Welcome back to another shitpost. Today, I'll be talking about Roger Craig. He was an outstanding running back for the 49ers and holds the distinction of being the first running back to record both 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
Before we get started, let's get three things out of the way: 1) I'm a bored fan in the offseason like you.
2) Keep it civil if you disagree with a take. It's just the internet. 3) "You can't tell the story of the game without mentioning him!" Is a very weak argument to try and say a player should be in the Hall of Fame.
ANYWAY, YOU CLICKED TO READ ABOUT ROGER
Roger Craig was a badass running back, mostly known for his dual threat ability out of the backfield and his brutal knee shots when running. Defenders would often get a knee right below their chin strap going in for a leg tackle. Why go for the legs? Well, Roger wasn't really a dodger. He could just as easily lower the shoulder pad and leave you looking at the sky wondering, "Why wasn't I an accountant?"
His style of play was so balanced and well-rounded that he could do it all really. He had just enough finesse to make your knees buckle, he'd attack opposing linebackers by shooting his forearm into their mouth, he could hurdle, one handed catch, had good enough breakaway speed, and a great burst through the hole. Besides his catching ability, his best asset was his vision. Remember the old Madden games and the cone of vision? Rookies had a tiny sliver, and Payton Manning could see the whole field? Well, that was Roger in the backfield.
Let's talk about his early career and then hit up his professional career.
Coming out of high school, Craig was a great athlete. Leading Iowa to state championship, being named to the All-District team, and kicking ass at wrestling, too. (As is tradition for Iowans.)
Nebraska (1979-1982)
He decided to follow his brother to Nebraska and put up good, solid numbers while there.
He played 3 full seasons with his best coming in 1981, where he posted 1,060 yards on only 173 attempts for 6.1 average yard per rush and 6 touchdowns.
Surprisingly, he did not put up great receiving numbers in college. Mostly due to scheme really. There's not a lot of chances to catch the football when you barely throw it out of an I-Formation and run the ball 95% of the time. This was Nebraska, after all. Not like today, they were good back then.
NFL (1983-1993)
49ers (1983-1989)
Roger was a well-regarded running back coming out of college. He was the 5th running back selected, #49 overall in the 2nd round.
Running backs selected before him include:
- Eric Dickerson
- Curtis Warner
- Michael Haddix
- Gary Anderson
1 HoF'er, 1 very good, 1 good, and idk anything about Haddix to say anything smart. So it wasn't like he was snubbed in the draft. I don't think.
His rookie year, he saw pretty good playing time right out of the gate. Starting 13 games, he ran for 725 yards on 176 carries for 8 tds and caught 48 catches for 427 yards and 4 tds. It was a sign of things to come as his production only got better.
His second year his rushing production went down slightly but he still had good numbers. 649 yards, 155 attempts, 7 tds and caught 71 catches for 675 yards and 3 touchdowns. He made his biggest mark in the SuperBowl that year, becoming the first player to score 3 touchdowns in a 38-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
His 3rd year was one for the history books, literally. He ran for 1,050 yards, 9 tds, on 214 attempts and caught 92 passes for 1,016 yards and 6 touchdowns. This marked the first time in history that a running back had ever accomplished 1k rushing and receiving. With the help of fellow Cornhusker Tom Rathman, this marked the beginning of a beautiful relationship known as the Cornfield Backfield. Surprisingly, he was not named All-Pro!
In '86 & '87 Roger didn't post 1k rushing yards but he was still productive. He ran for 830 & 815 respectively and posted 1,116 receiving yards for those two years.
His best rushing year came in '88 when he rumbled for 1,502 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns while catching 76 passes for 534 yards and earned All-Pro.
He followed it up with another 1k season with 1,054 yards 6 tds and caught 49 catches for 473 yards.
The forgotten years (1991-1993)
Did you know he played for another team? I had no idea. He played one year with the Raiders and two with the Vikings. No longer the bell-cow back he once was, he still had good back up years with these two teams.
Also, he never missed the playoffs his entire career.
Career Accolades:
3× Super Bowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1988)
First-team All-Pro (1988)
Second-team All-Pro (1985)
4× Pro Bowl (1985, 1987–1989)
NEA NFL MVP (1988 - Chosen By NFL Players & Coaches)
First Player To Score 3 Touchdowns in a Superbowl, and Still Shares the Record for Most Touchdowns in a Superbowl
NFL receptions leader (1985)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame
Also here are his honors:
In 1987, Craig was inducted into the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame.
Craig was Inducted into the Davenport Central High School Hall of Honor in 1989.
In 1989, Craig was inducted into the Des Moines Register's Sunday Register Hall of Fame.
Craig was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
In 2002, Craig was inducted into the Iowa's IHSAA Football Players’ Hall-of-Fame. (His brother, Curtis Craig, was subsequently inducted in 2003).
Craig was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF) in 2008.
Craig is a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
Craig was selected as a running back on the National Football League 1980s All-Decade Team, alongside Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson and John Riggins.
Craig was named one of 25 semifinalists considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 and one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2010.
In 2019, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Craig to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2019.
Thank you for reading this far! I do take requests if you have a player you'd like for me to write about. I'd just ask they be retired for at least 10 years and is not in the Hall of Fame.
Happy Easter!
Blast* from the Past. Damnit I messed up the title and now my Easter is ruined.
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