Corey Clement
Years played: 2013-2016
Career rushing yards: 3,092
Career rushing touchdowns: 36
Honors/Awards: First team All-Big Ten (2016)
Notes: Third in Big Ten in rushing yards (1,375) in 2016. Third in Big Ten in rushing touchdown (15) in 2016.
Clement’s Game
Clement might be the hardest runner on this list. There isn’t anything that stands out about his appearance, but the 5-foot-11-inch, 227 pound back from New Jersey was a load. He never went down without putting up a fight, as all good running backs should. Clement was a complete back. He could run between the tackles and take big hits, or he could stretch it outside and outrun opposing defensive backs.
Clement had solid seasons his freshman and sophomore years in Madison. The table was set in 2015 for his junior year to be a breakout season after Melvin Gordon left for the NFL, but injuries never allowed Clement to get going. The Wisconsin running game wasn’t what it was used to being for that season without Clement at 100%. But the following year in 2016 he showed what he could do. Clement broke the 1,000-yard threshold running for over 1,300 yards and scored 15 times on the ground.
Clement’s Legacy
Clement could have very well faded into ‘just another back’ at Wisconsin. He showed potential, but injuries almost derailed the promising career. At Wisconsin, it feels like there’s always another back ready to take over the carries. Clement did everything necessary to make sure he wouldn’t be overlooked.
If ever a running back is looking for a story of perseverance, they don’t need to look any further than Clement’s time at Wisconsin. His final season at Wisconsin was one of the best to date in program history. He was a large part of the offense’s success and made plenty of great memories for Wisconsin fans.