Ronald Dayne is a former professional running back. Dayne played college football for the University of Wisconsin and won the 1999 Heisman Trophy. He was a first round pick of the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Bowl game statistics included, Dayne is the all-time leader in rushing yards in NCAA Division I FBS history, with 7,125 yards (Official stats exclude Bowl Games played before 2002. Without Bowl game stats, Dayne is second all-time behind Donnel Pumphrey as of 2021). Dayne played in the NFL for eight seasons. In Dayne's first season he teamed up with Tiki Barber in the backfield to create the tandem known as "Thunder and Lightning," a combination of Dayne's power and Barber's speed. The Giants went on to play in Super Bowl XXXV. Fassel, Dayne's coach, also did not like Dayne's halfback running style, and tried to make him a goal line back. After Fassel was fired, Dayne shed 40 pounds and received a second chance under new head coach Tom Coughlin.
Dayne was inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2009 class alongside fellow NFL player Joe Panos and MLB pitcher Thornton Kipper. For his contribution to the Rose Bowl game, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2011. In 2013, Dayne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.