ERIC DICKERSON

Eric Dickerson

Eric Dickerson was born on September 2, 1960, he was raised by his grandmother. He was tall and he could run with speed. When he was in high school, he was the conferences all-time leading rusher. He was being recruited by a lot of the Division 1 schools in the nation. He was getting talked to by the Texas head coach and he told him that if you don’t go to your main state school we will make sure that you don’t get a job inside of Texas. He told his grandmother and they made him leave. Then after a few weeks he had the choice down to Oklahoma, Texas ANM, and SMU.

He was showed $50,000 in cash in a brief case but then his grandmother made him stay in state and go to SMU. He showed up to school in a brand new gold Trans-Am. The story told by him was that his grandmother bought it for him with the money that SMU gave to him to go to the school. At SMU he split carries with Roger Craig who also would go on to the NFL. They were a very good running team and they went undefeated and won their bowl game against Penn-State.

Eric Dickerson was selected in the first round as the 2nd pick to the then L.A. Rams. He went second to the now hall of fame quarterback John Elway. Eric flourished with the Rams with 1,617 rookie season and one of the best ever seasons by a rookie running back. His second season he had very good days and he had his eyes on the all time single season rushing record. Eric had a favorite rushing play with the Rams and that was the 47 gap. What happened on that play was he made a fake cut to the left and received the ball and went to the right. That was eric’s favorite play and he did the same play the run that he broke the record. He finished the game with 108 yards against the then Houston Oilers.

He then finished the season with 2105 yards, the best ever single season for a running back . He conquered the league for years with his size and speed combination. He was a very hard person to tackle and when he got in the open he was gone.

Then as his career with the Rams continued he was finally caught from behind by players and the Rams. The organization cut his pay and eric didn’t agree. He felt that he was one of the best players in the league and he wasnt getting paid what he deserved. So he left and felt free agency and landed in Indianapolis with the Colts. There he was a good solid running back and he could still have some good games but he just wasn’t performing as he was when he was with the Rams.

He was never in his career a bad person off the field and on. He was just never that good hard nose running back that he was his rookie and record breaking seasons. His career with the colts lasted 5 years and then he tested free agency and he found himself playing for the now L.A. raiders for the 1992 season then when that was over, he was playing his final season with the Atlanta Falcons. After that season he after his he decided to retire from the game of football and just live a normal life. He has gotten married to penny dickerson and lived in Calabassa California. He was inducted in the professional football hall of fame in 1999.

He finished his career being seventh in the all time rushing yards. He also was a six time pro bowler, a five time all pro first team, a four time rushing champ, 1983 rookie of the year, 1983 offensive rookie of the year, 1983 nfl MVP, 1986 offensive  player of the year, three time UPI offensive player of the year, he was on the NFL 1980’s all decade team, had his number (29) retired, Hall of Fame inductee in 1999, and a Indianapolis colt ring of honor inductee. His career stats were 13,259 rushing yards, a rushing average of 4.4 yards a carry, and 90 touchdowns. He was one of the greatest running backs of all time and he holds one of the hardest records to break in the NFL. He had also broke a lot of smaller records to like the fastest to reach 10,000 yards. Eric was one of the most unique and versatile running backs in NFL history. He could break tackles with his 6’3 height and he could shred defenses with his sprinter speed.

People compared his him to poetry on a football field because he ran smooth and straight up the field when he got into space. He after his retirement he was a on the field reporter for Monday Night Football. Then later espn did a 30 for 30 on the 100 greatest players of all time, he was ranked 38. Since then he still resides in Calabassa California with his wife Penny, he has no kids. Since his retirement no one has gotten close to his record except Adrian Peterson he got to 2,097 yards and fell short of the record against the packers in the final game of the regular season. Since then his record people believe that his record may never be broken by another running back. It is even an accomplishment that a running back to reach 2,000 yards. He was one of the only people at the time to have people believe he could even reach O.J. Simpsons previous record of 2,003 yards in a single season.

It was a wonder of how he could posses such speed with his size and all the pads he had worn. He 

wore the most pads by one player he had knee pads, thigh pads, flack jacket, shoulder pads, elbow 

pads, a neck roll, goggles and ankle tape. He actually hated the goggles but by his words he felt naked 

without them and he couldn’t see when he didn’t have them on because his eyesight was so bad. His 

glasses and goggles were very thick. When he was in college and the pros friends and family thought 

he had style. He would have his aviators and his curly hair in a fro. He was one of the most fashionable 

and good players of his time in the NFL. Some people argue that he is one of the best running backs of

all time some people say Barry Sander and some say Walter Payton then there is the Emmitt Smith 

argument. Everyone know that the only people in NFL history that could have great size and speed is 

Eric dickerson and Earl Campbell.