Byron Hanspard Byron Courtnay Hanspard , Sr . ( born January 23 , 1976 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League ( NFL ) for two seasons during the 1990s . He played college football for Texas Tech University , earned All - American honors and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation ' s top college running back . A second - round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft , he played professionally for the NFL ' s Atlanta Falcons . Early years . Hanspard was born in Dallas , Texas . He attended DeSoto High School in DeSoto , Texas , and played high school football for the DeSoto Eagles . College career . Hamspard attended Texas Tech University , where he played for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team from 1994 to 1996 . As freshman in 1994 , he recorded 761 yards rushing on 173 carries . In the following season , he had 1 , 374 yards on 248 carries . In 1996 , he accumulated 2 , 084 yards rushing ( and a total of 2 , 276 all - purpose yards ) . He was one of two running backs to rush for 2 , 000 yards that year , the other being Troy Davis . However , Hanspard edged out Davis for the Walker Award in part because he played on a winning team . He was recognized as an unanimous first - team All - American , and finished sixth in the voting for the 1996 Heisman Trophy . Only 5 Red Raiders overall have earned unanimous All - American honors : Mark Bounds in 1991 , Zach Thomas in 1995 , Byron Hanspard in 1996 , and Michael Crabtree in 2007 - 08 . As of the end of the 1996 season , Hanspard is Texas Tech ' s all - time leader in career rushing yards ( 4 , 219 yards in three seasons ) and rushing yards per game . He ranks second in career rushing attempts . He also holds school records for single - season rushing attempts ( 339 in 1996 ) and most yards in a single game ( 287 against Baylor in 1996 — one of seven career 200 - yard games ) . He also ranks second in career rushing attempts and is in a four - way tie for seventh in single - season and career touchdowns . Hanspard announced shortly after the end of the 1996 season that he would give up his last year of eligibility and enter the 1997 NFL Draft . An ordained Pentecostal minister , he said that he felt the NFL gave him a better opportunity to expand his ministry . However , he later became the source of controversy after it emerged that he had all but abandoned his studies during what turned out to be his last year in school , posting a 0 . 00 grade point average for the 1996 fall semester . In part because of this , Texas Tech withdrew from bowl consideration in 1997 . Professional career . Hanspard was chosen in the second round ( 41st pick overall ) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1997 NFL Draft . He was used primarily as a kick returner in his rookie season , garnering 1 , 375 all - purpose yards , including 987 return yards . He also set a team record ( since broken ) for the longest run from scrimmage — a 77 - yard burst against the Oakland Raiders . He suffered a severe knee injury during training camp in 1998 and missed the entire season . He returned in 1999 but was unable to return to his previous level of play . Despite increased playing time due to the loss of Jamal Anderson , he only gained 383 yards on 136 carries . The Falcons cut him during training camp in 2000 after he lost a fumble in a preseason game . He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not make an appearance for them in the three years that he was on the roster .