With 77 rushing yards last Saturday against Sam Houston, Colonels football senior quarterback Josh Son captured history as he surpassed former Colonel running back Oscar Smith to become the all-time rushing leader in 31 years of Colonels football.
Son, who now has 2,492 career rushing yards, surpassed Smith’s 2,482 career yards.
After Son broke the record with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter, Colonels football coach Daryl Daye called timeout and took Son out of the game and presented him with the game ball.
“Somebody told us he was six yards away. I didn’t want him to have to sleep on that another week and worry about it,” Daye said. “Somebody said let him break it on national television, and I said let’s get this monkey off his back and let him go about his business. He’s been an outstanding player since he’s been here. You just can’t say enough about Josh Son.”
After the game, Son said he could not take all the praise and thanked his coaches and teammates, especially Daye.
“I want to thank God for giving me such a great opportunity here. Just to have my name up there with some of the best in the University, it makes me feel good, but I have to give credit to coach Daye for taking a chance on me, offensively and everybody,” Son said.
After Son set the record, he received a standing ovation from the 6,372 fans packed into Guidry Stadium on Homecoming. Most importantly, Son received heartfelt congratulations from his teammates.
“The greatest thing about Josh breaking the record was the way his teammates reacted,” Daye said. “I saw every player on the team congratulate him after he set the record.”
Son said, “They want to see me really get it, and I love them to hell for it.”
Junior running back Travis Felder said watching Son operate the “Swampbone” option attack the past two seasons has been a pleasure for him.
“It was a great accomplishment to watch him go out there and perform as well as he did,” Felder said. “He gave a lot for this team, and nobody else deserves the record like he does. For the past four years, he deserves every bit of it.”
Now that he is the number one rusher in Colonels history, Son said there is one more goal he wants to accomplish this season.
“I’ll give every yard I have back for a conference title,” Son said. “To be able to put a ring on my finger, anything I ever won I will give it back just for a conference championship ring.”