Eric Dickerson
Teams
Los Angeles Rams (1983-1987)
Indianapolis Colts (1987-1991)
Los Angeles Raiders (1992)
Atlanta Falcons (1993)
Playoffs
Appearances - 5 (1983,1984,1985,1986,1987)
Conf Champ Games - 1 (1985)
Super Bowls - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1983
Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1986)
All-Pro First Team - 5 (1983,1984,1986,1987,1988)
Pro Bowl - 6 (1983,1984,1986,1987,1988,1989)
Hall of Fame - 1999
All-Time Ranks
Rushing Yards per Game - #4
Rushing Yards - #9
Rushing Touchdowns - #13
Scrimmage Yards - #18
Total Touchdowns - #26
Yards per Rush - #64
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#1-1983,1984,1986,1988, #2-1987, #3-1989, #8-1985)
Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1984, #2-1983,1985, #3-1988, #5-1986, #10-1987,1989)
Yards per Rush (#2-1984, #3-1987, #7-1986,1989, #10-1983)
Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1983,1984,1986,1987,1988, #3-1989, #5-1985)
Total Touchdowns (#2-1983,1988, #3-1984, #7-1985, #9-1986)
Scrimmage Yards (#1-1983,1984,1986,1988, #3-1987, #7-1989)
During his senior season at SMU, Eric Dickerson finished 3rd in Heisman voting after rushing for 1617 yards and 17 touchdowns on 7.0 yards per carry, and he was then drafted #2 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1983 NFL Draft.
Dickerson set rookie records all over the place in his first season, with 1808 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 2212 scrimmage yards, leading the league in rushing and scrimmage yards and winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He also finished as the MVP runner-up behind Joe Theismann and made the All-Pro First Team.
In his second season, Dickerson rushed for a new record 2105 yards, a record that still stands 40 years later. He also led the league with 14 rushing touchdowns and 2244 scrimmage yards, but since Dan Marino became the first 5000-yard passer that same year, he finished as MVP runner-up once again.
He sat out the first two games of 1985 in a contract dispute, then rushed for 1234 yards once he returned, by far his lowest per game average of the 1980s. Even though his regular season wasn't up to his usual standard, he rushed for 248 yards against Dallas in a playoff game, which is a postseason record that still stands.
In 1986, he played in every game, and returned to form with 1821 rushing yards, his third time leading the league, and he also had the most scrimmage yards once again, with 2026. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year, and was runner-up to Lawrence Taylor for the MVP, his third time in 4 years coming in second place.
The Rams grew tired of his constant contract disputes, and they shipped him away to Indianapolis just 3 games into the 1987 season. That season was shortened by a strike, but he still managed to gain 1288 yards and make the All-Pro First Team again.
In his first full season with the Colts, Dickerson led the league in both rushing yards and scrimmage yards for the 4th time each, with 1659 on the ground and 2036 overall. He had one more good season with Indy, gaining 1311 yards in 1989, but contract disputes and team suspensions cost him 11 games over his final 2 seasons with the team, until they finally traded him away to the Raiders in 1992.
He played one season back in LA, sharing the backfield with Marcus Allen, but only gained 729 yards, and it only took one year to wear out his welcome again. He was traded to the Falcons, where he played in only 4 games before they decided to trade him away to Green Bay. Upon arrival in Green Bay, he failed his physical and chose to retire from football.
In 5 of his first 6 seasons, Dickerson led the league in yards per game, and led the league in rushing yards in 4 of those seasons. He was the 3-time runner-up for MVP, but did pick up an Offensive Player of the Year award, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was the fastest player ever to reach 10000 yards, and is still #9 on the all-time rushing yard list, and he was definitely one of the best to ever carry the football.
No comments:
Post a Comment