Rutgers to Honor 2006 and 1976 Football Teams
Sep 22 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers Athletics will honor the 2006 and 1976 football teams in celebration of the 10th and 40th anniversaries at upcoming home games at High Point Solutions Stadium. The 2006 team will be recognized at the game versus Indiana on Nov. 5, while the 1976 will be honored on Nov. 19 for the contest against Penn State.
A breakout season for the program, the 2006 team included current and former NFL members Kenny Britt, Clark Harris, George Johnson, Brian Leonard, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, Ray Rice, Jamaal Westerman and Jeremy Zuttah. The Scarlet Knights earned their first national top-10 ranking in 2006 and won 11 games for the second time in school history. Leonard was also the recipient of the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy in 2006. Now the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. Leonard will be inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 14, at the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner.
Rutgers ended the 2006 season with a ranking of No. 12 in the national polls. The season was capped with a convincing 37-10 victory over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, the first bowl championship in school history.
The 1976 football team will be honored in celebration of its 40th anniversary. The undefeated team completed their season with an 11-0 record and a No. 17 national ranking, establishing the second unbeaten campaign in the modern era of Rutgers football.
The 1976 Scarlet Knights boasted one of the nation's top defensive units, paced by All-America defensive end Nate Toran and standout defensive tackle John Alexander. Both have been inducted into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame. The Rutgers defense was the first in 19 years and only the sixth in NCAA history to lead the nation in three defensive categories, finishing No. 1 in total defense, rushing defense and tying in scoring defense. The Scarlet Knights limited their opponents to 179.2 yards a game, just 83.9 rushing and allowed 7.4 points on average.
The team, which was quarterbacked by Bert Kosup, was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
