Troy Hambrick

Troy Hambrick (born November 6, 1976) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. In his career, he amassed 2,179 yards rushing and 276 yards receiving in 61 games played. He rushed for nine touchdowns and caught one in his career.

Early years

Hambrick and his brother Darren helped Pasco High School win the 1992 Class 3A state championship in football. He began his collegiate career at the University of South Carolina in 1996 and was the Gamecocks' leading rusher in 1997 and 1998. However, off the field issues led to his dismissal by then newly hired Lou Holtz before the start of the 1999 season. He transferred to Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia for his senior season where he ran for 1,189 yards and 18 touchdowns.^[1]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Hambrick was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He was the backup behind Emmitt Smith and played some fullback also, which allowed him to flash the potential to become a starter. In 2001 he had 579 yards with a 5.1 average per carry, good for third place in the NFL. In 2002 his numbers decreased, but still excelled in special teams finishing second on the team with 17 tackles.

His play in limited appearances even created a controversy whether he should start ahead of Smith, which in turn affected the relationship between the two players.

Hambrick is best known for being the player that replaced Emmitt Smith as the Cowboys starter in the 2003 season. As the featured running back, using his size and deceptive speed, he rushed for career highs with 275 carries for 972 yards and 5 touchdowns, helping the team back to the playoffs for the first time since the 1998 season. During that season against the Washington Redskins, he ran 33 times for 189 yards, which at the time was the third-most rushing yards in a game by a running back in franchise history, only Tony Dorsett and Smith had better games. The Cowboys ended up waiving him at the end of the season, after drafting Julius Jones and taking into consideration his production (3.5 yards per carry).^[2]

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders signed him as a free agent, but within a month he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals along with Peppi Zellner, in exchange for a draft choice in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Arizona Cardinals

During the 2004 season in a twist of fate, he ended up once again backing up Smith with the Arizona Cardinals. Hambrick played in the first 10 games rushing for 283 yards and one touchdown on 63 carries, before spraining his foot and being placed on the Injured reserve list. He was released during the 2005 offseason.

Utah Blaze (AFL)

In 2007 he signed with the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League in an attempt to come back, but was waived within a month after being arrested.^[3]

Personal life

Hambrick's brother Darren Hambrick was also a player in the NFL; he played linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns, and the Carolina Panthers.

In September 2005, Hambrick was arrested on domestic abuse charges, which were dropped after prosecutors declined to file formal charges.^[4]

In 2007, he was arrested for selling cocaine, and later sentenced to five years in prison.^[5]

References