Hall of Fame
Position: Running Back
Years: 1989-1992
Place of Birth: Houston, TX
Date of Birth: Nov 20, 1970
Jersey Number: 45
Height: 5-9"
Weight: 190
High School: Dobie HS (Houston, TX)
Holding nearly every rushing record in Rice history, Trevor Cobb cemented his name among the all-time greats when he took home the 1991 Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the nation. He becomes the seventh Owl player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American in 1991, Cobb became the first Owl to win one of college football’s major individual awards when he received the Doak Walker Award. A finalist for the award again as a senior, he went on to be named the 1992 Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year (across all sports) after leading Rice to its first winning season in 30 years. A three-time all-conference selection, he completed his career ranked second on the SWC career rushing list with 4,948 yards, which ranked eighth on the NCAA career list at the time and now ranks 24th in NCAA history.
Cobb became the first Owl and fourth SWC player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, and he holds the top three season totals in school history, capped by his 1,692 yards in 1991. Cobb’s other conference career records include all-purpose yards (6,512), rushing attempts (1,091) and 200-yard games in a season (6). He also set 17 school records, including season and career marks for rushing attempts (306/1,091), career rushing touchdowns (38) and career 100-yard games (24). The recipient of the 1992 SWC American Spirit Award for achievement on and off the field, Cobb held Rice’s season and career scoring marks until 2008.
After his collegiate career, Cobb played in the 1993 Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game and had a stint in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears. The Houston native also played for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 1996.
As the director of his non-profit, Trevor Cobb’s Helping Hands in Houston, he participates in numerous civic events and mentors young athletes to be well-rounded and educated while promoting young people’s understanding and attitudes towards those with special needs. A member of the State of Texas Sports and the Southwest Conference halls of fame, Cobb was selected as a 2017 “Honor Jersey” at Rice where a member of the current team wore No. 45 in his honor during the season. He returned to college and received his bachelor’s degree in 2001.
