6  Chris Nwoke Class: RS Senior Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colo. High School: ThunderRidge Height / Weight: 6-0 / 213 Position: RB Experience: 3L

2012 (Junior): Chris Nwoke finished his junior campaign rushing for 570 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in 10 receptions for 85 yards.

• Before the 2012 season was honored as a first-team All-Mountain West player by Athlon, Blue Ribbon, Lindy's, MW media, and Phil Steele.
• Was put on the College Football Performance Awards Running Back Award watch list, given to the nation's top running back.
• Was voted by coaching staff and teammates as a weekly captain prior to the Colorado (Sept. 1) season-opener. Rushed the ball 11 times for 47 yards before leaving the game with a lower extremity injury.
• Missed the next two games due to the injury before returning in a limited capacity against Utah State (Sept. 22), running the ball six times for 17 yards.
• In CSU's home win against Hawai'i (Oct. 27) ran the ball 19 times for 115 yards and a score.
• At Boise State (Nov. 17) ran the ball 10 times for 119 yards, including a career-long 72-yard TD run. The 72-yard rush is the 8^th-longest in school history and longest run since Gartrell Johnson III ran the ball 77 yards for a score in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl.

2011 (Sophomore): A power back capable of leaping over defenders, played in all 12 games, with five starts, earning the Fum McGraw team MVP as a sophomore, and second-team all-conference honors (MW coaches/media, Phil Steele), in addition to academic all-conference recognition...Finished third in the Mountain West and 32^nd in the nation with 94.2 rushing yards per game, including the league's top two single-game totals, 269 and 232 yards...Joined Oregon's LaMichael James as one of just two backs in the country with multiple rushing games of 232-or-more yards...Led the team with 1,130 rushing yards (No. 10 in Rams history) on 200 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry, the highest figure by the Rams' leading rusher in 14 years, since Damon Washington (6.1) in 1997...Scored nine touchdowns, all on the ground, to lead the team in scoring (56 points)...Also caught 23 passes for 143 yards (6.2 avg.), and finished with the team's longest receptions streak, 13 games, a stretch that began with the 2010 season finale...From Oct. 22-Nov. 26, over a five-game stretch in the starting lineup, averaged 162.0 rushing yards per game, and 6.9 yards per carry (118 attempts, 810 yards, five touchdowns), the best five-game rushing stretch in the rich history of CSU football... In season-opening 14-10 win at New Mexico (Sept. 3), converted an third-and-1 in the first quarter, and a late fourth-and-1 to keep alive the game-winning march, which ended with his go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown TD plunge...In home-opening win over Northern Colorado (Sept. 10), on a first-half scoring drive, had seven carries for 44 yards, including a 20-yard burst on the series' first play and a 1-yard touchdown plunge; rested by coaches during the second half... In Denver loss vs. Colorado (Sept. 17), converted a third-and-1, setting up a fourth-quarter TD that cut the Buffs' lead to 21-14...Principal in exhilarating, 35-34 double-overtime win at Utah State (Sept. 24), picked up 47 hard-earned yards on 11 carries, including a career-best two touchdowns, on the Rams' final three possessions...With 42 seconds left in regulation, helped CSU erase a 21-13 deficit with a 1-yard score (just before Pete Thomas hit Crockett Gillmore for a game-tying two-point conversion to send the game to OT)...Then in the extra periods, ran seven times for 32 yards, setting up Gillmore's game-tying TD and scoring the eventual game-winning points with a 2-yard TD...Also converted a pair of third-and-1 attempts, one on an important second-quarter FG drive to put CSU on the board...For his efforts against Aggies, earned Mountain West Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors, the first award of his career, sharing the award with UNM's Deon Long...In 38-31 loss vs. San Jose State (Oct. 1), with four minutes remaining in the first quarter, left after taking a helmet on his leg, but returned to action in the second quarter; left with a leg cramp in the fourth quarter...In loss vs. No. 5 Boise State (Oct. 15), had 74 yards on 15 carries (4.9 avg.), including an impressive 29-yard rumble late in the game, a nice second-effort to convert a fourth-and-short; also finished as CSU's leading receiver, with four catches...In loss at UTEP (Oct. 22), made his first 2011 start and finished just 7 yards shy of his first 100-yard game; converted a pair of third-and-short carries in the first half, the latter on a field-goal drive...Then, in fourth quarter of Miners contest, scored an important touchdown, weaving through defenders and following blocks on a 24-yard run...Got 14 yards on his first carry in loss at UNLV (Oct. 29), en route to a career-best 156 on the ground, his first 100-yard rushing effort; set up a go-ahead field goal late in the first half with a career-long 38-yard gallop...In second half of Rebels contest, picked up 17 yards on one carry, then converted a third-down with a 14-yard reception; later in game, brought the Rams to within a FG with a run for a two-point conversion, then punched in a go-ahead touchdown one play after Shaq Bell's blocked FG and Austin Gray's return...In 18-15 loss vs. San Diego State (Nov. 12), turned in the top individual rushing performance in all of major-college football during Week 11, a career-most 232 yards, the ninth-best total by an FBS player in 2011, and tops among Mountain West competitors; within those top nine rushing performances, only three averaged more per carry than Nwoke (10.55, 22-232): Missouri's Henry Josey (18.79, 14-263 vs. Western Illinois Sept. 17); Oregon's LaMichael James (12.52, 23-288 vs. Arizona Sept. 24); and UTEP's Joe Banyard (10.91, 22-240, vs. Houston Sept. 29)...Also registered then the highest total by a CSU player in 226 all-time games at Hughes Stadium (a mark he surpassed two weeks later), breaking Brian Copeland's standard, 228, vs. New Mexico, Nov. 16, 1991...His 232 yards ranked fifth all-time on CSU's single-game rushing chart, most by a Rams player since Gartrell Johnson's 285 in the New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 20, 2008, vs. Fresno State, and his 67-yard burst - on which he made a perfect cut and wound up breaking four tackles -- in the second quarter, and his 63-yard touchdown in the first, were the Rams' two longest plays from scrimmage at that point in the season...In loss at No. 19 TCU (Nov. 19), against the conference's No. 1 rushing defense, managed 60 yards on 21 carries, converting a pair of third downs, one on a first-quarter run, the other on a 14-yard reception in the third quarter...One week later in loss vs. Air Force (Nov. 26), had a Hughes Stadium-record 269 rushing yards, the third most in Rams history and third most by an FBS player in 2011, becoming CSU's first 1,000-yard rusher since MW rushing champion Johnson (1,476) in 2008, and 19th overall, eclipsing the landmark on his 62-yard TD run in the third quarter; also became just the seventh CSU player to break 1,000 as a sophomore or younger...Additionally against Falcons, became first player in CSU history with multiple 200-yard rushing efforts in the same season, joining a group of four CSU players with multiple 200-yard rushing games in a career: Kevin McDougal (1997 and '99), Lawrence McCutcheon (1969, '70) and Steve Bartalo (1983, '85)...His 269 yards were the most ever by any player in 227 all-time games at Hughes Stadium, which opened in 1968, breaking the 2007 record held by Air Force's Chad Hall, 256...Plus, with 810 rushing yards over a five-game stretch from Oct. 22-Nov. 26, broke the program record, held by Steve Bartalo over the last five games of his career in 1986, 759 yards...Slowed entering season finale, vs. Wyoming (Dec. 3), by hip and foot injuries, did not start; slightly aggravated the foot injury during the game and finished with limited carries.

2010 (Freshman): Enjoyed a solid spring after his redshirt year and played in nine games with three starts...Averaged 4.8 yards on 74 carries, with one touchdown; his 357 rushing yards were the eighth-most ever by a Rams freshman, and most since Rashaan Sanders had 468 in 1999...Also caught 17 passes for 75 yards (4.4 avg.)...Earned academic all-conference following the season...Did not play in season opener vs. Colorado (Sept. 4), then made his college debut the next week at Nevada (Sept. 11), gaining 19 yards on four carries...In Wolf Pack contest, on his first NCAA snap, gained 17 yards on his first-ever attempt, in the first quarter; the drive-starting run helped to set up CSU's first points, a field goal...Played the last two quarters in loss vs. No. 5 TCU (Oct. 2), both in the backfield and on kickoff coverage; had four carries...Earned extensive playing time at No. 25 Air Force (Oct. 9), with 42 yards on 12 carries, including his first career touchdown, a 2-yard run that capped a 16-play, 92-yard drive late in the game (had six carries for 24 yards on drive); also converted a pair of third downs in the second quarter...Posted an early career-best in 43-10 win vs. UNLV (Oct. 16) with 75 yards on eight carries (9.4 avg.), including a highlight-reel, 31-yard run in the fourth quarter in which he somehow leaped over several defenders, completed a 360-degree spin in the air, and then raced for the final 24 yards to the 9...At No. 9 Utah (Oct. 23), made his first career start and played the entire game, leading the team with 48 yards on 15 carries (3.2 avg.) and eight catches for 49 yards...Early in the second quarter of Utes contest, set up a field goal with a 7-yard run in which he broke four tackles...Made a second straight start in 38-14 win vs. New Mexico, picking up 98 yards on 19 carries (5.2 avg.)...With his second carry in Lobos contest, eclipsed No. 10 Leonice Brown (1991) on the Rams' all-time freshman rushing list, then later in the game, surpassed No. 9 Scott Whitehouse (261, 1984)...Sustained concussion-like symptoms in a practice Nov. 11 and did not play in loss vs. BYU (Nov.13).

2009: Redshirted as a true freshman in his first season of college eligibility.

High School: As a senior at ThunderRidge High School, rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 34 touchdowns on only 199 carries, earning all-Colorado and first-team all-state accolades from the Denver Post...Powered the Grizzlies to a 10-0 regular-season record and a Southern Conference title...A first-team all-conference selection, helped the Grizzlies advance to the second round of the 5A playoffs in their first season since moving up from 4A...Rushed for 210 yards on 29 carries and added four second-half touchdowns to open the 2008 season in an overtime win over top-ranked Douglas County...Also scored four touchdowns and rushed for 143 yards against cross-town rival Highlands Ranch...As a junior, rushed for 934 yards and seven touchdowns and was named first-team all-Mountain Plains League, despite dealing with an ankle injury...As a sophomore, had 1,121 yards and 16 touchdowns to garner second-team all-conference honors...Finished his career with 3,758 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns...Had 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash...Chose CSU over offers from Wyoming and New Mexico and interest from San Diego State, Stanford, Texas A&M, Boise State and Utah State...Also competed in track and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.9 seconds...Head football coach was Joe Johnson.

Personal: Given name Christian Chukwunenyem Nwoke Jr. ...Last name is pronounced WOH-kay...Born Dec. 29, 1990, in Omaha, Neb. ...Son of Chris and Dorothy Nwoke...Has an older sister...Was a high school teammate of CSU player Zach Tiedgen and former CSUplayers James Moorehead and Justin Becker...Also follows in the ThunderRidge footsteps of former CSU standout Jesse Nading, currently with the Houston Texans...In February before the '10 season, devoted a night to prepare food and serve dinner to homeless individuals at the Open Door Mission in Old Town Fort Collins...Helped with organized sports for low-income students at a 2010 summer camp at Lincoln Middle School in Fort Collins...Took part in a goodwill party at Respite Care of Fort Collins, working with disabled youngsters, in February 2011...Prior to the 2011 season, helped with Fort Collins kids' summer programs at Before and After School Enrichment (BASE) Camp...Majoring in business administration, with an emphasis in finance and accounting...Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colo.