page_title: Mike Hart (American football)
section_title: College career
hierarchical_section_title: Mike Hart (American football) / College career
caption_attribution_description: English: w:Mike Hart (American football) stands on the sidelines behind w:Zoltan Mesko (American football) and Carlos Brown (American football)
context_page_description: Leon Michael Hart is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the running backs coach at Indiana University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record with 5,040 yards. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Hart played three seasons for the Colts, mostly in a back-up role, before the team released him in the spring of 2011. He has previously worked as an assistant football coach at Syracuse University, Western Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University.
context_section_description: In the 2004 season, Hart set a Michigan record for most rushing yards in a season by a freshman with 1,455. He rushed for nine touchdowns and had 26 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown catch. For the 2005 season as a sophomore, Hart missed significant time due to a hamstring injury. He started eight of Michigan's 12 games and played sparingly in three of those. He finished the season with 662 yards and four touchdowns rushing and added 16 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown catch.
  During the 2006 season, Hart rushed for 1,562 yards – the fifth-best season total in Michigan history – and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 125 yards. For his efforts, Hart was recognized as his team's co-MVP with linebacker David Harris. He was also selected by both coaches and media to the All-Big Ten Conference First Team, named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and placed fifth in Heisman Trophy balloting.
  As a senior in the 2007 season, Hart was elected team captain along with offensive tackle Jake Long and linebacker Shawn Crable. He entered the eighth week of the season as college football's leader in rushing yards, but after an ankle injury sidelined him for two games, he dropped in the rankings. Hart finished the season with 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns.  In his final game at Michigan Stadium, Hart was held to 44 yards on 18 carries in a 14–3 loss to Ohio State, completing an 0–4 career record for Hart against the Buckeyes.
  In his Michigan career, Hart rushed 1,015 times for 5,040 yards; both marks are school records. His 41 career rushing touchdowns are third-best in Michigan annals. Hart's 28 career games with at least 100 yards rushing and 5 games with at least 200 yards rushing are each the most in Michigan history. Hart lost three fumbles in his college career, two of which came in his last game as a Wolverine in the 2008 Capital One Bowl. In that game, Hart also passed the 5,000 yard rushing mark for his career, becoming only the fourth player in Big Ten history to do so.
caption: Hart on the Michigan sidelines behind Zoltan Mesko and Carlos Brown
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