Dickerson’s 2,000-Yard Rushing Club

Dickerson’s 2,000-Yard Rushing Club

Eric Dickerson: Rushing Milestone

The professional football career path for running back Eric Dickerson initially wasn’t so clear. After enjoying a successful stint in college football playing for the Pony Express backfield tandem at Southern Methodist University in the early 1980s, Dickerson once considered playing in the United States Football League, and specifically for the Los Angeles Express. After weighing all his options, Dickerson chose to enter the National Football League instead, and this turned out to be the right decision, as he became the No. 2 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. Dickerson still got to go to Los Angeles after all, but as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

A Record-Setting Rookie Season

Debuting in the NFL in 1983, Dickerson immediately became a success story, emerging as one of the league’s best running backs according to his official statistical record. In his rookie season, Dickerson had 1,808 rushing yards on 390 carries, scoring 18 rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and 113 rushing yards per game. Dickerson fared well in the passing game too, hauling in 51 receptions for 404 yards and catching 2 touchdown passes. He was still a year away from cracking the 2,000-yard rushing club, but his rookie totals made clear that milestone was well within reach.

The Historic 1984 Season

What ultimately set Dickerson apart from other star running backs was his unbelievable run into the record books in 1984. Though he had fewer rushing attempts than his rookie year, with 379, Dickerson piled up 2,105 rushing yards, scoring 14 rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per rushing attempt and 131.6 rushing yards per game. Tracing his game-by-game march toward the single-season rushing record shows just how gifted and resilient Dickerson had to be to reach the 2,000-yard rushing club.

Weeks 1 Through 8

In Week 1 on September 3, in a 20-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Dickerson had 21 carries for 138 yards, averaging 6.6 yards per rush. In Week 2 on September 9, in a 20-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, Dickerson had 27 carries for 102 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per rush. Losing 24-14 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 on September 16, Dickerson had 23 carries for 49 yards, averaging only 2.1 yards per rush. The Rams rebounded to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14 in Week 4 on September 23, and Dickerson had 22 carries for 89 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per rush. In Week 5 on September 30, the Rams beat the New York Giants 33-12, and Dickerson had 22 carries for 120 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per rush.

In Week 6 on October 7, in a close 30-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Dickerson had 19 carries for 107 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per rush. In a 28-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 on October 14, Dickerson had 20 carries for 175 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per rush. The Rams got their payback on the Falcons in Week 8 on October 22, winning 24-10, and Dickerson had 24 carries for 145 yards, averaging 6.0 yards per rush.

Weeks 9 Through 16

The San Francisco 49ers, led by quarterback Joe Montana, had their way with the Rams in a 33-0 shutout in Week 9 on October 28, and Dickerson was held in check to just 38 yards on 13 carries, averaging only 2.9 yards per rush. In Week 10 on November 4, the Rams bounced back to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 16-13, and Dickerson had 21 carries for 208 yards, averaging 9.9 yards per rush. In Week 11 on November 11, the Rams faced a team that was just one year away from realizing their true Super Bowl Shuffling potential in the Chicago Bears, and the Rams triumphed 29-13. Dickerson had 28 carries for 149 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per rush.

In Week 12 on November 18, the Green Bay Packers beat the Rams 31-6, but Dickerson still turned in a good game with 25 carries for 132 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. In Week 13 on November 25, the Rams beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-33, and Dickerson had 28 carries for 191 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per rush. In Week 14 on December 2, the Rams beat the Saints 34-21, and Dickerson had 33 carries for 149 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per rush. In Week 15 on December 9, the Rams beat the Houston Oilers 27-16, and Dickerson had 27 carries for 215 yards, averaging 8.0 yards per rush. The game against the Oilers marked the moment when Dickerson passed former Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson’s single-season rushing record of 2,003 rushing yards, officially punching his ticket into the 2,000-yard rushing club. Finally, in Week 16 on December 14, in a 19-16 loss to the 49ers, Dickerson had 26 carries for 98 yards to finish his historic regular season, averaging 3.8 yards per rush.

Career Legacy

In the years following his amazing 1984 season, Eric Dickerson continued to impress football fans across America, and though he would change scenery a few times, being traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Indianapolis Colts and later in his career to the Los Angeles Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons, Dickerson remained an intimidating force in the offensive backfield, a career that would ultimately earn him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The aggressive running style that Dickerson possessed was nearly unmatched by other running backs of his day, and his single-season rushing record still stands today. There wouldn’t be legitimate threats to Dickerson’s 1984 mark until the likes of Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans in 2009 (2,006 yards), Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos in 1998 (2,008), Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions in 1997 (2,053), Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens in 2003 (2,066), and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings in 2012 (2,097) joined him in the 2,000-yard rushing club.