Activities Sports & Athletics The Great Dayne: College Football's All-Time Leading Rusher How does Ron Dayne stack up in a list of leading NCAA football rushers Print Pete Saloutos / Getty Images Sports & Athletics Football College Football Basics Playing & Coaching Plays & Formations Baseball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Extreme Sports Golf Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Tim Hyland Updated on 02/15/19 Ron Dayne put the University of Wisconsin Badgers back on the NCAA Division 1 map during a spectacular career in Madison, Wisconsin. Between 1996 and 1999, the bruising but not flashy 5'10" college football rusher ran all over opposing defenses, amassing 6,397 rushing yards to break the NCAA career rushing mark previously held by Ricky Williams of Texas. The Great Dayne The rusher Ron Dayne -- also known as the Dayne Train and the Great Dayne -- won the Heisman Award in 1999. Other accolades include the 1999 Big 10 Player of the Year, and he was All-American in 1996, 1998, and 1999. Dayne won MVP honors in both the 1999 and 2000 Rose Bowl games (eclipsing 200 yards rushing in each game), becoming the only Big 10 player to repeat as MVP. His number, 33, was retired at the November 10, 2007, game against Michigan State. Dayne was inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2011, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Pro Football Days Dayne was picked 11th in the 2000 National Football Draft by the New York Giants, where the leading rusher became part of the "Thunder and Lightning" duo alongside Tiki Barber. He went on to play with the Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans -- in that order -- ending his career for good at age 30 in 2007. The leading college football rusher now resides in Waunakee, Wisconsin. Leading College Football Rushers Dayne's record was most recently challenged by fellow Wisconsin alum Montee Ball, who rushed for 5,140 yards between 2009 and 2012. The top 15 all-time leading rushers in college football history are listed here: Ron Dayne: Wisconsin (1996-99) 6,397 career rushing yards Ricky Williams: Texas (1995-98) 6,279 Tony Dorsett: Pittsburgh (1973-76) 6,082 DeAngelo Williams: Memphis (2002-05) 6,026 Charles White: USC (1976-79) 5,598 Travis Prentice: Miami (Ohio) (1996-99) 5,596 Cedric Benson: Texas (2001-04) 5,540 Damion Fletcher: Southern Miss (2006-09) 5,302 LaDainian Tomlinson: TCU (1997-00) 5,263 Herschel Walker: Georgia (1980-82) 5,259 Archie Griffin: Ohio State (1972-75) 5,177 Avon Cobourne: West Virginia (1999-02) 5,164 Garrett Wolfe: Northern Illinois (2004-06) 5,164 Montee Ball: Wisconsin (2009-2012) 5,140 LaMichael James: Oregon (2009-11) 5,082