Eddie Johnson Excited To See Zack Moss Break His Utah Rushing Record

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Utes star running back Zack Moss needs only 55 rushing yards to break the school record that is currently held by Eddie Johnson, who is excited for Moss to take the rushing crown.

“I am very excited for him (Moss),” Johnson said on the Crimson Corner podcast. “My record has been standing for 30 years now and that has been an accomplishment in it of itself. Zack is such a great player, is dominant and is obviously an NFL player. I think Zack is going to be a great person to hold that record, I think he is a guy who is smart and will do things in the community, he’ll uphold it (the title) and be a class act.”

Moss has 3,165 rushing yards with Johnson’s record at 3,219 from his time at Utah. He played for the Utes from 1984-88.

Johnson frequently follows his alma mater and has watched the Miami, Florida product throughout his career in a Utah uniform, but was uncertain if he would break his record.

“When I first saw him (Moss), I thought he had a lot of talent,” Johnson mentioned. “I didn’t give it much thought at first because it was like when (Devontae) Booker came through and I thought he could have taken the record and John White before him. If both of them had another year, they would have broken the record. When Moss came to Utah as a freshman from Florida, no one really thought about it, but as the years went on, more and more talk came about it.”

Johnson realized that his record would be broken when Moss decided to return for his senior season and not go to the NFL following his junior year, even though he would have likely been taken high in the draft.

“I really didn’t pay much attention to it until he said ‘I am coming back for my last year just to break the record,’ when I heard that, I said ‘oh boy, here we go,’ because he had a chance to go to the NFL and I thought that was a special moment and I am hearing my name more in the media just because he made that decision.”

Doing More In SLC Community

When Johnson broke the record in 1988, it wasn’t as big of a deal as it is now with Moss on the brink of breaking the record. But, Johnson regrets not having done more in the Salt Lake City community. That’s the advice that Johnson would give Moss if he gets a chance to talk to him.

“I feel guilty because I have done enough in representing Salt Lake City more while holding the record,” said Johnson.

“When I did it, it almost seemed like it wasn’t a big deal, there wasn’t any accolades or nobody said anything about it. It was just ‘oh, Eddie Johnson is the career rushing yards leader and oh well that’s great,’ but now there is so much about it and the times have changed. I think we think more of that record now than we did when I broke it 30 years ago.”

Next home game 🙏🏾 https://t.co/NKiNS1ikZv

— ❌ (@PresMoss2) October 13, 2019

Great Line Of Utah RB’s

In the last 10 years at Utah, they have had the luxury of having great running backs. Players like John White, Devontae Booker, Joe Williams and now Zack Moss, Johnson is very surprised that his record has lasted as long as it has.

“Absolutely, because the names that have come through that door at the University of Utah and the talent that has come through,” Johnson stated. “It is just amazing and most of the guys that have come through have gone to the NFL. It is amazing that it has lasted that long, so it just tells me what kind of offense that we had back in the day  to be able to have that many yards.”

On the all-time career rushing yards list at Utah, behind Johnson and Moss is some great running backs that played for the Utes.

Booker is fourth on the rushing yards list with 2,773 in two seasons. He is currently on the Denver Broncos roster as the third-string running back. White racked up 2,560 yards in two seasons and is No. 8 on the list, but never made a 53-man NFL roster.

Moss will likely break the record on Saturday when the Utes host No. 17 Arizona State at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will begin at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

The Crimson Corner podcast is the one-stop for all things University of Utah Athletics hosted by Utah insider Trevor Allen. Ute fans will find interviews with current players, coaches and staff alongside expert analysis of every game, story and angle coming out of the University of Utah.

You can download the podcast, here.