Gregg Drew
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Sport:
Football |
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Year
Graduated: 1982 |
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Year
Inducted: 2003 |
Few running backs in Terrier football history had better
back-to-back seasons than Gregg Drew enjoyed in 1980 and 1981.
In 22 games over those two years, he rushed for a total of
2416 yards and 21 touchdowns on 547 carries. He had 23 receptions
for 169 yards, and two TDs.
No one could have predicted he would have such an impact
during those two years for he was coming off major reconstructive
knee surgery. In 1979, as a sophomore, he was in the starting
lineup when the Terriers opened the season against the University
of Maine. On his 13th carry of the game, he went down with
the season-ending injury.
With the outstanding efforts of noted surgeon and Terrier
team physician Dr. Robert Leach, and Gregg's hard work,
he was the Terriers' starting back when the Terriers
opened the 1980 season against Kings Point. In the 42-0 win,
Gregg rushed for 154 yards on 24 carries, and he was off and
running. By season's end, he had 1159 yards and eight
TDs on 238 carries. He also had 17 receptions for 107 yards
and two TDs.
The team finished with a 9-2 record, won its second straight
Yankee Conference title with a 5-0 record, and finished 10th
in the final NCAA Division 1-AA poll.
The following season, he improved with 1257 yards and 13
TDs on 309 carries. In addition, he caught six passes for
62 yards. He was named All-New England, All-East, Second Team
AP All-American, and First Team Coaches' All-American.
The Terriers finished with its fourth straight winning record
marking the first time in 30 years that Terrier football teams
were able to accomplish that.
Gregg ranks fourth in the Terrier career record books in
carries (640) and yards (2852), while he is sixth in points
(156).
"Gregg was the prototypical I-back," said Rick
Taylor, who was the Terriers' head coach at the time.
"He was a hard-running back with good speed. He was also
a tough kid who loved to play or he might not have been able
to bounce back after that knee surgery. He was also well liked
by the guys on the team. Sometimes when you are the featured
player on a team, there can be resentment on the part of some
of the players. But, that wasn't the case with Gregg.
He is certainly worthy of being in the Hall of Fame."
