Roger Craig (American football) facts for kids
Craig at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009
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| No. 33, 22 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | July 10, 1960 Preston, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Davenport Central (Davenport, Iowa) |
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| College: | Nebraska (1979–1982) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1983 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Roger Timothy Craig (born July 10, 1960) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Roger Craig played for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. He went to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls with the 49ers.
Craig was the first NFL player to run for 1,000 yards and also catch passes for 1,000 yards in the same season. Only two other players, Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey, have done this since.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Roger Craig grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He went to Central High School and graduated in 1979. He was a talented athlete in many sports.
Football Success in High School
In high school, Roger played football with Jamie Williams, who also later played in the NFL. In 1976, their team won the Iowa State Championship. In his senior year (1978), Roger ran for 1,565 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. He was named an All-America player. In his last high school game, he ran for 353 yards and scored 4 touchdowns.
Other Sports and Training
Besides football, Roger was also good at wrestling and track. In track, he finished second in two hurdle events at the Iowa State Championships in 1979. His coach, Ira Dunsworth, helped him develop his unique high-knee running style.
College Football Career
After high school, Roger Craig went to the University of Nebraska to play football for Coach Tom Osborne. His older brother, Curtis Craig, and his high school teammate, Jamie Williams, also played there.
Playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Roger played three full seasons for the University of Nebraska. During his college career, he ran for 2,446 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. He averaged 6 yards every time he carried the ball. He was a key running back in Nebraska's offense.
In 1980, as a sophomore, he ran for 769 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 1981, he gained 1,060 yards and was named to the All-Big 8 Team. In 1982, he played alongside future Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier. Roger also ran indoor track at Nebraska for one season.
Professional Football Career
Roger Craig was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFL Draft. He was the 49th player picked overall.
San Francisco 49ers: A Super Bowl Champion
Craig joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1983. He played for coach Bill Walsh and with quarterback Joe Montana. In his first year, he scored 12 touchdowns. The 49ers made it to the NFC Championship game. Roger became known for his special high-knee running style.
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In Super Bowl XIX in 1985, Roger Craig made history. He ran for 58 yards and caught seven passes for 77 yards. He was the first player ever to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. The 49ers won the game 38–16 against the Miami Dolphins.
Making NFL History
In the next season (1985), Craig became the first player in NFL history to run for at least 1,000 yards and also catch passes for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. He ran for 1,050 yards and led the NFL with 92 catches for 1,016 yards. He scored 15 touchdowns that year.
In 1988, Craig was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He ran for a career-high 1,502 yards and caught 76 passes for 534 yards. He helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIII. In that game, he ran for 71 yards and caught eight passes for 101 yards. This made him the first running back to have 100 receiving yards in a Super Bowl.
The 49ers won another Super Bowl in 1989, their second in a row. In Super Bowl XXIV, Craig ran for 69 yards and scored a touchdown. The 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55–10.
In 1990, the 49ers tried to win their third Super Bowl in a row. In the NFC Championship Game, Roger Craig fumbled the ball late in the game. The New York Giants recovered it and won the game with a last-second field goal. This was Roger's last game as a 49er.
During his eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Roger Craig played in 121 games. He gained over 11,500 total yards and scored 66 touchdowns. He helped the 49ers win three Super Bowls.
Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings
After leaving the 49ers, Roger Craig played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991. He led the Raiders in rushing with 590 yards.
He then played his final two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. In 1992, he ran for 416 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings won their division that year. In his last season (1993), Craig decided to retire. He signed a special one-day contract with the 49ers so he could officially retire as a 49er.
Roger Craig's Legacy
Roger Craig played in the NFL Playoffs every year of his career. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times (1985, 1987–1989). In his eleven NFL seasons, he gained 8,189 rushing yards and caught 566 passes for 4,911 receiving yards. Overall, he had 13,143 total yards and scored 73 touchdowns.
He was the first running back to have more than 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season (1985). Only Marshall Faulk (1999) and Christian McCaffrey (2019) have done this since. In 1985, he also caught a record 92 passes.
Roger Craig is one of only three running backs to ever have 100 or more receiving yards in a Super Bowl. This is amazing because he only caught 16 passes in his entire college career!
Many people believe Roger Craig should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 25 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame's Class of 2009 and a finalist for the Class of 2010.
Honors and Awards
- 1987: Inducted into the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame.
- 1989: Inducted into the Davenport Central High School Hall of Honor.
- 1989: Inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
- 2002: Inducted into Iowa's IHSAA Football Players' Hall-of-Fame.
- 2008: Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF).
- Member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
- Selected for the National Football League 1980s All-Decade Team.
- 2019: Named to the Professional Football Researchers Association's Hall of Very Good Class of 2019.
Personal Life
Roger Craig enjoys running and has completed over 38 marathons and half-marathons. He is a distant cousin of New York Jets running back Breece Hall. After his football career, Roger Craig worked in business development.
Images for kids
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Craig at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009
