By: Tony Thomas
He rushed for almost 4,000 yards (3,996) in just two seasons as the workhorse for the DeSoto Eagles. From 1991-1993, the Eagles were 19-2-3 with him toting the rock. He is Byron Hanspard.
Running and Scoring for DeSoto
At 5-10, 198 pounds, Hanspard rushed for 1912 yards and 22 touchdowns in 1992.
As a senior in ’93, he was named to the 5A All-State Team and was the 5A Offensive MVP, after rushing for 2084 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was also named a Parade All-American.
In the ’93 playoffs, the Eagles beat Plano East 42-26, Beat Dallas Carter 52-27, but lost to Killeen 21-13 in the Regionals. Against Carter, Hanspard rushed for 218 yards against the #1 defense in the State of Texas.
Hanspard’s #4 DeSoto jersey was later retired.
A Red Raiders Legend
Hanspard was a star for the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 1994-1996. He set the school rushing record of 4,219 yards, the single-game record of 287 yards vs Baylor, and the single-season record of 2,084 yards (1996).
In ‘96, he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and was named All-American. He was also named 1st Team All-Big 12. And, he finished 6th in the Heisman voting.
He skipped his senior season, declaring for the 1997 NFL Draft. He was selected in the 2nd round by the Atlanta Falcons, where he played for two seasons.
Hanspard is now the Head of Security for DeSoto High School and is involved with the ministry. He acts as a mentor for young people in the community, and his sons are star high school players in their own right.
He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Material for this article sourced from:
Texasfootball.com
Espn.com
247sports.com
Maxemfingerrecruiting.wordpress.com
Uiltexas.org
Heartlandcollegesports.coM
Texastech.com
Interview: “Texas Tech’s Byron Hanspard on Family, Faith, and Education,” by Pete Mundo, heartlandcollegesports.com, June 29, 2017.
