John Riggins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Riggins

Riggins in 1983
No. 44
Position:	Fullback
Personal information
Born:	(1949-08-04) August 4, 1949 (age 76) Seneca, Kansas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	Centralia (Centralia, Kansas)
College:	Kansas (1967–1970)
NFL Draft:	1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
New York Jets (1971) Washington Redskins (1976; 1981)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XVII) Super Bowl MVP (XVII) NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1978) First-team All-Pro (1983) Pro Bowl (1975) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1983, 1984) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Bert Bell Award (1983) Washington Redskins 90 Greatest Washington Redskins Ring of Fame 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1968, 1970) Second-team All-Big Eight (1969) NFL record Most rushing yards in a postseason: 610 (1982)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 11,352 Rushing average: 3.9 Rushing touchdowns: 104 Receptions: 250 Receiving yards: 2,090 Receiving touchdowns: 12
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), often called "Riggo" or "Diesel", is a famous former American football player. He was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). Riggins played for the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. He also played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Riggins was known for his powerful running style. He was very productive even later in his career. In the 1983 season, at age 34, he set an NFL record with 24 rushing touchdowns. This record stood for almost 20 years! He led the league in rushing touchdowns again in 1984, when he was 35.

Even though he only went to one Pro Bowl, Riggins had amazing success in the postseason. He was named MVP of Super Bowl XVII. In that game, he scored one touchdown and rushed for 166 yards. The Redskins won 27–17 against the Miami Dolphins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Early Life and High School Sports

John Riggins was born in Seneca, Kansas. He went to Centralia High School in Centralia, Kansas. There, he was a talented athlete in three sports. He was recognized as an All-American in football. He also earned all-state honors in basketball. Plus, he won the Class B 100-yard dash state title twice in track.

Today, Riggins's high school is located on John Riggins Avenue in Centralia. On October 12, 2012, John and his brothers, Frank (Junior) and Bill Riggins, helped dedicate the Centralia High School football field. It was renamed Riggins Field to honor their parents, Franklin Eugene and Mildred Riggins. The Pro Football Hall of Fame placed a plaque there, and NFL Films recorded the event. The Centralia High School Panthers won their game that night 55–0.

College Football Career

Riggins attended the University of Kansas and played for the Jayhawks. He was an All-American player. He was also chosen twice for the All-Big Eight Conference first-team. Riggins helped the Jayhawks win a Big Eight Conference championship in 1968. The team then played in the 1969 Orange Bowl, but they lost a close game to Penn State, 15–14.

In his final year in 1970, Riggins rushed for 1,131 yards. He scored a school-record 14 touchdowns. He finished his college career with 2,659 rushing yards. This broke Gale Sayers's career rushing record for the school. Riggins is now ranked fifth among Kansas's all-time rushing leaders. He is 14th for total yards. While at Kansas, Riggins studied journalism.

Professional Football Journey

Starting with the New York Jets

The New York Jets picked Riggins as the first running back in the 1971 NFL draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall in the first round. As a rookie, he was the first Jets player to lead the team in both rushing and receiving yards. On October 15, 1972, the Jets set a team record. They rushed for 333 yards against the New England Patriots, winning 41–13. Riggins had 168 yards, and Emerson Boozer had 150 yards. They were the only running back duo in Jets history to both rush for 150 yards in one game. Even though he missed the last two games of 1972 due to knee surgery, Riggins rushed for 944 yards. This was just four yards shy of Matt Snell's team record.

In 1974, Riggins was among the top ten rushers in the American Football Conference. This was despite missing four games with a shoulder injury. After only four years with the Jets, he was already the fourth-leading rusher in team history with 2,875 yards. In 1975, Riggins became the first player in Jets history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season. On December 21, 1975, he ran for 121 yards against the Dallas Cowboys, reaching 1,005 yards for the season. In his last season with the Jets, Riggins made his only appearance in the Pro Bowl. He was named the Jets' MVP (now called the Martin Award) in 1972 and 1975.

Moving to the Washington Redskins

In 1976, Riggins signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent. They offered him a five-year contract worth $1.5 million. This was much more than the $63,000 he earned in his last year with the Jets. In his first season with Washington, he was mainly used in short-yardage plays. He missed much of the 1977 season because of a knee injury. However, Riggins gained over 1,000 yards in each of the next two seasons. He became a key part of the Redskins' offense.

A Break from Football

During training camp in July 1980, Riggins wanted to change his contract. The Redskins said no. He decided to leave camp. The Redskins then put him on a special list, which meant he couldn't play for any other team. Riggins sat out the entire 1980 season. He didn't rejoin the Redskins until 1981. The new Washington head coach, Joe Gibbs, traveled to Kansas to talk to him.

Gibbs remembered Riggins saying, "You need to get me back there. I'll make you famous." Riggins returned to training camp in 1981 with a new contract. He famously told the media, "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."

Triumphant Return to the Redskins

Riggins in 2014

When Riggins returned in 1981, he rushed for 714 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. During the strike-shortened 1982 season, Riggins led the team with 553 rushing yards. He was much more successful in the playoffs. He gained 444 yards in wins over the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings (where he set a team playoff record with 185 yards), and Dallas Cowboys. This helped the Redskins reach Super Bowl XVII.

Riggins rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards on 38 carries. The Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27–17. He was named Super Bowl MVP. A play called "70 chip" became famous. With 10 minutes left, Riggins took the ball on a crucial fourth down. He broke a tackle and ran for a 43-yard touchdown. This Super Bowl win was the Redskins' first championship since 1942. Riggins's 610 total yards made up 43 percent of Washington's offense in those four playoff games. His four straight playoff games with over 100 yards was an NFL postseason record. His 610 rushing yards and 625 yards from scrimmage in the 1982 playoffs are still NFL single postseason records.

In 1983, Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards. He scored an NFL record 24 touchdowns that season. He won the Bert Bell Award and was named All-Pro for the first time. Riggins had another great postseason, rushing for 242 yards and five touchdowns in two playoff games. This extended his NFL record of postseason games with at least 100 rushing yards to six. However, he rushed for only 64 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' 38–9 Super Bowl XVIII loss to the Los Angeles Raiders.

Two other milestones happened in 1983. On November 20, 1983, he set an NFL record by scoring in his 12th straight game. This record ended at 13 consecutive games the next week. On December 17, 1983, Mark Moseley set an NFL kicking record with 161 points in a season. Riggins, who scored 144 points, was second. This was the first time since 1951 that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team.

Riggins gained 1,239 yards in 1984. He tied for the league lead with 14 rushing touchdowns, even with a back injury. On November 18, 1984, at 35 years old, he rushed for over 1,000 yards. He became the oldest player to do so, breaking John Henry Johnson's record. This record still stands today. In 1985, he rushed for over 100 yards in three of his last four starts. He retired after that season.

Riggins played 175 games over 14 seasons. He had 13,442 total yards (11,352 rushing and 2,090 receiving). He scored 116 total touchdowns (104 rushing and 12 receiving). Riggins rushed for over 1,000 yards five times in his career. He had over 100 yards in 35 games, including a then-record six in the postseason. He rushed 251 times for 996 yards in the playoffs. He also had 12 touchdowns in nine postseason games. He was the second player ever to rush for over 100 touchdowns in NFL history. The first was Jim Brown in 1965.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Performance

Postseason Performance

NFL Records Achieved

• Most rushing attempts and rushing yards in a single postseason: 136 attempts, 610 yards in 4 playoff games (1982).
• Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a game: 35 years, 71 days.
• Oldest player to rush for 3 touchdowns in a game: 36 years, 70 days.
• Oldest player to have a game with 100+ rushing yards & 1 rushing touchdown: 36 years, 84 days.
• Oldest player to have 30+ rushing attempts in a game: 36 years, 84 days.
• Oldest player to rush for 100+ yards in a playoff game: 34 years, 157 days.
• Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 179 days.
• Oldest player to rush for 175+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 164 days.
• Most 100-yard rushing games after 35th birthday: 8.
• Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 35th birthday: 11.
• Oldest player to have 300+ rushing attempts in a season: 35.
• Oldest player to have 1,200 rushing yards in a season: 35.
• Oldest player to have 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 35.
• Oldest player to score 20+ touchdowns in a season: 34.
• Oldest player to have 350+ rushing attempts in a season: 34.
• Oldest player to have 1,300 rushing yards in a season: 34.
• Oldest player to have 20+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 34.
• Most rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 1,510.
• Most rushing touchdowns after 30th birthday: 71.
• Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 36.

Awards and Recognition

On October 21, 1990, Riggins and Joe Theismann were inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame. When Riggins's name was called, he ran onto the field in his full Redskins uniform. The crowd at RFK Stadium cheered loudly. Riggins later said he "just had to hear the roar of the crowd one more time."

In 1992, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On October 13, 2007, Riggins was inducted into the University of Kansas' Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium.

Life After Football

Acting Career

In 1994, John Riggins started taking acting lessons. He has appeared in plays like Gillette and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also had roles on TV shows such as Guiding Light, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and One Tree Hill.

Riggins's acting journey began in high school. A teacher cast him as the lead in his junior play. His professional acting career started in 1992. He appeared in "Illegal Motion" at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts. In that play, he starred as a football coach facing accusations.

Sports Commentating

After retiring from professional football, Riggins became a sports commentator. He worked on both television and radio. In 1998, John and Chris Russo hosted Riggins and Russo. This show aired on WCBS-TV in New York City during football season. It mainly focused on the upcoming games for the Jets and Giants.

Since 2006, Riggins has been a color commentator for Westwood One. He worked on their weekly national radio broadcast of Sunday Night Football. On July 18, 2006, The John Riggins Show launched on Triple X ESPN Radio. Riggins hosted this show on weekdays. The last show aired on July 18, 2008. Riggins continued to work as a commentator for ESPN 980.

On January 3, 2008, Riggins co-hosted the pre-game show for the 74th Orange Bowl. That night, the Kansas Jayhawks won 24–21. This was 39 years after Riggins and the Jayhawks last played in the Orange Bowl in 1969. He congratulated his old college team, saying, "The KU ship's been out at sea since '48. It finally came to port tonight!"

In September 2008, it was announced that Riggins would co-host "Sirius Blitz" with Adam Schein on Satellite Radio. After that, Riggins started hosting his own show, The John Riggins Show. This show was broadcast on both television (MASN-TV) and radio (WTOP-HD3). In 2016, Riggins returned to ESPN 980 Redskins radio in various roles. He made weekly appearances on different shows. He also co-hosted the Washington Redskins Radio Network pregame show before every Redskins game.

Personal Life

Riggins dressed as Santa Claus at the White House with Nancy Reagan in 1984

Riggins has been married twice and has six children: Robert, Portia, Emil, Liberty, Hannah, and Coco. He lives in Cabin John, Maryland, near the Potomac River, with his wife Lisa Marie.

See also

In Spanish: John Riggins para niños