Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #33: Ernie Caddel

Ernie Caddel

Teams

Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions (1933-1938)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (1935)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1935)

Champ Games - 1 (1935)

Championships - 1 (1935)

Awards and Honors

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1935, #5-1934, #6-1936, #8-1937)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1935, #4-1937, #5-1936, #9-1934)

Yards per Rush (#1-1935,1936,1937, #5-1933, #6-1934)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1935, #5-1936, #6-1934, #9-1937)

Receptions (#3-1936)

Receiving Touchdowns (#1-1933)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1935, #6-1933,1936, #7-1934)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1935, #3-1936, #4-1934, #8-1937)

Yards per Touch (#1-1935,1936,1937, #2-1933, #4-1934)

Ernie Caddel went to Stanford on a baseball scholarship, but drew the attention of football coach Pop Warner and was persuaded to play both. He broke 2 ribs during a game in his senior year, which prevented him from playing baseball and cost him his scholarship, so he signed with the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL to play football.

His very first professional carry resulted in an 82 yard touchdown, and he finished his rookie season as the league leader in receiving touchdowns, though he only caught 3. He followed the Spartans to Detroit in 1934, when they became the Lions, and in 1935 had his best pro season.

In 1935, he led the league with 6 rushing touchdowns, 621 scrimmage yards, 5.2 yards per rush, and 6.4 yards per touch. Along with Dutch Clark, he led the Lions to the championship game, where he gained 62 yards and scored a touchdowns in the Lions 26-7 win over the Giants.

He followed up that championship with an amazing 6.4 yards per carry in 1936, which once again led the league, along with 6.6 yards per touch, also best in the NFL. He raised his scrimmage yards to a career-best 730, but finished 3rd in the league in that category. He also finished 3rd in receptions, the second time he had been near the top of the league catching the ball. 

He led the league in both yards per carry and yards per touch for the third year in a row in 1937, but injuries caught up to him, and he played only 7 games in 1938 before retiring from football at age 27. 

He had a short career, only 6 seasons, but led the league 3 straight times in yards per carry and yards per touch, while also leading the league once each in scrimmage yards, rushing touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, and total touchdowns. He was a big part of Detroit's first championship, and though still not in the Hall of Fame, deserves to be remembered as one of the greats.