Eric Dickerson facts for kids
Dickerson in 2014
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| No. 29 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | September 2, 1960 Sealy, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Sealy | ||||||||||||
| College: | SMU (1979–1982) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is a famous American former professional football player. He was an amazing running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, where he was recognized as an unanimous All-American in 1982.
The Los Angeles Rams picked Dickerson second overall in the 1983 NFL draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. During his NFL career, he ran for over 13,000 yards. He still holds the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season with 2,105 yards, which he set in 1984. Eric Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Many people consider him one of the best running backs ever. He wore special prescription goggles because he was nearsighted.
Contents
College Football Journey
Eric Dickerson was a highly sought-after player in high school. He first thought about going to Texas A&M University. Later, he considered University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, and Southern Methodist University (SMU). His great-grandaunt convinced him to stay in Texas and attend SMU. She really liked the Mustangs coach, Ron Meyer.
There was some talk about how Dickerson got a new car, a Pontiac Trans Am, in high school. He later said that people connected to Texas A&M helped pay for the car. He then sold it to a teammate at SMU.
At SMU, Dickerson was part of a strong running team called the "Pony Express." He shared the ball with other talented players like Craig James. Dickerson ran for 4,450 yards, breaking a record for the Southwest Conference. He also scored 48 touchdowns, tying another SMU record. In his final year, he finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, a top award for college players. He was also named an All-American in both 1981 and 1982.
College Statistics
| Season | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 1979 | 115 | 477 | 4.3 | 43 | 6 | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 11 | 0 |
| 1980 | 188 | 928 | 4.9 | 54 | 5 | 6 | 93 | 15.5 | 37 | 1 |
| 1981 | 255 | 1,428 | 5.6 | 62 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | 232 | 1,617 | 7.0 | 80 | 17 | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 35 | 0 |
| Totals | 790 | 4,450 | 5.6 | 80 | 47 | 19 | 190 | 10.0 | 37 | 1 |
NFL Career Highlights
Eric Dickerson had an amazing career in the NFL. He set many records and was known for his incredible speed and strength.
Starting Strong with the Rams (1983–1987)
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The Los Angeles Rams drafted Eric Dickerson in 1983. He quickly became a star. In his first year, he set new rookie records. He had 390 rushing attempts, gained 1,808 rushing yards, and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. He also caught two receiving touchdowns. Because of his great performance, he earned many honors, including All-Pro and Rookie of the Year.
In his second season, 1984, Dickerson continued to break records. He became part of the 2,000-yard club by rushing for an incredible 2,105 yards. This broke the previous record held by O. J. Simpson. Even though the NFL season was longer, no one has rushed for more yards in a single NFL season since then. His average of 5.6 yards per carry helped the Rams reach the playoffs.
In 1985, he rushed for 1,234 yards, even though he missed the first two games due to a disagreement about his contract. He also set a playoff record by rushing for 248 yards against the Dallas Cowboys.
Moving to the Colts (1987–1991)
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In 1987, Eric Dickerson was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. This was a very big trade at the time. Even though he only played nine games for the Colts that year, he still gained 1,011 yards. This helped the Colts have their first winning season and reach the playoffs in 10 years.
In 1988, Dickerson led the league in rushing with 1,659 yards. He was the first Colts player to do this since 1955. In 1989, he reached 10,000 career rushing yards faster than any other player, doing it in just 91 games. He also set an NFL record with seven straight seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards.
However, injuries and more contract disagreements affected his last two seasons with the Colts. He was suspended for some time in 1990 and 1991. By 1991, he only ran for 536 yards. Dickerson later said that being traded to Indianapolis was the toughest part of his career.
Final Seasons (1992–1993)
In 1992, Dickerson was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders. He still had some great games, rushing for over 100 yards a few times. He also scored a 40-yard touchdown run that reminded fans of his earlier days.
In 1993, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. He played in a backup role. Later that year, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers, but he retired after failing a physical exam. He retired as the second-leading rusher of all time.
On August 29, 2017, Eric Dickerson officially retired as a member of the Los Angeles Rams by signing a special one-day contract.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1983 | LA | 16 | 16 | 390 | 1,808 | 4.6 | 85 | 18 | 51 | 404 | 7.9 | 37 | 2 |
| 1984 | LA | 16 | 16 | 379 | 2,105 | 5.6 | 66 | 14 | 21 | 139 | 6.6 | 19 | 0 |
| 1985 | LA | 14 | 14 | 292 | 1,234 | 4.2 | 43 | 12 | 20 | 126 | 6.3 | 33 | 0 |
| 1986 | LA | 16 | 16 | 404 | 1,821 | 4.5 | 42 | 11 | 26 | 205 | 7.9 | 28 | 0 |
| 1987 | LA | 3 | 2 | 60 | 277 | 4.6 | 57 | 1 | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 13 | 0 |
| IND | 9 | 8 | 223 | 1,011 | 4.5 | 53 | 5 | 13 | 133 | 10.2 | 28 | 0 | |
| 1988 | IND | 16 | 16 | 388 | 1,659 | 4.3 | 41 | 14 | 36 | 377 | 10.5 | 50 | 1 |
| 1989 | IND | 15 | 14 | 314 | 1,311 | 4.2 | 21 | 7 | 30 | 211 | 7.0 | 22 | 1 |
| 1990 | IND | 11 | 8 | 166 | 677 | 4.1 | 43 | 4 | 18 | 92 | 5.1 | 17 | 0 |
| 1991 | IND | 10 | 9 | 167 | 536 | 3.2 | 28 | 2 | 41 | 269 | 6.6 | 26 | 1 |
| 1992 | LAR | 16 | 15 | 187 | 729 | 3.9 | 40 | 2 | 14 | 85 | 6.1 | 15 | 1 |
| 1993 | ATL | 4 | 2 | 26 | 91 | 3.5 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 58 | 9.7 | 30 | 0 |
| Career | 146 | 136 | 2,996 | 13,259 | 4.4 | 85 | 90 | 281 | 2,137 | 7.6 | 50 | 6 | |
Awards and Recognition
Eric Dickerson was the seventh running back to gain over 10,000 yards. He reached this milestone faster than anyone else, in just 91 games. By the time he retired, his 13,259 rushing yards were the second most in NFL history. He also scored 90 rushing touchdowns. In addition, he gained 2,137 yards and 6 touchdowns from catching passes.
He was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times. He was also named All-Pro in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 1999, Eric Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That same year, The Sporting News ranked him number 38 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
The Los Angeles Rams retired his jersey number, 29, to honor him. This means no other Rams player will wear that number.
In 2013, Dickerson was inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor. This is a special recognition for important players in the Colts' history. In 2019, he was chosen as one of twelve running backs for the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 2020, he was also elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Life After Football
After his playing career, Eric Dickerson stayed involved in football. He worked as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football broadcasts on ABC in 2000 and 2001.
He also worked as a broadcaster for KCBS television in Los Angeles in 2007 and 2016. He provided commentary for NFL pregame and postgame shows.
Dickerson started a sports memorabilia company called Original Mini Jerseys with his former teammate LeRoy Irvin. They sell miniature replica jerseys. He also owns an online sporting goods company called E Champs.
In 2014, Dickerson made a guest appearance on the TV show Hawaii Five-0. In 2016, he started hosting a sports-talk radio show in Los Angeles. In 2017, he was a contestant on the reality TV show The New Celebrity Apprentice. He also joined Fox Sports' FS1 as an NFL analyst in 2017. In 2019, he played a role as LAFD Chief Brinkle in the TV series S.W.A.T.. In 2023, Dickerson attended a dinner service on Hell's Kitchen.
See also
- List of National Football League rushing yards leaders
- List of National Football League rushing champions
