Ronnie Harmon
Teams
Buffalo Bills (1986-1989)
San Diego Chargers (1990-1995)
Houston/Tennessee Oilers (1996-1997)
Chicago Bears (1997)
Playoffs
Appearances - 5 (1988,1989,1992,1994,1995)
Conf Champ Games - 2 (1988,1994)
Super Bowls - 1 (1994)
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Pro Bowl - 1 (1992)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Touch - #57
League Leads
Receptions (#6-1992, #9-1987)
Receiving Yards (#10-1992)
Yards per Touch (#2-1991,1992, #3-1993, #4-1990, #9-1987, #10-1995)
As a senior at Iowa, Ronnie Harmon gained 1111 yards on the ground and another 597 through the air, with 10 total touchdowns, which got the Buffalo Bills to select him with the 16th overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft.
He only touched the ball 76 times as a rookie, then was promoted to starting running back in 1987. He gained only 485 rushing yards, but he gained 477 yards through the air, setting the stage for the rest of his career, where he was much more known for catching passes out of the backfield than running the ball.
With the addition of Thurman Thomas to the team in 1988, Harmon's opportunities started to dry up. He signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1990, which is where he finally got a chance to showcase his skills. He didn't get a ton of carries with the Chargers, but regularly gained a lot of yards on receptions.
After averaging 5.5 yards per carry in his first season with the Chargers, he raised that to 6.1 in 1991, which was the best of his career, while also gaining 544 yards on the ground, the most rushing yards in a season in his career. He also gained 555 yards receiving, putting him over 1000 yards for the first time in his career.
In 1992, he was named to the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in his career, mainly due to his 79 receptions for 914 yards, both of which were among the top 10 in the league, impressive for a running back.
He remained with the Chargers for 3 more seasons in pretty much the same role, and appeared in Super Bowl XXIX against the 49ers, where he caught 8 passes for 68 yards, both tops on the team as they fell to San Francisco 49-26.
He moved on to the Houston Oilers, staying with them when they moved to Tennessee, then finished out his career with one final game as a Chicago Bear. His career spanned 12 seasons, and he only missed 11 total games.
Harmon was never a big star, and he ended his career with less than 3000 rushing yards, but he is the only player in history to average at least 4.5 yards per carry and 10 yards per reception in his career. He gained over 6000 yards through the air in his career, a great total for a back, and he obviously knew his role and did it well, which is why he makes this list of the best running backs of all time.
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