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.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #34: Dutch Clark

Dutch Clark

Teams

Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions (1931-1932,1934-1938)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (1935)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1935)

Champ Games - 1 (1935)

Championships - 1 (1935)

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 6 (1931,1932,1934,1935,1936,1937)

Hall of Fame - 1963

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Passing Yards (#4-1934, #6-1932,1936)

Passing Touchdowns (#3-1936, #6-1932,1935)

Passing Yards per Game (#4-1934, #6-1932,1936)

Rushing Yards (#3-1934,1936, #4-1932,1935,1937)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1934,1936,1937, #2-1932,1935)

Yards per Rush (#2-1934,1936,1937, #4-1935, #8-1932)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1932,1934, #6-1935,1936,1937)

Receptions (#7-1932)

Receiving Touchdowns (#3-1932, #8-1935)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1935, #2-1932,1934,1936, #4-1937)

Scrimmage Yards (#2-1934,1935, #3-1932, #5-1936, #10-1937)

Yards per Touch (#3-1934,1936,1937, #4-1935, #8-1932)

Dutch Clark was a 4-sport athlete at Colorado College, graduating in 1930, after which he stayed at the school as head basketball coach and assistant football coach. After 1 year, he took a leave of absence to join the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL.

Individual yardage statistics were not recorded during Clark's rookie season, but he scored 9 rushing touchdowns on the season and led the Spartans to a second-place finish in the league. He was #1 in the league in touchdowns when he left the team to return to his college basketball coaching job, but was still named First Team All-Pro.

His second season was much like his first, with All-Pro First Team honors, a winning record with the Spartans, and leaving the team early to return to his coaching job. After the 1932 season, he decided to quit playing and focus on coaching full-time.

While he was away, the Spartans moved to Detroit and became the Lions, and they convinced him to return to the team in 1934. He had his best overall season, finishing third in rushing yards, 4th in passing yards, and first in the league in touchdowns, once again gaining All-Pro honors. 

He returned in 1935, and led the league with 6 total touchdowns, leading the Lions all the way to the championship game for the first time. In that game, he rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, and also kicked an extra point as the Lions beat the Giants 26-7.

In 1936 and 1937, he again led the league in rushing touchdowns and made the All-Pro First Team, which made 6 straight seasons to start his career. At that point, he retired as a player and was hired as the team's coach. He ended up playing in 6 games in 1938 as an emergency backup, rushing for 25 yards. 

After that season, he left the Lions to join the Cleveland Rams as head coach, still intending to play in a limited role, but the league ruled that the Lions still held his playing rights, so he spent the next 4 seasons coaching the Rams, and never played another game.

In his 6 full seasons as a player, Clark was named to the All-Pro Team every season, and led the league in either rushing touchdowns or total touchdowns 4 times. He also won a championship for the Lions, the first in their history, and was also frequently among the league leaders in passing and kicking throughout his career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in the first group ever elected, and needs to be part of the list of the greatest runners of all time.