Bob Hitchens (January 30, 1952 – July 7, 2020) was an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player who was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

, from 1971–1973.

College career

Hitchens rushed for a career 3,118 yards with 34 touchdowns as a tailback during his career and was a three year letter winner for Miami. In 1972 Hitchens rushed for 1,370 yards on 326 carries scoring 15 touchdowns earning AP All-American honors, the 1972

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...

offensive player of the year and 1972 Miami RedHawks athlete of the year. His 1,370 yards led the MAC and ranked second in the

NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

. Hitchens helped lead Miami to an 11-0 season as a co-captain his senior year that included an

title and a Tangerine Bowl victory over the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. He holds the Miami RedHawks football statistical leaders single game record for most rushes with 45 against South Carolina Gamecocks in 1972, ranks fourth in career rushing attempts (773), fourth in rushing yards (3,118), third in rushing touchdowns (34), fourth in 100-yard games (14) and is sixth in total scoring (204 points). Hitchens was inducted into the Miami University Hall of Fame in 1980.

Professional career

Following graduation, Hitchens played professional football for two years with the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

and

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

Coaching career

Hitchens served as an assistant football coach and helped lead Carnegie-Mellon University to three President's Conference championships and two semi-final finishes in the NCAA District III playoffs. He joined Miami's staff as an assistant football coach from 1980 to 1987.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitchens, Bob 1950s births 2020 deaths African-American players of American football African-American coaches of American football Kansas City Chiefs players Miami RedHawks football coaches Miami RedHawks football players New England Patriots players Pittsburgh Steelers players Carnegie Mellon Tartans football coaches 21st-century African-American people