Hagan on pace to join FSCC 1,000-yard club

Fort Scott Community College running back Stanley Hagan enters his third collegiate game Saturday night against No. 2 Butler looking for his third consecutive triple-digit rushing game.

Hagan, a 6' 1". 195-pound freshman from Nashville, Tenn., has used a combination of power, speed, and elusiveness to lead the NJCAA in rushing with 420 yards in the season's first two games. Hagan had 225 yards on 40 carries against Highland in the seasons opener Aug. 24 and 195 yards on 24 carries against No. 16 Tyler last week that included a 94-yard dash for the Greyhounds' first offensive touchdown of 2012.

It has been over 40 years since the first recorded 1,000-yard rusher played in a Greyhound uniform. Ulysses Herbert rushed for 1,202 yards in 1968, and many have followed his lead.

Two years after Herbert broke the 1,000-yard mark, Tommie Reamon -- who some call the greatest player that has ever played for Fort Scott-- entered the century club by rushing over 1,000 yards twice, including 1,582 yards for the Greyhound's 1970 National Championship undefeated team. Reamon still holds the all-time rushing yardage record for a career at FSCC with 3,527 yards during the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

Second on the all-time list is Jasmin Hopkins, who helped lead the 'Hounds to the 2009 National Championship Game. He gained a total of 3,150 yards during his two years for FSCC. Hopkins, who was only 5' 7", 180 pounds, used his gigantic heart and a desire to be the best to pound defenses and then run away from them with his lightning speed. "Jas" was named NJCAA Player of the Year for the 2009 season.

Barry Boyd, who played for Jack Welch's 'Hounds during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, is ranked third with 2,604 yards while Michael Cosey ranks fourth on the career list with 2,328 yards during his two campaigns as a Greyhound in 1992-93. Curtis Brown rounds out the top five on the all-time rushing list with 2,202 yards. Brown played in the 1973 and1974 seasons.

Chris Brown, who rushed for 1,284 yards in 2000, left the Fort for the University of Colorado and then enjoyed a seven-year NFL playing career. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 NFL draftand also played for the Houston Texans.

Reamon, Brown, Tyrone Walls, and Gerry Ellis also enjoyed careers in the National Football League. Walls played professionally in the Canadian Football League.

Second-year Head Coach Curtis Horton is no stranger to coaching 1,000-yard rushers. During his four seasons as Fort Scott's offensive coordinator ,he coached 1,000-yard rushers three times: Hopkins twice and and Rodney Lovett, who had 1,340 yards in 2007.

During his first season as head coach, Horton coached his fourth 'Hound 1,000-yard rusher when Martese Jackson finished the 2011 season with 1,091 yards. Jackson is now the starting tailback for Florida Atlantic University. Jackson rushed for 99 yards in the Owls' season-opening victory against Wagner College.

With Hagan on pace to become the latest FSCC player to enter the 1,000 rushing yard club, he would become the 16th Greyhound player to achieve this mark and the sixth in the last 12 years.

NOTES -- Stats were not kept in the mid-80s and the late 90s. Complete team stats were kept more accurately once the NJCAA started having teams send in the stats starting in 2000....