John Riggins facts for kids
Riggins in 2014
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | August 4, 1949 Seneca, Kansas, U.S. |
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| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Centralia (Centralia, Kansas) |
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| College: | Kansas (1967–1970) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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John Riggins (born August 4, 1949) is a famous American football player. People called him "Riggo" or "Diesel." He played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins.
Riggins was known for his powerful running style. He was very productive, even later in his career. In 1983, at age 34, he set an NFL record with 24 rushing touchdowns. This record lasted for almost 20 years! He led the league in rushing touchdowns again in 1984. Riggins won the MVP award in Super Bowl XVII. He helped the Redskins win 27–17 against the Miami Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Contents
Early Life and High School Achievements
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 earned All-American honors in football. He also won all-state honors in basketball. Riggins won the Class B 100-yard dash state title twice.
Today, Centralia High School is located on John Riggins Avenue. On October 12, 2012, the school's football field was renamed Riggins Field. This honored his parents, Franklin Eugene and Mildred Riggins. The Pro Football Hall of Fame placed a plaque there.
College Football Career
Riggins attended the University of Kansas. He played for the Jayhawks football team. He was an All-American player. He was also a two-time first-team selection in the Big Eight Conference.
In 1968, Riggins helped the Jayhawks win the Big Eight Conference championship. The team then played in the 1969 Orange Bowl. They narrowly lost to Penn State 15–14.
During 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 school record. Riggins studied journalism while at Kansas.
Professional Football Journey
Playing for the New York Jets
The New York Jets drafted Riggins in 1971. He was the first running back chosen that year. As a rookie, he led the Jets in both rushing and receiving yards. This was a first for the team.
In 1972, Riggins and teammate Emerson Boozer both rushed for over 150 yards in one game. This set a team record for rushing yards against the New England Patriots. Riggins rushed for 944 yards that season.
In 1975, Riggins became the first Jets player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He gained 1,005 yards that year. In his final season with the Jets, he made his only Pro Bowl appearance. Riggins was named the Jets' MVP in 1972 and 1975.
Joining the Washington Redskins
In 1976, Riggins signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent. He missed part of the 1977 season due to a knee injury. However, he gained over 1,000 yards in both 1978 and 1979. He became a key part of the Redskins' offense.
Contract Dispute and Return
In July 1980, Riggins had a contract disagreement with the Redskins. He decided to leave training camp. The Redskins then made him ineligible to play for any other team. Riggins did not play during the 1980 season.
He returned to the Redskins in 1981. New head coach Joe Gibbs traveled to Kansas to talk with him. Riggins told Gibbs, "You need to get me back there. I'll make you famous." He returned to training camp with a new contract.
Super Bowl Success with Washington
In 1981, Riggins rushed for 714 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. The 1982 season was shorter due to a player strike. Riggins led the team with 553 rushing yards. He became even more successful during the playoffs. He gained 444 yards in victories over the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys. This helped the Redskins reach Super Bowl XVII.
In Super Bowl XVII, Riggins rushed for a record 166 yards on 38 carries. The Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27–17. Riggins was named Super Bowl MVP. A key play was "70 chip." Riggins ran for a 43-yard touchdown on 4th-and-inches. This helped secure the Redskins' first championship since 1942. Riggins's 610 rushing yards in the 1982 playoffs were an NFL record. He also set a record with four straight playoff games over 100 yards.
In 1983, Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards. He scored an NFL-record 24 touchdowns. He won the Bert Bell Award and was named All-Pro. He continued his strong playoff performance. He rushed for 242 yards and five touchdowns in two playoff games. This extended his NFL record to six straight playoff games with over 100 rushing yards. However, the Redskins lost Super Bowl XVIII to the Los Angeles Raiders.
Riggins set two other milestones in 1983. He scored a touchdown in 12 straight games. This NFL record ended at 13 consecutive games. Also, he and Mark Moseley became the first top two scorers on the same team since 1951.
In 1984, Riggins gained 1,239 yards. He tied for the league lead with 14 rushing touchdowns. At 35 years old, he became the oldest player to rush for over 1,000 yards. This record still stands today. He retired after the 1985 season.
Riggins played 175 games in 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. He had 35 games with over 100 rushing yards, including a record six in the postseason. He was the second player in NFL history to rush for over 100 touchdowns.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Super Bowl MVP | |
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1971 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 180 | 769 | 4.3 | 25 | 1 | 36 | 231 | 6.4 | 32 | 2 |
| 1972 | NYJ | 12 | 11 | 207 | 944 | 4.6 | 40 | 7 | 21 | 230 | 11.0 | 67 | 1 |
| 1973 | NYJ | 11 | 9 | 134 | 482 | 3.6 | 15 | 4 | 23 | 158 | 6.9 | 19 | 0 |
| 1974 | NYJ | 10 | 10 | 169 | 680 | 4.0 | 34 | 5 | 19 | 180 | 9.5 | 32 | 2 |
| 1975 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 238 | 1,005 | 4.2 | 42 | 8 | 30 | 363 | 12.1 | 34 | 1 |
| 1976 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 162 | 572 | 3.5 | 15 | 3 | 21 | 172 | 8.2 | 18 | 1 |
| 1977 | WAS | 5 | 5 | 68 | 203 | 3.0 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 95 | 13.6 | 53 | 2 |
| 1978 | WAS | 15 | 15 | 248 | 1,014 | 4.1 | 31 | 5 | 31 | 299 | 9.6 | 33 | 0 |
| 1979 | 16 | 15 | 260 | 1,153 | 4.4 | 66 | 9 | 28 | 163 | 5.8 | 23 | 3 | |
| 1980 | WAS | 0 | 0 | Did not play–contract dispute | |||||||||
| 1981 | WAS | 15 | 4 | 195 | 714 | 3.7 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 59 | 9.8 | 22 | 0 |
| 1982 | WAS | 8 | 8 | 177 | 553 | 3.1 | 19 | 3 | 10 | 50 | 5.0 | 11 | 0 |
| 1983 | WAS | 15 | 15 | 375 | 1,347 | 3.6 | 44 | 24 | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 14 | 0 |
| 1984 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 327 | 1,239 | 3.8 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 43 | 6.1 | 11 | 0 |
| 1985 | WAS | 12 | 11 | 176 | 677 | 3.8 | 51 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 3.0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career | 175 | 159 | 2,916 | 11,352 | 3.9 | 66 | 104 | 250 | 2,090 | 8.4 | 67 | 12 | |
Postseason Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1976 | WAS | 1 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 4.3 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 13 | 0 |
| 1982 | WAS | 4 | 4 | 136 | 610 | 4.5 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 |
| 1983 | WAS | 3 | 3 | 87 | 306 | 3.5 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | WAS | 1 | 1 | 21 | 50 | 2.4 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 9 | 251 | 996 | 4.0 | 43 | 12 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 15 | 0 | |
NFL Records Achieved
- Most rushing yards in a single postseason: 610 yards (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 turning 35: 8 games.
- Most games with 20 rushing attempts after turning 35: 11 games.
- Oldest player to have 300+ rushing attempts in a season: 35 years old.
- Oldest player to have 1,200 rushing yards in a season: 35 years old.
- Oldest player to have 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 35 years old.
- Oldest player to score 20+ touchdowns in a season: 34 years old.
- Oldest player to have 350+ rushing attempts in a season: 34 years old.
- Oldest player to have 1,300 rushing yards in a season: 34 years old.
- Oldest player to have 20+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 34 years old.
- Most rushing attempts after turning 30: 1,510 attempts.
- Most rushing touchdowns after turning 30: 71 touchdowns.
- Most games with 20 rushing attempts after turning 30: 36 games.
Honors and Recognition
On October 21, 1990, Riggins and Joe Theismann were inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame. When his name was called, Riggins ran onto the field in his full Redskins uniform. The crowd 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. This was 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 has also been on TV shows such as Guiding Light, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and One Tree Hill. His acting career actually began in high school.
Sports Commentating
After retiring from football, Riggins became a sports commentator. He worked on both television and radio. In 1998, he co-hosted Riggins and Russo on WCBS-TV. This show focused on the upcoming games for the Jets and Giants.
Since 2006, Riggins has been a color commentator for Sunday Night Football on Westwood One radio. He also hosted The John Riggins Show on Triple X ESPN Radio from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, he co-hosted the 74th Orange Bowl pre-game show. His alma mater, the Kansas Jayhawks, won that night.
Riggins later hosted his own show, "The John Riggins Show," which was on both TV and radio. In 2016, Riggins returned to ESPN 980 Redskins radio. He had various roles, including weekly appearances and co-hosting the pregame show.
Personal Life
John Riggins has been married twice. He has six children: Robert, Portia, Emil, Liberty, Hannah, and Coco. He lives in Cabin John, Maryland, with his wife, Lisa Marie.
See also
In Spanish: John Riggins para niños
