N.C. A&T Alumni Times

North Carolina A&T junior running back, Marquell Cartwright didn’t see the departure of A&T legend Tarik Cohen as a detriment. He saw it as an opportunity to further an Aggie tradition, and that is producing great running backs. Cartwright was named the 2017 Celebration Bowl offensive MVP after posting 164 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 23 touches.

After the game, he spoke about replacing Cohen as the Aggies starting running back and what it means to be an RB at A&T. Cartwright says he talks to Cohen often, and he said both men wanted something to be known. “We’re a running back school. We just wanted that to be known,” said Cartwright. “We just let everybody know that even though Tarik is gone, we can still be a dominant team.”

Whether it is Cohen or Cartwright or former NFL running back Maurice Hicks, there is one thing you can say about all three: They are a part of an exclusive, prestigious and successful club called Running Back U. “It has been an honor to be a part of such a great university,” said Hicks.

#NCATRunningBackU

The club consists of 11 gentlemen who have been on NFL rosters. Eleven times in Aggies history, an Aggies tailback has had a 1,000-yard season. An amazing 12 Aggies have averaged 5.0 yards per carry or more for their respective careers (300 or more carries). The legacy of Aggie running backs is so rich, it even includes a College Baseball Hall of Famer in Al Holland.

“I have always been honored to be a part of the legacy of great A&T running backs,” said former NFL running back Maurice Smith who led the Aggies in rushing in 1999 with 1,022 yards on a team that won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, an NCAA playoff game and the black college national championship. Smith played for the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers during his NFL career (2000-02). Smith led the Falcons in rushing in 2001.

“From James Fisher to Tarik Cohen, George Ragsdale to James White, Brian Rodman to Eric Clark, Stoney Polite to Michael Basnight, Barry Turner to Maurice Hicks, Reggie Shuford to Michael Mayhew, Milton Shaw to Michael Ferguson, Wayman Pittman to Charlie Sutton, Tailback U as it was coined back in 2001, continues to build the tradition of yesteryear,” Smith continued.

To read more about the history of N.C. A&T’s running backs please click here.