Hall of Fame
Position: Running Back
Years: 1995-98
Place of Birth: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Date of Birth: Sept. 1, 1977
Jersey Number: 25
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Weight: 205 lb
High School: Saint Peter-Marian (Worcester, Massachusetts)
One of the most prolific running backs in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history, Jerry Azumah set multiple records during his four seasons in Durham while leading the Wildcats to two Atlantic 10 New England Division titles. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native now becomes the first player and second person in Wildcat history to enter the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, joining his coach, Bill Bowes.
The 1998 recipient of the Walter Payton Award, honoring the top FCS offensive player, Azumah became the first player in FCS history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in four consecutive years, and he broke two FCS records with 6,193 career rushing yards and 8,376 career all-purpose yards.
Azumah still holds school records for single-game rushing yards (329), rushing yards in a season (2,195), career rushing yards (6,193), single-game carries (53), season carries (343), career carries (1,045), single-game rushing touchdowns (five), career rushing touchdowns (60), and career all-purpose yards. Azumah tallied 25 career 100-yard rushing games in 41 games, topping 100 yards in 61 percent of his games. He finished with nine games of 200 or more yards, including a pair that surpassed 300, and averaged almost 6.0 yards per carry in his four years as a Wildcat.
In his 1998 senior season, Azumah was named a unanimous All-American, All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection, ECAC All-Star, New England Player of the Year and Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year. That season saw him shatter conference and school season records with 343 carries for 2,195 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 247.8 all-purpose yards per game and eclipsed 200 rushing yards five times.
As a junior, Azumah was named AFCA All-America First Team as a kick returner and All-America Second Team (Associated Press, The Sports Network) at running back. He was named an ECAC All-Star, All-Atlantic 10 (Yankee in 1996) Conference and All-New England First Team three times each.
A fifth-round NFL draft pick by Chicago, Azumah played seven seasons (1999-2005) with the Bears, including a 2003 Pro Bowl appearance.
In 2005, Azumah was inducted into the UNH Athletics Hall of Fame. He was also a recipient of the 2024 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the end of their intercollegiate athletics eligibility.
