Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #72: Skeet Quinlan

Skeet Quinlan

Teams

Los Angeles Rams (1952-1956)

Cleveland Browns (1956)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1952,1955)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1952,1955)

Championship Games - 1 (1955)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 1 (1954)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1953)

Yards per Rush (#1-1953, #3-1954)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1953, #9-1954)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-1953)

Yards per Touch (#3-1953,1954)

After completing his college career at San Diego State, Volney Quinlan, known professionally as Skeet or Skeets Quinlan, was drafted in the 4th round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

As a rookie for the Rams, Quinlan gained only 224 yards during the season, mostly from a backup role, but when the Rams made the playoffs, Quinlan was their leading rusher with 60 yards as they fell just short of making the championship game.

In 1953, he was inserted into the starting lineup, where he thrived, finishing 3rd in the league in rushing yards and leading all players in yards per carry, with 7.3 yards each time he was handed the ball, a mark which is still the 6th best mark in history for a full season. 

During the next season, he fell back to "only" 6.0 yards per carry, third-best in the league, but still good enough for him to earn his only trip to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, that would be as good as it got for Skeet. 

He struggled with injuries during the next season, only gaining 70 yards on the ground in 6 games played, though he did gain another 245 through the air. 2 games into the next season, he was sent to the Cleveland Browns, where he finished out another season without much time on the field before retiring from the game.

His career was very short, but he was the best running back in the league in 1953, putting up one of the best seasons the league had seen up to that point, and still performed at a star level the next year as well. He disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared on the scene, but for a brief moment, he was one of the best in the game, and one of the best of all time.