Detroit Lions: Top 5 leading rushers since Barry Sanders
#3: Kevin Smith
Years in Detroit: 2008-12
Rushing yards as a Lion: 2,346
In his junior year at Central Florida, Kevin Smith rushed for 2,567 yards, coming within spitting distance of Barry Sanders’s NCAA single season record (he had like four extra games to do it, but yeah).
Picked in the third round in 2008, Smith came to the Lions at both the worst and best possible time as far as his career was concerned.
Must Read. The Detroit Lions All-Time Offensive Team. light
The bad part: top to bottom, he joined one of the worst teams in NFL history, going 2-30 overall in his first two years. The good part: the severe lack of talent at running back (in addition to most of the other positions) meant that Smith was the unquestioned starter for two years as they rebuilt.
He ended up with more yards in one year at Central Florida than in his entire NFL career, but Smith also provided a huge boost in the 2011 season, picked up off waivers when Jahvid Best went down.