Keith Lincoln
Teams
San Diego Chargers (1961-1966,1968)
Buffalo Bills (1967-1968)
Playoffs
Appearances - 4 (1961,1963,1964,1965)
Conf Champ Games - 4 (1961,1963,1964,1965)
Champ Games - 4 (1961,1963,1964,1965)
Championships - 1 (1963)
Awards and Honors
AFL Championship MVP - 1 (1963)
All-Pro First Team - 2 (1963,1964)
Pro Bowl - 5 (1962,1963,1964,1965,1967)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #49
Yards per Touch - #72
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#4-1963, #6-1964,1967, #7-1962)
Rushing Touchdowns (#4-1963, #7-1964,1967)
Yards per Rush (#1-1963, #5-1962, #7-1964, #10-1967)
Rushing Yards per Game (#4-1963, #6-1964, #8-1962, #9-1967)
Receiving Touchdowns (#10-1967)
Total Touchdowns (#8-1967, #9-1965, #10-1963)
Scrimmage Yards (#6-1967, #7-1963)
Yards per Touch (#1-1963,1965, #3-1967, #6-1962, #9-1964)
After switching from quarterback to running back after his freshman season at Washington State, Keith Lincoln gained 1500 yards on the ground over 3 seasons, then was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 5th round of the 1961 NFL Draft and the San Diego Chargers in the 2nd round of the 1961 AFL Draft, choosing the latter.
Lincoln didn't get a lot of playing time as a rookie, but he had the longest reception in the league that year, with a 91-yard touchdown catch that accounted for almost half of his yards that year. He had an 86-yard rush for a touchdown the next season, which was also the longest in the league.
In 1963, he had his best season by far. He rushed for 6.5 yards per carry, the only time he would average over 5 in his career, and he also led the league in yards per touch at 7.6. He led the Chargers to the AFL Championship Game, where he gained 206 yards on the ground and 123 through the air, for a total of 329 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 51-10 blowout of the Patriots. The rushing yards and total yards were records at the time, with the total record standing for 8 years, and the rushing record for 22. His performance won him the game's MVP award.
He got the Chargers back to the title game the next season, but in the first quarter he was the recipient of a monstrous hit that broke one of his ribs and knocked him out of the game, and the Chargers failed to repeat.
He led the league in yards per touch again in 1965, and again took San Diego to the championship game, but once again they fell short, and Lincoln only gained 23 yards in the game. He played one more season with the Chargers before he was traded away to the Buffalo Bills.
He played one full season in Buffalo, and played well enough to be named to the Pro Bowl for the 5th time in his career, setting a career high with 1159 scrimmage yards, but after struggling at the beginning of the 1968 season, he was released by the Bills, signing back with the Chargers to appear in a single game before retiring.
Lincoln never piled up big yardage, but he always gained a lot of yards each time he touched the ball, leading the league in yards per carry once and yards per touch twice. His performance in the 1963 Championship Game is one of the greatest of all time, and is the biggest reason he is this high on the list of the greatest backs of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment