Tim Biakabutuka

Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka (born January 24, 1974) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1993 to 1995, and was drafted with the eight overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He holds the Michigan Wolverines single-season rushing record with 1,818 rushing yards in 1995. He is also distinguished as being the first Zairian to play in the NFL.

Early life Biakabutuka left the former Zaire with his family for Canada when he was four years old, settling in the Montreal area, where his family still lives. He did not play gridiron football until his high school in Longueuil organized a team. After grade 11, he attended CEGEP at Vanier College in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, where his football exploits earned him the nickname "Touchdown Tim" and a scholarship to play college football at the University of Michigan.

College career Biakabutuka enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1993 and played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1993 to 1995. As a freshman in 1993, he was a backup to Tyrone Wheatley and Ricky Powers, but he saw significant action against Purdue on November 6, 1993, rushing for 140 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 24 carries.

As a sophomore, Biakabutuka was again a backup to Wheatley, being used as a starter in only one game. Despite his role as a backup, Biakabutuka rushed for 783 yards and had four 100-yard games (141 yards against Michigan State, 128 yards against Boston College, and 100 yards against both Notre Dame and Purdue). His performance against Ohio State ranks as the second highest single-game performance in Michigan history, trailing only Ron Johnson's 347-yard game against Wisconsin in 1968.

Professional career

Biakabutuka was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round (eighth overall pick) of the 1996 NFL draft. During his career in the NFL, Biakabutuka was often injured. He never played more than 12 games in a single season. For his career, he appeared in 51 games, 35 as a starter, over six seasons from 1996 to 2001. He totalled 2,530 rushing yards and 789 receiving yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He is a cousin to Hakeem, Alain, Kalonji, and Fernand Kashama, who also all played American or Canadian football. Tim's nephew, Jérémie Biakabutuka, played hockey in the QMJHL whose rights were acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in a trade during the 2024–25 season