Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #88: Warrick Dunn

Warrick Dunn

Teams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2001, 2008)

Atlanta Falcons (2002-2007)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (1997,1999,2000,2001,2002,2004)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1999,2004)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1997

Pro Bowl - 3 (1997,2000,2005)

All-Time Ranks

Scrimmage Yards - #20

Rushing Yards - #23

Rushing Yards per Game - #87

Rushing Touchdowns - #88

League Leads

 Rushing Yards (#8-2005)

Yards per Rush (#2-2003, #5-2005, #7-2000, #9-1997)

Rushing Yards per Game (#10-2005)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-2005)

Yards per Touch (#6-1997,2003)

Warrick Dunn rushed for over 1000 yards in his final 3 college seasons, which led to his jersey being retired by Florida State, and Tampa Bay making him the #12 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.

Dunn had immediate success in the NFL, amassing 1440 scrimmage yards in his rookie season, 978 on the ground and 462 through the air, which led to him being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl.

His second season was slightly down from his first, and he saw a big dropoff in productivity in his third season, but he had a big resurgence in 2000, when he made it back to the Pro Bowl after gaining 1133 rushing yards while scoring 8 touchdowns. Unfortunately, that production did not last, as he averaged only 2.8 yards per carry the next year, leading to his release by the Bucs.

He signed with Atlanta for the 2002 season, and in 2003, while playing mostly as a backup, he had the highest yards per carry of his career, with 5.4 yards. He regained the starting role after that season, and had two more very good years with the Falcons, including his best season in 2005, when he had a career high 1416 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career. 

He played two more seasons in Atlanta, but by that time he was into his 30s and his production began to slip again, and he was let go by the team after the 2007 season. He returned to Tampa Bay for a farewell season as a backup before retiring in 2008.

Dunn is one of the rare players to have his best season at age 30 or higher, and his career had a few peaks and valleys, while many backs seem to have a few good years together before falling off completely. He is in the top 20 for all-time scrimmage yards despite only ranking among the league leaders in that category once, a testament to his durability and longevity, and he deserves mention as one of the best to play the game.