It was a record that stood for 27 years, and many believed it might never be broken...especially at an institution renowned for producing elite running backs.

Adrian Peterson.

DeMarco Murray.

Billy Sims.

And yet, Samaje Perine out ran them all.

During yesterday's Sugar Bowl, the U.S. National Team alum eclipsed the Oklahoma all-time rushing record held by Billy Sims.

The junior running back for the Sooners entered the game against No. 14 Auburn needing only 83 yards to break the longstanding mark. This season, in the 10 games that Perine was active, he averaged 106 yards per game.

Prior to the game, Perine was asked to convey his thoughts about the potential for breaking the record. As he has consistently displayed during his career in Oklahoma, he remained humble and team-centric.

“If it happens, then I’ll probably be excited about it down the road,” Perine said to TheEagle.com prior to the game. “But if we win, then I’ll definitely be more excited about that than having that individual record just because a team win is worth a lot more to me than an individual record."

Perine is definitely a happy individual this morning.

No. 7 Oklahoma won the Sugar Bowl by defeating Auburn by the score of 35-17 and Perine ran into the record books during the fourth quarter of the game on a 15-yard run:

The former record holder, Billy Sims, was apparently watching the game:

Congrats to a true sooner @Samaj32 with hustle and heart. #BOOMER #theNewRbU #SugarBowl2017

— Billy Sims (@billysims1978) January 3, 2017

The next stop for Perine is the NFL, as he has announced that he’ll be entering the NFL Draft.

Congratulations to Perine and all U.S. National Team alumni. 

 

Photo courtesy of SoonerSports.com