Harvey Unga
Running Back #45
Ht/Wt
6'
0"
|
237 lbs.
Class
Junior
Hometown
Provo, 
Utah
Last School
Timpview High School
Roster Years
2006-2009


Career Summary

Harvey Unga became BYU's career leader with 3,455 rushing yards in three seasons, averaging 4.96 yards per carry while totaling 36 rushing touchdowns. He also added 1,085 yards as a receiver, averaging 10.64 yards per catch with nine receiving TDs. After redshirting the 2006 season due to injury, Unga became the first BYU freshman running back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards and set the Mountain West Conference freshman record with 1,227 rushing yards to earn 2007 Freshman All-America accolades. He recorded three-straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2007-2009 to become the second Cougar to reach the 3,000 yard career mark before rising to No. 1 on the all-time rushing rankings at BYU on Nov. 21, 2009 against Air Force in LaVell Edwards Stadium. In his 40 career games, the Doak Walker Award nominee recorded 45 touchdowns and received both conference and national recognition as one of BYU's most decorated running backs. He came to BYU after helping Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, to the 2004 State Championship. See the year summary, recognition and stats tabs for more details. 

Professional

Selected as a seventh round pick of the supplemental draft by the Chicago Bears in 2010. After spending time with the Bears over several seasons, Unga later signed with the Carolina Panthers in preseason 2014 before concluding his playing career. 

Personal

  • Parents are Jackson and Theresa
  • Father, Jackson, played running back for the Cougars in the early 80's
  • Married to former BYU women's basketball player Keilani Moeki
  • Son Jackson
  • Recruited by Oregon, California, Boise State, UNLV, Utah, Colorado, Utah State, Arizona State, Air Force and Stanford

Before BYU

  • Consensus all-state running back as a senior
  • Helped lead Timpview HS to the 2004 State Championship
  • Team offensive MVP as a junior and senior
  • Rushed for over 1,300 yards as a senior
  • Deseret News All-Region performer as a junior

Stats

YEAR GP ATT YDS AVG/R TD LONG AVG/G
Rushing
2006 3 4 9 2.3 1 - 3.0
2007 13 244 1,227 5.0 13 44 94.4
2008 13 240 1,132 4.7 11 40 87.1
2009 12 208 1,087 5.2 11 52 90.6
TOTAL 41 696 3,455 5.0 36 52 84.3

 CAREER RUSHING HIGHS
CARRIES: 26 (AT SDSU; OCT. 17, 2009)
YARDS: 177 (AT UNLV; OCT. 13, 2007)
TD: 3 (THREE TIMES)
LONG: 52 (AT UNLV; OCT. 10, 2009)

YEAR REC YDS AVG TD LONG
Receiving
2007 44 655 14.9 4 53
2008 42 309 7.4 4 19
2009 16 121 7.6 1 28
TOTAL 102 1,085 10.6 9 53


BYU SEASON & CAREER RECORDS
   Career rushing yards: 3,455 (2007-09)
   Career rush attempts: 696 (2007-09)

BYU Hall of Fame

Freshman Year 2007

  • Earned Freshman All-America honors
  • Named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year
  • Earned the Steve Young Offensive MVP Award
  • Holds the MWC Freshman rushing record with 1,227 yards
  • Credited with the most rushing yards by a BYU running back since Doak Walker Awards winner Luke Staley ran for 1,582 yards during the 2001 season
  • Also set the MWC record with 1,840 all-purpose yards, shattering DonTrell Moore's (New Mexico) record of 1,328 yards set back in 2002
  • BYU's all-time leading freshman running back
  • Holds the BYU record for most 100-yard rushing games as a freshman with seven
  • Produced five 100-yard rushing games against MWC opponents, including Air Force (111), UNLV (177), Wyoming (111), Utah (141) and San Diego State (161)
  • Became the first freshman running back to lead the Cougars to a conference championship since Fahu Tahi and Luke Staley in 1999
  • Credited with 17 touchdowns on the season, marking the second most touchdowns scored in a single season and is the most touchdowns scored since Luke Staley racked up a recored 28 touchdowns in 2001
  • Recorded a career-high 177 yards rushing against UNLV
  • Averaged 94.9 yards rushing per game
  • Averaged 144.8 all-purpose yards per game
  • Led all MWC freshman receivers with 655 yards on 44 receptions
  • Named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week following the Cougars' victory over Arizona
  • Totaled 194 all-purpose yards against the Wildcats, including 127 yards receiving
  • Scored 17 touchdowns on the season, including 13 rushing TD's
  • Scored at least one rushing touchdown seven straight games
  • Scored a career-high three touchdowns in BYU's victory over San Diego State
  • First-ever BYU freshman running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark
Sophmore Year 2008

  • Earned letterman honors as a sophomore
  • Started 12 games
  • Named to the All-MWC Second Team
  • Recognized as honorable mention on the Sophomore All-America Team by College Football News
  • Doak Walker Award candidate
  • Recorded back-to-back 1,000 rushing yard seasons with 1,132 in 2008
  • Rushed for 136 yards against Washington
  • Caught a career-high two touchdown receptions against UCLA
  • Ran for 133 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries at CSU
  • Totaled 15 touchdowns on the season, 11 rushing and four receiving
  • Led the team averaging 87.1 rushing yards per game
  • Surpassed the 2,000-yard career rushing mark with his 116 yards against Utah
Junior Year 2009

  • All-MWC First Team selection
  • Earned letterman honors as a junior
  • Saw action in 12 games, including 10 starts at running back
  • Set BYU's career rushing record against Air Force while achieving his third-straight 1,000 yard rushing season
  • Led the MWC with 1,087 yards rushing on 208 attempts
  • Averaged 5.3 yards per carry
  • Scored a team-high 12 touchdowns, 11 rushing and one receiving
  • Averaged 90.6 yards rushing per game, ranking 37th nationally
  • Had a season-high 149 rushing yards against UNLV, including a career-long 52-yard rush
  • Tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns in that game
  • Named MWC Offensive Player of the Week following the UNLV game
  • Also scored three rushing touchdowns against CSU
  • Caught 16 passes for 121 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per catch
  • Led BYU in rushing in all games he played in on the season
  • Totaled five 100-yard rushing games
  • Ran for 123 yards against MWC's top rushing defense and No. 3-rated overall TCU
  • Received Honorable Mention National Running Back of the Week twice by College Football Performance Awards
  • With his 81 yards against San Diego State he became one of only nine Cougars to record over 1,000 career yards through the air and on the ground
  • Only the second Cougar to reach the 3,000 career rushing yard mark, the other being Curtis Brown (3,221)
  • 24 carries against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl set a new BYU bowl record
  • Also set the BYU bowl records for career carries and yards with 58 and 163, respectively
Senior Year

Graduate Year

Redshirt Year 2006

  • Redshirted the 2006 season after suffering a season-ending injury
  • Had four carries for nine yards and a touchdown in the Cougars' 49-24 win over Tulsa
  • Totaled 9 yards rushing
Medical Redshirt Year 2006

Redshirted the 2006 season after suffering a season-ending injury ... had four carries for nine yards and a touchdown in the Cougars' 49-24 win over Tulsa ... totaled 9 yards rushing.



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