Former UNH star Jerry Azumah celebrated during Homecoming weekend

DURHAM – It seems ludicrous now, but Jerry Azumah didn’t have much to show potential college recruiters when he was in high school because he didn’t get much playing time during his first three years.

However, he had a breakout season as a senior at St. Peter-Marian in Worcester, Mass., to justify the University of New Hampshire football program’s keen interest in him.

“We had a powerhouse football team at St. Peter-Marian for several years and I never really got to see the football field because we had so many great guys,” Azumah said. “So I just had to wait for my turn. It was all about seniority. Once your time is called you’ve got to make sure that you’re ready.

“I was finally going to be the starter and that we were still a really good team and if I got the ball I was going to make teams pay,” he added.

The Wildcats took notice.  

“There was no question about that when we saw him on tape,” said former UNH coach Bill Bowes. “I was quite surprised to be honest with you that there weren’t more people recruiting him.”

As the featured running back, Azumah averaged almost 10 yards per carry that season. A somewhat hidden gem, he went on to become the Wildcats’ all-time leading rusher and received numerous accolades along the way.

The latest and most prestigious one came Saturday afternoon before the start of the UNH football team’s Homecoming game against Elon – a 30-23 win for the Wildcats. That’s when Azumah was presented with a plaque from the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame during an On-Campus-Salute at midfield. He joined Bowes, a 2016 inductee.

“It’s amazing, finally, my kids think I’m cool,” Azumah said with a laugh.

“Personally, I think Jerry Azumah is the best football player that played at the University the University of New Hampshire, in my opinion,” Bowes said.

It’s hard to argue with that sentiment.

Azumah, who rewrote the UNH rushing record book, was the first player in Division I-AA/FCS history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons, and in 1998 was the recipient of the prestigious Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the country. The ceremony was held at the ESPN Zone in New York City’s Times Square.

“UNH really embraced me and I really appreciated that,” Azumah said. “Football is the ultimate team sport. Yes, I got the accolades and awards and things like that but I needed so much help from the coaching staff, to the (athletic) trainers, to the guys on the football field. Ultimately, those are the things that helped propel me forward. I couldn’t have done them all by myself.”

During his four-year tenure Azumah set two FCS records with 6,193 career rushing yards and 8,376 all-purpose yards. Azumah holds multiple school records, including rushing yards in a game (329) and a season (2,195), and touchdowns for a career with 60. He averaged about 6 yards per carry for his college career which included a four-year total of 1,045 carries.

“He carried the ball a lot during his tenure at the University of New Hampshire,” Bowes said. “He never missed a game. I don’t recall him ever having to come out of the game for any length of time because of injury. For a running back that’s a lot to be said, particularly ones like him that are carrying the ball so much.”

Azumah demonstrated his physical attributes by rushing for more than 100 yards in 25 of 41 career games at UNH. As a senior workhorse in 1998 he gained 2,195 yards on 343 carries and averaged 247.8 all-purpose yards per game, eclipsing 200 yards five times.

“A little bit of luck and good coaching as well,” Azumah said of his ability to stay on the field. “I tried to make sure I maintained a strong body and a strong mind, and tried to do the necessary things that it took to make sure that my body could endure the punishment and never break down.

“I just wanted to get an opportunity to play,” he added. “That was my only expectation and once I got that opportunity I believed in myself and knew that my talents would take over.”  

Tony Trisciani, Elon’s head coach, was the running backs coach at UNH when Azumah burst on the scene in the late 1990s.

“He was awesome,” Trisciani said, “a relentless competitor, extremely talented, great teammate and human being. You could see the talent, the ability, the explosiveness he had as an athlete and a competitor. He was fun to coach. It was an awesome experience. I’m glad I had that opportunity with him”.

Elon’s Kamerin McDowell-Moore rushed for 273 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against UNH.

“That was an Azumah-like performance,” Trisciani said. “Probably hasn’t been anybody run like that on this field since No. 25.”   

 After showcasing his durability in college where he helped lead the Wildcats to two Atlantic-10 New England Division titles, Azumah demonstrated his versatility at the next level after he was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Listed at 5-10 and 190 pounds Azumah was deemed too small to survive the rigors of pro football as a running back so he transitioned to defensive back. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2003 as a kick returner to highlight a seven-year career at the highest level.

“He was a natural athlete,” Bowes said. “Let’s face it, he had so much athletic ability he could make the adjustment rather quickly. There’s no question in my mind he would have been a great corner but we couldn’t afford to put him in on defense. We had to have him on offense.”

Azumah was inducted into the UNH Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, but his impact on the local community extended well beyond the football field.

“He was a great player,” Bowes said. “There’s no question about it. The thing that I think sets Jerry Azumah apart from other people, he was even a better person. He was a better person than a football player, and he was a great football player.

“He was called upon to do so many things to speak to young kids and whatnot,” he added. “I don’t think he ever turned down an appointment like that or a request. He was just a great young man. You can’t say it any other way.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Former UNH star Jerry Azumah celebrated during Homecoming weekend