Another Grand Season for Cobourne
West Virginia running back Avon Cobourne joined some distinguished company Saturday, becoming the fifth player to run for 1,000 yards in all four seasons of a Div. I-A career.
He joins Pittsburgh’s Tony Dorsett, Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne, North Carolina’s Amos Lawrence and New Mexico State’s Denvis Manns.
Cobourne needed 106 yards against Syracuse to reach 1,000, and he finished with 108 in West Virginia’s 34-7 victory, picking up the record on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“I really don’t know what to think, and I don’t know how to feel,” Cobourne said. “I don’t know anyone that this ever happened to.”
He had to be good -- and he had to be lucky. Cobourne became the starter his freshman season after Amos Zereoue left school after his junior season to enter the NFL draft in 1999. Then the heir-apparent, Alvin Swoope, left the team during the summer for personal reasons.
That left a freshman to carry the load -- and he has carried it for four years.
By the way, better to pick up the record this week than try next week: West Virginia will play host to No. 1 Miami.
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-- Robyn Norwood
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