Roger Craig
Teams
San Francisco 49ers (1983-1990)
Los Angeles Raiders (1991)
Minnesota Vikings (1992-1993)
Playoffs
Appearances - 11 (1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993)
Conf Champ Games - 5 (1983,1984,1988,1989,1990)
Super Bowls - 3 (1984,1988,1989)
Championships - 3 (1984,1988,1989)
Awards and Honors
Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1988)
Pro Bowl - 4 (1985,1987,1988,1989)
All-Pro First Team - 1 (1988)
All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1985)
All-Time Ranks
Rushing Yards - #46
Scrimmage Yards - #47
Rushing Touchdowns - #60
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#3-1988, #8-1987, #10-1989)
Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1985, #9-1988)
Yards per Rush (#4-1988, #6-1985)
Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1988)
Receptions (#1-1985, #3-1987, #5-1986, #7-1988)
Total Touchdowns (#2-1985, #8-1983)
Scrimmage Yards (#1-1988, #2-1985, #4-1987, #6-1989, #10-1986)
Yards per Touch (#2-1985, #7-1984, #10-1988)
After 2 stellar seasons at Nebraska where he averaged over 6 yards per carry, Roger Craig was hampered by injuries as a senior, but was still able to catch the eye of the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the second round of the 1983 Draft.
Craig primarily played fullback during his first 4 seasons in the league, and he scored at least 10 touchdowns in each of his first 3 seasons. He capped off his second season in the league by racking up 135 total yards and 3 touchdowns in the Super Bowl, becoming the first player ever to score 3 times in the big game, as the 49ers beat the Dolphins 38-16.
In his third season, Craig became the first player in history to get 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in the same season, a feat that only Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey have since matched. He also led the entire league in receptions that year, snagging 92 passes, an incredible feat for a running back.
He switched from fullback to running back in the middle of the 1987 season, and he exploded in 1988, rushing for a career high 1502 yards and 9 touchdowns while leading the league with 2036 yards from scrimmage. The 49ers finally returned to the Super Bowl that year, where Craig rushed for 71 yards and caught 8 passes for 101 yards, making him the first running back in history to gain more than 100 yards through the air in a Super Bowl as he earned his second ring.
His numbers came back to earth the next season, with his average carry dropping to only 3.9 yards, but he still finished with 1527 total yards, was named to his 4th Pro Bowl, and returned to the Super Bowl yet again. He "only" totaled 103 yards in the Super Bowl, and the Niners won again, dismantling the Broncos 55-10.
Craig finished the next season with only 439 rushing yards, and while the 49ers were still at the top of the league, his fumble late in the NFC championship game ended up leading to them losing to the Giants on a last-second field goal. After that season, he left as a free agent to join the Raiders, where he played for one season before moving on to Minnesota, where he finished out his career in two seasons as a backup.
Craig is the rare NFL player who never missed the playoffs in his career, and had several deep playoff runs, resulting in 3 championships, each of which he made significant contributions to. His 1000/1000 feat is still incredible, and that ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is a big part of what put him here on the list of the greatest backs of all time.
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