Maryland Athletics 2021 Hall of Fame Spotlight: Rick Badanjek

With 2:28 remaining in the 1984 Sun Bowl, the Maryland Terrapins turned to their punishing fullback and asked him to carry them to victory. 

Rick Badanjek answered the call and plowed his way into the end zone to give his team a 28-27 lead over the Tennessee Volunteers in what would be a significant postseason victory for the Terps and a Sun Bowl MVP award for Badanjek. 

The 1984 Sun Bowl was a microcosm of Badanjek’s storied career as he rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. During his time in College Park, Badanjek was often relied upon to put points on the scoreboard, and that trust was often put in the right place. 

Badanjek’s storied collegiate career and penchant for finding the end zone has made him the latest member of the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. 

“I’m at a loss for words,” Badanjek said. “I was really emotional when they called and told me. It was so unexpected and I really can’t believe it’s happening. It makes me think about coach Bobby Ross. I’m so grateful to him for being my coach and to the athletic department for this.”

The Warren, Ohio native is the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns in Maryland history with a whopping 46 and finished his career as a Terp with 3,106 yards which was second all-time when he finished his career and is still good for eighth all-time in school history. 

The 5-foot-9-inch, 225-pound back’s hard-hitting style, nose for the end zone, and ability to play through pain earned him a nickname among his teammates: Rambo. 

The man they call ‘Rambo’ was one of the toughest players on the field every week and wore that pain like a badge of honor. 

Back on Saturday, Oct. 22, 1983, Badanjek woke up with a swollen left eye and a painful diagnosis. He had a scratched cornea and what was even scarier to Badanjek than the injury was that he was in danger of missing playing time. 

Not to be deterred, Badanjek played against the Duke Blue Devils and rushed for a team-high 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns, leading the Terps to a 38-3 win over their rival. Whether it was an injured thigh, banged up ankle, or even a significant eye injury, Badanjek didn’t care. He was going to play, and he was going to play well.

Badanjek doesn’t want to be defined by his records, his accolades, or any of his personal accomplishments. He laments the fact that skill positions like quarterbacks and running backs get all the attention when it’s the offensive lineman who do all the dirty work. 

For Badanjek, this Hall of Fame honor is about his coaching staff, his teammates, and all the ups and downs that they went through together. 

“This isn’t about me, and it will never be about me,” Badanjek said adamantly about the offensive linemen he played with, like Kevin Glover, Jeff Holinka, Lenny Lynch, Greg Harraka, Ron Solt, Tony Edwards, and JD Maarleveld. “I want every single person to know that I am nothing without those guys in front of me. Yes, I scored some touchdowns. A couple of yards here, a couple of yards there. None of that and I really mean none of that is possible without them. I wish they could all go in with me because they deserve it too.”

His Hall of Fame induction has allowed Badanjek to think back on his career and it frustrates him to be in the spotlight as much as he was and as much as he is again now. In the coming days and weeks after news became public that Badanjek was Hall of Fame bound, he became increasingly embarrassed.

“Let me tell you, I was so ashamed,” Badanjek said. “I had my teammates calling me and congratulating me and I just felt so bad that it was about me and not about them. I should be the one calling them and thanking them, not them calling me. My picture is going up on that wall but it should be a picture of all of us instead.”

One of the most memorable games in Badanjek’s career coincided with one of the biggest games in school history. Badanjek led the Terps into the Orange Bowl in 1984 to face the defending national champion and No. 8 ranked Miami Hurricanes. 

Going into the game, Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson was concerned about the impact Badanjek would have, calling him “one of the best goal-line runners you will ever see”.

The Hurricanes jumped out to a commanding 31-0 lead but Badanjek and the Terps refused to give-in. In what would be the one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, Maryland went on a 42-9 scoring run in the second half to stun Miami, 42-40.

“That game is such a blur but one thing I remember is Coach Ross at halftime,” Badanjek said. “He came into the locker room and told us that we were going to go home to College Park, turn on the lights, and practice that night. I really don’t know how we came back. It just sort of happened. We never quit and we believed in each other. Win or loss, that’s who we always were.”

After his standout collegiate career, Badanjek was drafted in the seventh round of the 1986 NFL Draft by Washington before moving on to play two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. 

Nearly 30 years later his records of 44 rushing touchdowns and 46 overall touchdowns remain tops in the program and the fact they all came in a similar fashion makes the feat that much more impressive. Defenses knew what was coming but still couldn’t stop the bruising back.

With legendary performances and scoring records under his belt, Badanjek now takes his place in the pantheon of Maryland athletics alongside the greats, with his name now synonymous with the Maryland athletics greatness.  

“I’m getting emotional thinking about this again,” Badanjek said. “When the M Club called me and told me that this was happening, I was floored. My wife is excited, my kids are excited, and I’m pretty excited to. I am just really grateful to go into the Maryland Hall of Fame and I can’t wait to get back to College Park and share this with everyone.”