WVU Sports Hall of Fame
Considered one of the greatest running backs in West Virginia football history, Avon Cobourne finished his career as WVU's and the Big East's rushing leader from 1999-2002, becoming the only player in school history to post four 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
A four-year starter and four-time All-Big East honoree from 1999-2002, Cobourne set WVU records for rushing yards in a season (1,710) and career (5,164), most 100-yard games in a season (10) and career (28), most carries in a season (335) and career (1,050), and tied the record for most consecutive 100-year games (six) and most touchdowns in a career (42).
A team captain as a junior and senior, the Camden, New Jersey, native holds the Big East record for most carries in a career, most 100-yard games in a career and rushing yards in a career.
Cobourne is tied for 16th in career rushing yards in NCAA history, including bowl games, and 22nd in career rushing without counting bowl games. He is one of 23 players in NCAA history to rush for 5,000 yards or more for his career.
As a senior in 2002, he finished with 1,710 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning All-Big East first-team honors and was tabbed a third-team Associated Press All-American. Cobourne set the WVU season rushing record, including a career-high 260 yards against East Carolina on his way to finishing No. 7 nationally in rushing at 131.5 yards per game. In 2002, he had 193 yards against Cincinnati and 175 yards against Miami.
In 2001, Cobourne finished with 1,298 yards and nine touchdowns, earning All-Big East second-team honors. He set a Mountaineer Field record with four touchdowns in just over two quarters against Rutgers. For the season, Cobourne had eight 100-yard games.
Cobourne finished with 1,018 yards rushing and six touchdowns as a sophomore in 2000, earning All-Big East second-team honors. He posted five 100-yard rushing performances, despite injuries, and ranked No. 3 in the Big East in rushing and No. 26 nationally. Cobourne registered a season-high 166 yards against Syracuse and had 125 yards in the win against Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl.
Finishing with 1,138 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman, Cobourne was a first-team freshman All-American by The Sporting News and first team All-Big East. He led the Big East in rushing (113.9) and set the WVU and Big East freshman rushing records. Cobourne tied for No. 16 in the nation in rushing and No. 35 in all-purpose yards.
Cobourne was signed by the Detroit Lions in 2003 after being undrafted. He played in seven games, recording seven carries for 27 yards, returning seven kickoffs for 123 yards and catching four passes for 30 yards. In 2004, he moved to the Lions practice squad and during the 2004 season, he played for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe, recording 525 yards on 117 carries. Cobourne signed with the Miami Dolphins for the 2005 NFL season but never played.
Cobourne then embarked on a six-year career in the Canadian Football League, beginning with the Montreal Alouettes in 2006. In his second year, while also playing linebacker, he became one of the league's most feared returners. Cobourne finished third on the team in special teams tackles and rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
He was the Alouettes' starting running back in 2008, in which he finished with 1,557 all-purpose yards and was named a CFL East Division All-Star. Cobourne followed that up with an outstanding 2009 season, rushing for 1,214 yards and 13 touchdowns, culminating in CFL All-Star recognition and being named the MVP of the 2009 Grey Cup. In 2010, he finished with 956 yards rushing, 64 receptions and 550 yards receiving in helping the Alouettes to their second consecutive Grey Cup. Cobourne signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2011, starting 17 games and two playoff games at running back. In his final season in 2012, he was named a CFL East Division All-Star for the third time of his career.
In 2014, he was a running backs coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was a running backs coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2016.
Cobourne has a degree in marketing from West Virginia. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in Charleston, West Virginia, with three children, Avon III (Trey), Quion and Nova. Cobourne serves as the director of business development for the Charleston Family YMCA and owns a financial services marketing company, Primerica Financial Services.
