Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Knox's time with Herd is over, but his legacy will last
12/22/2020 11:24:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Marshall running back is No. 8 on the school's career rushing list
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brenden Knox was Conference USA's Most Valuable Player in 2019. In 2020, he was a C-USA first team all-conference selection.
But Knox's worth within the Marshall football program has been evident since the day he stepped on campus. The 6 feet tall, 223-pound junior running back from Columbus, Ohio, announced this week that he is sitting out this Friday's Camellia Bowl and forgoing his remaining collegiate eligibility to pursue his NFL dreams. Knox will not be in Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. for the Thundering Herd's matchup with Buffalo on ESPN, nor will he be around in 2021, but Knox's legacy will linger indefinitely.
"Brenden exemplifies exactly what you want in a student-athlete from the day he stepped on campus," said Pepe Pearson, Knox's position coach at Marshall. "He has done everything the coaches have asked him to do. He's never late. He's one of those guys who is asking questions on how to become better. He was always striving to be better. That's one of the things that separates him from everybody else."
Knox has certainly done that.
The bruising ball carrier did not even receive his first carry until the ninth game of his freshman season, exploding for 116 yards on 22 carries against Charlotte on Nov. 10, 2018. In a little more than 25 months on the field, Knox played in 35 games, rushed for 100-plus yards 15 times, eclipsed 200 rushing yards twice and collected hardware as the league MVP.
But here's something else to consider: Knox appeared in 35 games with 23 career starts but was a team captain 17 times before ever making it to his senior season.
"The way he went to practice," freshman quarterback Grant Wells recalled of what he learned from Knox. "The way his mentality was going into the building each day. You could tell he was all business. Once he stepped on that field his mind was on getting better and that's it. He took everything seriously and brought up the guys around him.
"He's the guy who, whether we were up 20 or down 20, he had the same look on his face and had the same attitude no matter what's going on."
As Knox went, so too went the Herd. Knox is third in program history in career 100-yard games – trailing only Chris Parker (31) and Doug Chapman (21) – despite only playing one full season in the backfield. Knox was used only on special teams for the first nine games as a freshman before taking the lead role in the rushing attack, and then had his junior season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Marshall was 13-2 the last three seasons when Knox went over 100 rushing yards.
"You guys and the fans get to watch him a couple Saturdays a year in the fall, which is fun to watch," Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. "To work with that kid every single day and see him go to work every single day … he's not much of a talker, but he's a leader on this team by example and the guys around him are better for watching him go to work every single day.
"As much as I'd like to have him Friday and have him next year, when guys work as hard as they do in this sport to get their dreams and play at the next level, we support them and hope things work out for them," Cramsey added. "I believe if that kid gets into a camp, he's going to do the same thing there that he did here. He was a backup for a while, and he got his chance and we all saw what he did."
Knox finishes his college career with 550 carries, 2,852 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. He exits at No. 8 on Marshall's career rushing list behind Parker, Ron Darby, Chapman, Glenn Pedro, Darius Marshall, Ahmad Bradshaw and Franklin Wallace.
Knox is tied for No. 13 on the rushing touchdowns list with Mickey Jackson and Erik Thomas, tucked in between Devon Johnson and Darius Marshall on that list.
But the numbers on the field are only a reflection of who Knox was when the bright lights weren't shining. As Pearson said, he followed the rules. He excelled in the classroom. He showed up for community service initiatives, never turning down a hospital visit or an opportunity to read to children. He relished the annual toy drive.
"He's been well-rounded in what his experience has been here," Pearson said.
When Pearson visited with Knox in high school, the college assistant could see the potential and the fit at Marshall.
"It's the thing that made him an MVP," Pearson said. "It's his work ethic. When you talk to a kid during the recruiting process you can tell if they have that will and that passion to be the best. He felt like he had been underrated and that a lot of people didn't know about him, but when you watch the film and you watch him in person, you could see he had the skill set to play at this level.
"I'm proud of who he is and what he accomplished here."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and an eight-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
