East Carolina Pirates football statistical leaders

The East Carolina Pirates football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the East Carolina Pirates football program in various categories,[1][2] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Pirates represent East Carolina University in the NCAA Division I FBS American Athletic Conference.

East Carolina began competing in intercollegiate football in 1932.[2] However, these lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:

  • Since 1932, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
  • The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
  • Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[3] The Pirates have played in eight bowl games since then, and will play in a ninth in 2022, allowing players an extra game to accumulate statistics.
  • The recent decade has seen two players set NCAA records: Justin Hardy, who caught 387 passes, more than anyone in all of college football ever had, until fellow Pirate Zay Jones broke the record in 2016.[4] Jones also set the NCAA single-season record with 158 receptions, which is more than all but 2 other East Carolina receivers have ever had in their whole careers.
  • Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA declared that the 2020 season would not be counted against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.

The most recent East Carolina record books do not list a top 10 in all statistics, sometimes only listing a leader. These lists are updated through the end of the 2022 regular season.

Passing

Passing yards

Single season
RankPlayerYardsYear
1Shane Carden4,7362014
2Shane Carden4,1292013
3Dominique Davis3,9672010
4Holton Ahlers3,708[5]2022
5Holton Ahlers3,3872019
6Dominique Davis3,2252011
7Holton Ahlers3,1262021
8Shane Carden3,1162012
9Jeff Blake3,0731991
10Patrick Pinkney2,9472009
Single game
RankPlayerYardsYearOpponent
1Holton Ahlers5352019Cincinnati
2Holton Ahlers4982019SMU
3Shane Carden4802013Tulane
4Blake Kemp4652015UCF
Holton Ahlers465[6]2022South Florida
6Holton Ahlers4492018Memphis
7Shane Carden4472013Old Dominion
8Shane Carden4452014UConn
9Shane Carden4392012Marshall
10Shane Carden4382014North Carolina

Passing touchdowns

Single season
RankPlayerTDsYear
1Dominique Davis372010
2Shane Carden332013
3Shane Carden302014
4Jeff Blake281991
Holton Ahlers28[5]2022
6Dominique Davis252011
7Michael Anderson231992
Shane Carden232012
9Marcus Crandell211994
Holton Ahlers212019
Single game
RankPlayerTDsYearOpponent
1Holton Ahlers62019SMU
Holton Ahlers6[6]2022South Florida
3Dominique Davis52010Tulsa
Dominique Davis52010Navy
Dominique Davis52010UAB
Shane Carden52012Memphis
Shane Carden52013Old Dominion
Shane Carden52013Tulsa
Shane Carden52013UAB
Philip Nelson52016Western Carolina
Holton Ahlers5[7]2022Coastal Carolina

Rushing

Rushing yards

Single season
RankPlayerYardsYear
1Scott Harley1,7451996
2Keaton (Deuce) Mitchell1,452[8]2022
3Leonard Henry1,4322001
4Chris Johnson1,4232007
5Junior Smith1,3521993
6Carlester Crumpler Sr.1,3091972
7Junior Smith1,2041993
8Vintavious Cooper1,1932013
9Dominique Lindsay1,1802009
10Butch Colson1,1351967
Single game
RankPlayerYardsYearOpponent
1Scott Harley3511996NC State
2Chris Johnson3012007Memphis
3Scott Harley2911996South Carolina
4Junior Smith2821993Tulsa
5Billy Wightman2451969Davidson
6Leonard Henry2342001Cincinnati
7Junior Smith2321992Arkansas State
8Chris Johnson2232007Boise State
9Keaton Mitchell2222021Tulane
Keaton Mitchell222[9]2022Temple

Rushing touchdowns

Single season
RankPlayerTDsYear
1Dave Alexander171965
Carlester Crumpler Sr.171972
Chris Johnson172007
4Leonard Henry162001
5Butch Colson151967
6Tony Collins141979
Art Brown142002
Keaton Mitchell14[8]2022
9Vintavious Cooper132013
10Carlester Crumpler Sr.121973
Leander Green121979
Single game
RankPlayerTDsYearOpponent
1Scott Harley61996Ohio

Receiving

Receptions

Single season
RankPlayerCatchesYear
1Zay Jones1582016
2Justin Hardy1212014
3Justin Hardy1142013
4Dwayne Harris1012010
5Zay Jones982015
6Lance Lewis892010
7Justin Hardy882012
Isaiah Winstead88[11]2022
9Terrance Copper872003
10Aundrae Allison832005
Dwayne Harris832009
Single game
RankPlayerCatchesYearOpponent
1Zay Jones222016South Carolina
2Zay Jones192016Connecticut
Tyler Snead192019SMU
4Zay Jones182016South Florida
5Justin Hardy172013Tulane
Zay Jones172016UCF
7Justin Hardy162012Marshall
Justin Hardy162013Old Dominion
Tyler Snead162019UConn
Tyler Snead162020Tulsa

Receiving yards

Single season
RankPlayerYardsYear
1Zay Jones1,7462016
2Justin Hardy1,2842013
3Dwayne Harris1,1232010
4Lance Lewis1,1162010
5Justin Hardy1,1052012
6Zay Jones1,0992015
7Isaiah Winstead1,085[11]2022
8Aundrae Allison1,0242005
9C. J. Johnson1,016[10]2022
10Dwayne Harris9782009
Single game
RankPlayerYardsYearOpponent
1C.J. Johnson2832019Cincinnati
2Tyler Snead2402019SMU
3Terry Gallaher2181975Appalachian State
4Zay Jones2122016Navy
5Zay Jones2062016Tulsa
6C.J. Johnson197[6]2022South Florida
7Justin Hardy1912013Old Dominion
8Zay Jones1902016South Carolina
9Justin Hardy1882014Cincinnati
10Justin Hardy1862014UConn

Receiving touchdowns

Single season
RankPlayerTDsYear
1Lance Lewis142010
Single game
RankPlayerTDsYearOpponent
1Walter Wilson41989Pittsburgh
C.J. Johnson4[6]2022South Florida

Total offense

Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[12]

Total offense yards

Single season
RankPlayerYardsYear
1Shane Carden4,8122014
2Shane Carden4,2422013
3Dominique Davis4,1082010
4Holton Ahlers3,890[5]2022
5Holton Ahlers3,7462019
6Dominique Davis3,3972011
7Holton Ahlers3,3302021
8Shane Carden3,1902012
9Jeff Blake3,1821991
10Patrick Pinkney3,0282009
Single game
RankPlayerYardsYearOpponent
1Holton Ahlers5562019Cincinnati
2Holton Ahlers5232019SMU
3Holton Ahlers5062018Memphis
4Shane Carden4772014UConn
5Holton Ahlers474[6]2022South Florida
6Blake Kemp4682015UCF
7Shane Carden4572014SMU
8Shane Carden4552013Tulane
9Marcus Crandell4531995Syracuse
Holton Ahlers4531995Navy

Touchdowns responsible for

"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.[13]

Single season
RankPlayerTDsYear
1Dominique Davis462010
2Shane Carden432013
3Shane Carden362014
4Holton Ahlers34[5]2022
5Jeff Blake311991
Shane Carden312012
7Dominique Davis302011
Single game
RankPlayerTDsYearOpponent
1Shane Carden72013Tulsa

Defense

The East Carolina media guides and record books have historically listed only the top performers in most defensive statistics, rather than a top 10. However, the 2022 record book lists a full top 10 in career tackles.

Interceptions

Single season
RankPlayerIntsYear
1Jim Bolding101975
Single game
RankPlayerIntsYearOpponent
110 times3Most recent:
Greg Grandison, 1991 vs. UCF

Tackles

Single season
RankPlayerTacklesYear
1Jeffrey Warren1841980
Single game
RankPlayerTacklesYearOpponent
1Pernell Griffin242001Wake Forest
Chris Moore242003Cincinnati

Sacks

Single season
RankPlayerSacksYear
1Roderick Coleman15.01997
Single game
RankPlayerSacksYearOpponent
1Roderick Coleman4.01997Wake Forest
Montese Overton4.02015SMU

Kicking

Field goals made

Single season
RankPlayerFGsYear
1Jake Verity242019
2Ben Hartman212008
Single game
RankPlayerFGsYearOpponent
1Andrew Conrad5[14]2023Florida Atlantic
211 times4Most recent:
Jake Verity, 2019 vs. William & Mary

Field goal percentage

Minimum of 30 attempts for career leadership, and 15 for single-season leadership.

Single season
RankPlayerFG%Year
1Jake Verity90.5%2019

References