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Arkansas Razorbacks tailback Darren McFadden (5) carries against the LSU Tigers in overtime at Tiger Stadium. The Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 50-48 in triple overtime. John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Legendary night almost never happened for Hogs superstar Darren McFadden

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Kent Smith | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The day former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden broke the school record for yards in a single game with 321 yards in a 48-36 shootout win over South Carolina, it almost ended before it could even really start.

That's the story McFadden let slip at the urging of former Razorbacks tight end DJ Williams when he stopped by the broadcast table of "The Zone" on 103.7 "The Buzz" before stepping down the hall to be the featured speaker at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

It was quite the surprise to hear him confirm that had it been modern times, his most legendary night doesn't happen and his Heisman campaign takes a huge hit.

Early in the game McFadden was struggling a little bit as the South Carolina defense kept him in check. That is when he went on a run up the middle and took helmet-to-helmet contact (targeting today) and found himself completely out cold on the stadium turf.

"I was talking to somebody about that play a long ago," McFadden said. "They showed some highlights, and you can see me on the sideline, like with a smelling salts and everything. Like I was down probably about five or six seconds."

The video below is chosen not only because it shows the play in slow motion, but it clearly lets us see McFadden instantly go limp. Now, it's possible some of his coaches didn't realize what happened because as the ball rolled away and sat on the ground for a second, fullback Peyton Hillis picked it up and turned it into an even bigger run.

What McFadden thinks happened was he was asked a few questions to make sure he knew where he was and who he is. That was the basic concussion protocol back then, and so long as the player wanted to get back in the game, it was his call as to whether he was healthy enough to play.

Obviously, in modern times, he would have went to the tent, his helmet would have been taken and he would have missed at least another full week.

Had that happened, not only would it have severely hampered his Heisman campaign, it may have completely ended it as it would have trimmed off roughly 450 yards rushing and prevented one of his best passing touchdowns.

"I said it was a different time, because at that time, you know, the players choice pretty much, if I feel like, if I was good, you know, [I was good to play]," McFadden said. "They look at me asking whatever question they had to do for concussion protocol at the time."

McFadden doesn't remember much about the game, which is to be expected considering he got knocked out. However, according to him, that's how pretty much any game was.

If reporters asked him about what went on in games, he was often so zoned out while playing that he had no idea how to answer their questions.

"I'm so in the moment, I'm like, stuff is going on, but I don't remember that this guy was here," McFadden said. "I may have hurdled here or stiff-armed here. It's just some plays you you have, it's one of those plays you just can't forget right here.

“But with that South Carolina game, I don't really know what's [happened]. I just know at one point I was thinking I had heard the announcer say something about 200 something yards. And then I had that 80-yard run, so I'm like, 'I know I gotta be like, close to 280 or something.' I never thought about 300 yards. Also, once they said 300 that was just, it was it was always just 'yeah, it's amazing.'"

Had people known that almost all of his production in the legendary game against South Carolina came after being knocked out, it may have been the edge needed to take down Florida's Tim Tebow for the Heisman, but McFadden thought he had it without the story getting out.

" I feel like I did everything that I can do to possibly win, that I can't lie," McFadden said. "I honestly expected to win the Heisman my junior year after the after going down and beating LSU, No. 1 in the country, rush 321 yards and basically doing everything. I expected to win the Heisman and when I didn't hear name called I was surprised."

That night truly was McFadden's Heisman moment, even though it took almost 20 years for it to become more widespread knowledge. The fact it wasn't without the "... And that was all after he got knocked out." tacked onto the end of a record-breaking night still bothers him.

I wish I could have a Heisman in my trophy case, but that don't make who I am.," McFadden said. "So it's not just I look at it, and it is what it is."