Ron Dayne

Ron Dayne (born March 14, 1978 in Berlin, New Jersey) is an American football player, playing running back for the Denver Broncos of the NFL. Dayne was a star running back throughout high school and was recruited by many colleges around the nation. One of the reasons for this attention was Dayne's athleticism. Out of high school, he weighed 266 pounds and ran a 4.6. Eventually Barry Alvarez convinced Dayne to come to the University of Wisconsin.

Pro Career

Dayne was selected with the 11th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Dayne's first season was filled with promise as he teamed up with Tiki Barber in the backfield to create the tandem known as "thunder and lightning," due to Dayne's powerful style and Barber's speedy style. This Giants team went on to appear in Super Bowl XXXV. Over the next few years, Dayne's carries slowly diminished, with head coach Jim Fassel growing increasingly upset with Dayne's lack of commitment to lose weight. Fassel also did not understand Dayne's running style, that of a halfback, and instead tried to make him a goal line back. After Fassel was fired, Dayne received a second chance under new head coach Tom Coughlin and shed 40 lbs. Despite having a good 2004 preseason, Dayne was once again sidelined by Coughlin for unknown reasons. The Giants elected not to re-sign Dayne, and he later signed a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos for the 2005 season.

Related Topics:
2000 - NFL Draft - New York Giants - Tiki Barber - Super Bowl XXXV - Jim Fassel - Tom Coughlin

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