Vanderbilt football star Ralph Webb makes the VandySports 100 at No. 55.
Honors and awards: 2015 third-team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
2016 second-team All-Southeastern Conference (AP, coaches)
In the VU record book: Single-game rushing yards: fourth (211 vs. MTSU, 2016)
Single-game rushing touchdowns: tied-third (Ole Miss, 2016)
Single-season rushing yards: first, fourth (1,283 in 2016, 1,152 in 2015)
Single-season rushing attempts: first, third, fifth, tied-10th (277 in 2015, 250 in 2016, 212 in 2014, 192 in 2017)
Single-season 100-yard rushing games: first, tied-fourth (seven in 2016, four in 2015)
Single-season rushing touchdowns: third , tied-sixth (13 in 2016, 10 in 2017)
Career rushing yards: first (4,173)
Career 100-yard rushing games: first (16)
Career rushing touchdowns: first (32)
Before VU: Was a first-team all-state pick after leading Gainesville (Fla.) to the 6-A state title game. Ran for 2,020 yards and 28 TDs as a senior. Also played defensive back as a senior. Rushed for 917 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior in 2011.
Freshman (2014): After redshirting in 2013, Webb broke VU's freshman rushing record with 907 yards, which ranked as the ninth-best mark in the league. Had 31 carries for 166 yards in the win over Old Dominion. Had 116 yards in a win over Massachusetts. Had at least 75 rushing yards against Ole Miss, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Graded a 24.3 as a pass blocker according to Pro Football Focus.
Sophomore (2015): Started all 12 games and finished sixth in the league in rushing yards. Averaged 106.7 yards over the last nine games and 111.6 yards in his last five SEC games. Had the game-winning, 39-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left in the win at MTSU. Ran for 149 yards in the loss at Tennessee. Graded a 52.2 in pass blocking by PFF.
Junior (2016): Ended the year on a string of 37-straight starts, and became the school's all-time leading rusher while also establishing a new single-season rushing record. Had 100-plus yards against Kentucky, Ole Miss, Florida and Tennessee, with 114 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Vols. Ran 27 times for 95 yards and three scores in the win at Western Kentucky, which included a 2-yard dive into the end zone on the game's final play in regulation that sent the game to overtime. PFF graded him at 68.2 as a pass blocker.
Senior (2017): Had 104 receiving yards and 49 rushing yards, plus a pair of touchdowns, in the season-opening win at MTSU. Ran for 163 yards and two scores vs. Ole Miss. Ran for 104 yards in a victory over Western Kentucky. Rushed 25 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns, leading VU to a win at Tennessee in the final game of his career. Graded a 67.2 as a pass blocker.
Post-VU: Webb went un-drafted in 2018, and though he ran for a pair of touchdowns in New England's 2018 preseason opener, he failed to make the Patriots roster. Webb hasn't played a regular-season NFL team and is currently with the Steelers. Webb was also on the Steelers' practice squad part of last season.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: Vanderbilt's had more talented running backs than Webb, who averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his career and for the most part (long runs by year: 28, 74, 49 and 38 yards) wasn't a threat to break long plays. He improved from poor to marginally good as a pass blocker over his career.
But man, Webb was dependable. He never missed a game despite taking a pounding, could catch the ball a bit. He didn't do things that cost games; PFF charged him with one penalty in 2,286 career snaps, and he didn't fumble much. (I can't find stats on the latter, but Webb's reaction to losing to fumbles at Florida in a game is telling.)
Yes, Webb was a guy who got his numbers due to volume. He never played on a winning team or earned first-team All-SEC. But his consistency, durability and mistake-avoidance count for a lot, as does ranking sixth on the SEC's all-time rushing chart, and that's why he's here.
