WVU Sports Hall of Fame
Adrian Murrell was a two-year starter at tailback and led the Big East in rushing in his senior season, finishing seventh in WVU career rushing yards from 1989-92.
The Wahiawa, Hawaii, native rushed for 2,097 yards during his career and had a then-second best season rushing total in school history with 1,145 during his senior year. Murrell ranked 14th nationally and 22nd in NCAA all-purpose yards. He was the second Mountaineer to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games, joining Artie Owens (1974).
In his senior campaign, he rushed for a career-high 157 yards against Virginia Tech (career-long 54-yard run), 154 yards against Penn State, 150 yards against Boston College, 141 yards against Pitt and 115 yards against Maryland. Murrell had two touchdowns against Boston College. He had a career-high 99 yards receiving against Miami, Ohio, and had three total touchdowns against Maryland.
After the season, he was named All-Big East First Team, All-ECAC, Associated Press All-East and was a United Press International Honorable Mention All-American. Murrell played in the Senior Bowl and was voted WVU's most valuable player for 1992.
As a junior, he had four 100-yard rushing games – 152 against Bowling Green, 141 against Maryland, 116 against Syracuse and 102 against Temple. Murrell had two rushing touchdowns against Virginia Tech. He earned First Team All-ECAC, First Team All-Big East and All-East First Team honors.
Murrell was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Jets in the 1993 NFL Draft and played for the Jets from 1993-97, the Arizona Cardinals from 1998-99 and Washington Redskins in 2000. In 1998, he rushed for 1,042 yards for the Cardinals, ranking ninth in team history at the time. After a two-year break from the NFL, Murrell returned in 2003 to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He is WVU's all-time leader in NFL career rushing yards.
He is married to Tonia Peck Murrell and they have three children.
