Eric Dickerson

Eric Demetric Dickerson (September 2, 1960-) holds the single season record for rushing yards (2,105) and is among the NFL’s top ten running backs in career rushing attempts, yards and yards per game. Eric attended Southern Methodist University where he was one half of the famed “Pony Express” with Craig James, broke Earl Campbell’s Southwest Conference rushing records for yards and attempts and earned All-American honors in 1981 and 1982. The Los Angeles Rams took Dickerson with the second overall pick of the 1983 NFL Draft out of SMU after finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Herschel Walker and John Elway. He amassed 4,450 college rushing yards on 790 carries and scored 48 touchdowns. Eric won the 1983 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year as he led the league in rushing attempts (390), rushing yards (1,808), longest carry (85), yards per game (113.0) and yards from scrimmage (2,212). In his sophomore season, Eric set an NFL record with 2,105 single season rushing yards and ran for more than 100 yards twelve times during the season. During his 11-year career, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns once, rushing attempts three times, rushing yards and yards from scrimmage four times and led five times in yards per game. Dickerson rushed for the Rams (1983-1987), the Indianapolis Colts (1987-1991), the Oakland Raiders (1992) and the Atlanta Falcons. Eric made six Pro Bowl appearances and five NFL All-Pro First Team selections and in 1986, Eric won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Years Award. Unfortunately, Eric never appeared in a Super Bowl, but did amass 13,259 career-rushing yards on 2,996 attempts, 90 career rushing touchdowns and rushed for an average of 90.8 yards per game in 146 games. All told, he collected 15,396 yards from scrimmage and scored 576 points on 96 all-purpose touchdowns. Eric Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.