Terry Metcalf
Teams
Saint Louis Cardinals (1973-1977)
Washington Redskins (1981)
Playoffs
Appearances - 2 (1974,1975)
Conf Champ Games - 0
Super Bowls - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Pro Bowl - 3 (1974,1975,1977)
All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1975)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #35
Yards per Touch - #82
League Leads
Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1975)
Yards per Rush (#2-1977, #3-1975, #5-1974)
Receptions (#9-1974)
Total Touchdowns (#5-1975)
Scrimmage Yards (#10-1974,1975)
Yards per Touch (#2-1977, #3-1975, #7-1974, #9-1976)
Terry Metcalf was a star in his junior season at Long Beach State, rushing for 1673 yards and 28 touchdowns in 12 games, and though his production dropped off as a senior, he was still drafted in the 3rd round by the Saint Louis Cardinals.
Metcalf was officially a running back, but he was also a very good kick returner, though those numbers are not factored into his ranking. In his second season, he averaged 31.2 yards per kick return, best in the league, while also generating 1095 scrimmage yards. He helped lead the Cardinals to a rare playoff appearance that year, and came in #2 in the MVP voting.
He was even better the next year, finishing with 1194 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns, while setting an NFL record for most total yards, with 2462 when adding in his return yards, a record which stood for 10 years. The Cardinals made the playoffs again that year, losing in the divisional round again, and Metcalf finished 3rd in the MVP voting.
The next season was his worst with the Cardinals, with career lows across the board, but he bounced back in 1977, earning a third trip to the Pro Bowl while averaging a career-best 5 yards per carry and finishing with 1142 scrimmage yards. After the season he decided to leave the NFL to play for Toronto in the Canadian Football League, where he spent the next 3 seasons playing at a high level.
He returned to the NFL for one final season in 1981, in a very limited role with the Washington Redskins before retiring for good. Though he only played 6 NFL seasons, he was very good at every aspect of his position, rushing, receiving and returning kicks.
Metcalf was very good at everything he did on the football field, and he is also the father of Eric Metcalf, himself a very good wide receiver and kick returner. He was in the running for 2 straight MVP awards, piled up yards no matter how he got the ball, and led a team that has had very little success in its history to 2 playoff berths, and is one of the best running backs of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment