Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #79: Napoleon Kaufman

Napoleon Kaufman

Teams

Oakland Raiders (1995-2000)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (2000)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2000)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #16

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#6-1997)

Yards per Rush (#1-1996, #2-1999, #4-1997, #7-1995)

Rushing Yards per Game (#8-1997)

Scrimmage Yards (#5-1997)

Yards per Touch (#5-1996, #8-1997,1999)

After rushing for over 1000 yards in 3 straight seasons as Washington, and averaging at least 5.5 yards per carry for that entire time as well, Napoleon Kaufman was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 18th pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

After backing up Harvey Williams as a rookie, Kaufman took over the starting job halfway through the 1996 season, and he finished that season by leading the league at 5.8 yards per carry, and ended up with 1017 scrimmage yards. 

He was the full-time starter in 1997, and he broke Bo Jackson's single-game franchise record by racking up 227 yards against Denver that year, and his record stood for 25 years until Josh Jacobs broke it. He rushed for 1294 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, both career highs, as well as 1697 scrimmage yards.

His production dipped slightly in 1998, and he spent the next couple of seasons as a backup again, but was still very efficient when given the ball. His lowest yards per carry in his career was 4.2 in 1998, and he averaged over 5 yards per carry 3 times.

In the 2000 season, Kaufman saw the playoffs for the first and only time in his career, but in their two playoff games he was only given 1 total carry for 4 yards, and he retired after the season ended to become a minister, which is what he is still doing today.

Kaufman had a short career, but unlike many others on this list, it wasn't due to injuries. His career average of 4.9 yards per carry ranks #16 out of all players in history, and every running back ahead of him on that list shows up much higher on this list. He probably had more left in the tank, but he found what he wanted to do in life, and he is still one of the best to have ever run the ball.