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Joey Nichols ’03 was a bruising running back who helped W&J win four Presidents’ Athletic Conference football championships and make four appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Nichols remains the second-leading rusher in school history with 4.833 yards. He scored 54 touchdowns (4th-most in W&J history).
He quickly established himself as one of the PAC’s top running backs as a freshman when he gained 554 yards and tied for the team lead with nine touchdowns. A year later, he totaled 912 yards on the ground and found the end zone 12 times.
As a junior, Nichols ranked 20th in NCAA Division III with an average of 124.0 yards per game and 21st in scoring after rushing for a PAC-best 17 touchdowns. His final collegiate season ended with 1,589 all-purpose yards and 12 scores. His 121.7 yard per game rushing average was 26thbest among Division III backs.
In the 2001 NCAA playoffs, Nichols rushed 34 times for 182 yards and one touchdown in a 24- 21 victory over Western Maryland. A week later, he piled up 155 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in a second-round loss at Widener.
Nichols produced his third-straight 100-yard playoff performance in the first round of the 2002 NCAA playoffs versus Christopher Newport. He gained 121 yards and scored the game-clinching touchdown on a 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
A four-time All-PAC selection, Nichols still owns two of the top five single-season rushing totals in school history.
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