Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #76: William Andrews

William Andrews

Teams

Atlanta Falcons (1979-1986)

Playoffs

 Appearances - 2 (1980,1982)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro Second Team - 2 (1981,1982)

Pro Bowl - 4 (1980,1981,1982,1983)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #35

Rushing Yards per Game - #47

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1983, #4-1980, #7-1981)

Rushing Touchdowns (#7-1981, #10-1982)

Yards per Rush (#3-1980, #8-1983)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1983, #4-1980, #7-1981)

Receptions (#4-1981, #8-1982)

Total Touchdowns (#9-1981,1982)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1981, #2-1982,1983, #4-1980)

Yards per Touch (#3-1982, #7-1983, #8-1980, #9-1981)

After a college career at Auburn where he was used mostly as a blocker, gaining only 414 total yards as a senior without scoring a touchdown, William Andrews was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1979 Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

As a rookie, Andrews had an immediate impact. He rushed for 1023 rushing yards and was named to the All-Rookie Team. In his second season, he was named to his first Pro Bowl after gaining 1308 rushing yards, and 1764 total yards from scrimmage.

In 1981, he led the entire league with 2036 yards from scrimmage, 1301 from rushing yards, along with 10 rushing touchdowns, and he also finished 4th in the league in receptions, showing again that he was an all-around player.

The 1982 season was shortened due to a strike, but he still finished with 1076 scrimmage yards, which was #2 in the league that year, and he came in second again the next year, with a career-high 2176 yards. It was the 4th year in a row that he finished in the top 4 in scrimmage yards and was named to the Pro Bowl.

He was clearly at his peak and that point, and was the best running back in the league going into the 1984 season, when he suffered a severe knee injury in the preseason. The injury caused him to miss 2 full seasons, and when he returned for the 1986 season, he was no longer the same player. He split time between running back and tight end, gaining only 214 rushing yards before retiring at the end of 1986.

Andrews was a powerful runner who was unstoppable in his prime, and never missed a game in his 4 Pro Bowl seasons, but his career was derailed by a serious knee injury that stopped us from seeing how long he could dominate the game. Even though his career was cut short, he was so good at his peak that he deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time greats.