STEPHENSON RUSHING TO HISTORY

Closes in on CIS All-Time Rushing Record

WINDSOR, Ont. - Lancer Football running back Daryl Stephenson will run for history this fall as he sets his sights on the highest profile record in Canadian University Sport, the CIS All-Time Rushing Record.

Stephenson, a native of London, ON, has set his fair share of records and claimed many awards since scoring a 49-yard touchdown on his very first CIS carry on September 6, 2004 against Queen’s. He’ll be looking to set more new benchmarks in the coming weeks, including one of the most prestigious CIS marks of all.

Going into the 2008 campaign, the 2006 Hec Crighton Trophy winner as CIS player of the year has 4,402 career rushing yards, leaving him 336 yards shy of the CIS mark of 4,738 set by Manitoba’s Dominic Zagari over five campaigns from 1991-95.

Standing between Zagari and Stephenson in second place on the CIS all-time list is Mount Allison’s Éric Lapointe, who tallied 4,666 yards on the ground over his career.

Zagari played a total of 37 regular season games during his university career with the Bisons, while Lapointe appeared in 28 conference matches. Stephenson will start the regular season with 30 regular season games played.

The six-foot-two, 220-pound Lancer back has been a model of consistency in his first four campaigns. In 2006, he became the first player in CIS history to rush for 1,000 yards or better in three consecutive seasons.

Lapointe is the only other CIS player to break the 1,000-yard barrier on three occasions, although not in consecutive years. The former Montreal Alouette rushed for 1,062 yards in 1995, for 1,619 yards in 1996 and for 1,515 yards in 1998, but was limited to 470 yards during an injury-plagued season in his junior campaign in 1997. Like Lapointe, Stephenson was limited to 764 rushing yards a year ago due to nagging injuries that kept him out of parts of four games.

The list of Stephenson’s accomplishments since joining the Lancers is extensive. In 2004, he was named OUA Rookie of the Year after he set a CIS single-season rookie record with 1,192 rushing yards. In 2005, he claimed his first CIS rushing title with 1,306 yards. In 2006, he was crowned CIS rushing king for the second time with 1,140 yards en route to capturing the Hec Crighton.

Stephenson is also making his way up the OUA and CIS touchdown lists.

Entering this season, his 32 career rushing majors leave him seventh on the CIS list and fourth on the OUA list. The CIS mark of 49 was set by StFX’s Paul Brule from 1964-67, while Lumsden holds the OUA record of 46 and is second among CIS leaders. Zagari holds the Canada West record of 39, good for third place at the national level.

Stephenson also scored twice on receptions since 2004 for a total of 34 career touchdowns. While he still has some work to do in order to catch CIS leader Brule (51) and OUA record-holder Lumsden (47), four more majors would move Stephenson into seventh place on the CIS list and fourth position on the OUA list.

STEPHENSON’S RUN FOR HISTORY

CIS career leaders rushing yards
4738 Dominic Zagari, Manitoba, 1991-95 (37 GP)
4666 Éric Lapointe, Mt. Allison, 1995-98 (28 GP)
4402 * Daryl Stephenson, Windsor, 2004-07 (30 GP)
4138 Jesse Lumsden, McMaster, 2001-04 (29 GP)
4086 Doug Rozon, Saskatchewan, 1995-99
4036 Luis Perez, Saint Mary’s, 1997-01
4003 Grant Keaney, Mt. Allison, 1988-92
3784 Elio Geremia, Calgary, 1983-87
3773 Mike Bradley, Waterloo, 1997-01
3746 Dalton Smarsh, Alberta, 1972-76

* OUA record

CIS career leaders rushing touchdowns
49 Paul Brule, StFX, 1964-67
46 * Jesse Lumsden, McMaster, 2001-04 (29 GP)
39 Dominic Zagari, Manitoba, 1991-95 (37 GP)
38 Mike Bradley, Waterloo, 1997-01
36 Kojo Aidoo, McMaster, 1998-02
35 Luis Perez, Saint Mary’s, 1997-01
32 Daryl Stephenson, Windsor, 2004-07 (30 GP)
32 Jim Reid, Laurier, 1976-78
32 Phil Côté, Ottawa, 1996-00
29 Jim Foley, St. Dunstan’s / UPEI, 1966-69
29 Éric Lapointe, Mt. Allison, 1995-98
29 Paul Correale, Queen’s, 1995-99
29 Akbal Singh, UBC, 1996-99

* OUA record

CIS career leaders total touchdowns
51 Paul Brule, StFX, 1964-67
48 Dominic Zagari, Manitoba, 1991-95 (37 GP)
47 * Jesse Lumsden, McMaster, 2001-04 (29 GP)
41 Mike Bradley, Waterloo, 1997-01
41 Andy Fantuz, Western, 2002-05
40 Kojo Aidoo, McMaster, 1998-02
37 Luis Perez, Saint Mary’s, 1997-01
34 Daryl Stephenson, Windsor, 2004-07 (30 GP)
34 Brian Fryer, Alberta, 1972-75
34 Tim Tindale, Western, 1990-93
34 Sean Reade, Western, 1992-96
34 Kyle Pyear, McMaster, 1999-03
33 Eric Walter, McGill - Toronto, 1961-62 - 64-65 / 1968-70
33 Jim Reid, Laurier, 1976-78
32 Fabian Rayne, Western, 1996-00
32 Phil Côté, Ottawa, 1996-00

* OUA record

CIS single-season leaders rushing yards
1,816 Jesse Lumsden, McMaster, 2004
1,619 Éric Lapointe, Mt. Allison, 1996
1,515 Éric Lapointe, Mt. Allison, 1998
1,497 Jesse Lumsden, McMaster, 2003
1,415 Akbal Singh, UBC, 1999
1,377 Akbal Singh, UBC, 1998
1,367 Andre Durie, York, 2004
1,329 Kojo Aidoo, McMaster, 2000
1,306 Daryl Stephenson, Windsor, 2005
1,275 Jarrett Smith, Waterloo, 1997

Year-by-year rushing yard comparison

Dominic Zagari, Manitoba Bisons, 1991-95, 37 GP (4,738 yards)

- 1991: 871
- 1992: 623
- 1993: 803
- 1994: 1,260
- 1995: 1,181

Éric Lapointe, Mount Allison Mounties, 1995-98, 28 GP (4,666 yards)

- 1995: 1,062
- 1996: 1,619
- 1997: 470
- 1998: 1,515

Daryl Stephenson, Windsor Lancers, 2004-current, 30 GP (4,402 yards)

- 2004: 1,192
- 2005: 1,306
- 2006: 1,140
- 2007: 764

Source: Elisa Mitton, Lancers Athletics