With all of the buzz surrounding Denard Robinson and Taylor Martinez in the national media, we wanted to provide some perspective for folks, particular those who have said that the Michigan and Nebraska QB's are doing things never seen before.
How quickly people forget the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 8,000 career yards and run for 4,000. His name is Brad Smith. Sure, he's a wide receiver/kickoff returner/Wild Tiger (yes, that's what they call their formation at the Meadowlands)/special-teams missle for the Jets. But before that, he was Shoelace and T-Magic before their day.
Brad had 10 rushing touchdowns of 50 yards or more in his career. The list, by yardage:
| Year | Opponent | Length |
| 2005 | vs. Nebraska | 79 (TD) |
| 2002 | vs. Kansas | 75 (TD) |
| 2003 | vs. Middle Tennessee St. | 64 |
| 2003 | vs. Texas Tech | 61 (TD) |
| 2003 | vs. Iowa St. | 61 (TD) |
| 2005 | vs. South Carolina | 59 |
| 2005 | at Oklahoma St. | 59 |
| 2005 | vs. Baylor | 56 (TD) |
| 2005 | vs. Baylor | 56 (TD) |
| 2005 | vs. Nebraska | 53 |
So the next time you hear someone breathlessly exclaim the unique efforts being shown by the two guys from historically powerhouse programs, remember the guy that blazed the trail, in somewhat less of a spotlight.
