with some of the guys who played on this team in 2007, they said that everybody wants to beat America.
āThis is Americaās game. To beat us in our own sport would be something for another country to be very proud of, so weāre not going to let that happen. Weāre going to go out and do our best.ā
Kmic is currently a Mount Union assistant coach who works with running backs under legendary head coach and Team USA offensive coordinator Larry Kehres.
Team USA offensive lineman Luke Summers played with Kmic at Mount Union from 2005-08.
āHis versatility and durability sets him apart and he has great quickness,ā Summers said. āHe can run the ball 40 times a game, catch it out of the backfield and make people miss.
āAs a lineman, I appreciate how hard he runs. All you need to do is give him a crease.ā
The last time Kmic took a handoff was in the 2008 Stagg Bowl when he helped lead Mount Union to a 31-26 victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater to win a national championship. He hopes that his last handoff in Austria is a āgoldenā memory.
āIām here to play for America in Americaās game ā itās a great honor to be here,ā he said. āSecondly, I want to play again ā I love to play the game. I wanted to see if I could still play and come out and do it because itās fun and I love to play football.
āOnce we get to Austria and see the other nationsā flags and colors, itāll remind us what weāre there for and thatās playing for the United States.ā
By Steve Alic
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
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