Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

Jarrod Spears is one of the most lethal running backs in Lenoir-Rhyne football history. The Bears went 40-9 during his time on the squad, winning four SAC Championships, qualifying for three NCAA Tournaments, and made an appearance in the national championship game in 2013. He was part of a rushing offense that led the nation in yards per game for two straight seasons The 2014 team held the NCAA record for yards per game at 416.3 until it was broken this past season. 

Spears holds the Lenoir-Rhyne single season record for all-purpose yards, compiling 1,886 yards during that historic 2013 campaign. For his career, Spears is fourth in all-purpose yards (4,566) and sixth in kickoff return yardage (1,335). He led the team in rushing yards in 2012 and 2013 and ranks third all-time with 11 game of 100+ yards of rushing yards. His 718 kickoff return yards in 2013 is third in program history. He was a three-time All-SAC First Team honoree and finished his career with 2,971 yards rushing, which is ninth in program history. Spears was also a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne Track & Field team, winning a SAC Championship in the 100 meter dash in 2014 and a Southeast Regional Championship in the 4x100 meter relay in 2013. 

Following his time as an athlete, Spears earned his Masters of Business Administration in Business Analytics and Information Technology; Innovation and Change Management from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2018. Since 2015 he has worked as a Storage Engineer at IBM in Raleigh.