Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

Quick, name the player with the most rushing touchdowns in a single game.

In the modern era, at least, the Cardinals’ single-game touchdown machine is none other than Eric Shelton, the electric back from Lexington, Kentucky.

Shelton was a man among boys and was one of the last true workhorse backs for Louisville football. In an era where Bobby Petrino developed a reputation for airing the ball out and using a ton of backs to wear down the opposing defense, he began his head coaching career by handing the ball to Shelton 166 times in his first season as a Cardinal.

Shelton began his career at Florida State, where he impressed during his freshman year, but ultimately felt like he was not getting near enough touches.

That was not the case after Shelton transferred and sat out a year for the Cards. He began his career with 166 rushes in only 10 games played in 2003. Shelton notched 790 rushing yards and got into the end zone 10 times.

Shelton’s junior year, however, was where he really took off. He started all 12 games for the Cardinals and ran the ball 146 times for 938 yards and 20 touchdowns. That season made him a second-team all-conference player.

His 6.4 yards-per-carry average was good for 12th in the nation. His 20 touchdowns were good for second in the nation. He still stands as having the third-most rushing touchdowns in a season in school history.

Shelton’s 30 career rushing touchdowns rank as the fourth-most rushing touchdowns recorded in a career. That is the most recorded by a Cardinals player who played two seasons or less.

Shelton’s NFL career did not go as planned. After entering the NFL draft a redshirt junior, Shelton was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers, but a broken foot quickly set him back. From there, his career never really got off the ground. Shelton wound up being cut by the Panthers in 2007.

Still, Shelton’s career was a memorable one for Louisville fans and helped paved the way for another Louisville running back legend, Michael Bush. He will be remembered as one of the all-time great running backs for years to come.