Ted Horstead: The 1,000 Yard Man

One of Troy’s strengths throughout what I consider to be the modern era (1966 to the present) is an ability to change with the times. That is especially true for the offenses.

Trojan coaches have often been able to change the offense with the players (the high powered passing offense of the 1960s) or spot a sea change coming and move with the times (the 2006 introduction of the spread attack). Finding schemes to fit players has often worked and put Trojan offenses at or near the top of their respective leagues. 

Save the current spread offense, no offense has done more for Troy than the wishbone attack of the 1980s. The wishbone helped Troy win two national titles in four years and solidified Troy as a regional power. But the wishbone is an offense that hinges on misdirection and speed in the backfield.

While the quarterback gets most of the praise in these formations, without a good running back, the offense is dead in the water. Thankfully for Troy, they had one of the best tandems in the run up to the 1984 National Championship: Carey Christensen and the focus of our story, Ted Horstead. 

Ted Horstead was the perfect back. The Elba native offered size and speed that allowed the offense to flourish. Surprisingly for the career he would enjoy, Horstead began as a walk-on. He earned his spot by playing tough on the field.

As a freshman in a crowded backfield, Horstead got 433 yards his first season. His breakout season would come the following year.

During the perfect storm that was the 1984 Division II National Championship run, Horstead played an integral role in the offense. He along with Christensen and Turk provided a running attack that overwhelmed nearly every opponent that they faced.

Surprisingly, throughout Troy’s history, especially during the run-heavy years of the 1940s-1970s, no Trojan never recorded a 1,000 yard rushing season. 

Ted did away with that in his championship sophomore season, breaking into quadruple digits. He also recorded eight 100-yard rushing games during his career, five of them in his 1984 season alone.

Horstead’s 1,123 yard season still ranks as the seventh most yards in a season. It took until 1992 for another Trojan to hit that mark, and since then, only eight others have broken the 1,000-yard season barrier. 

For his troubles in the 1984 season, he rushed for over 4.72 yards per carry and recorded five touchdowns that season. (He is still ranks fourth all-time in rushing attempts per season with 238.) This also earned him Gulf South First Team honors both in 1984 and in his junior season, 1985.

Horstead led the team in rushing for the 1985 season as well, with 840 yards. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that he would’ve led the team once again in 1986 had he not suffered an injury. 

During the 10-0 win over Mississippi College, Horstead went down with torn ligaments in his knee, ending his Troy career suddenly. Through six games, he had already amassed 530 yards at 88.3 yards per game.

Assuming he would’ve kept that same pace through the rest of Troy’s schedule, he would’ve had the second 1,000-yard season with 1,059 yards. Even without those remaining six games, Horstead’s place in the pantheon of Troy backs was already secure. In fact, before the 1986 season even started, he was already Troy’s leading career rusher.

While Horstead doesn’t hold any single game records, his name is still all over the season and career marks. He has both the eighth and ninth-best records for single-season yards per game with 88.3 in 1986 and 86.4 in 1984. He is third in career rushing yards (2,926), carries (638), and yards per game (75.0).

Even without any passing yardage, Horstead still ranks #16 in Total Offense with 2,926. (The only other backs on the list are DeWhitt Betterson and Arrid Gregory.) He also still ranks #13 in All-Purpose Yards with 3,016.

As a Trojan of the last two decades, I have been absolutely spoiled by the stables of stellar backs we have had in those years. But without a man like Ted Horstead, that foundation would not have been built as strongly. The fact that his mark on Troy history still stands so great after nearly 40 years is truly impressive, just like the man.