Roger Craig (American football) facts for kids
Craig at Super Bowl XLIII (2009)
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
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| 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) | ||||||||||||||
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| High school: | Davenport Central (Davenport, Iowa) |
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| College: | Nebraska (1979–1982) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1983 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49 | ||||||||||||||
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Roger Timothy Craig (born July 10, 1960) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). 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 catch passes for 1,000 yards in the same season. Only two other players, Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey, have done this since. After his football career, he worked in business development.
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Early Life and High School Football
Roger Craig grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He went to Central High School and graduated in 1979. At Central, he was a star athlete. He played football with Jamie Williams, who also later played in the NFL.
Craig's older brother, Curtis Craig, was also a running back at Central High. In 1976, Roger Craig's team won the Iowa State Championship. In his senior year (1978), Craig ran for 1,565 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. He was named an All-America player. In one high school playoff game, he ran for 353 yards and scored 4 touchdowns.
Other Sports in High School
Besides football, Roger Craig was also good at wrestling and track. He competed in the Iowa State Wrestling Championships. In track, he finished second in both the 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles at the Iowa State Track and Field Championships in 1979. He broke a school record in the 110 hurdles. Craig said his track coach 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. His brother, Curtis, and friend, Jamie Williams, also played there.
Craig 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 per carry. He was a very important running back in Nebraska's offense.
In 1980, as a sophomore, Craig ran for 769 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a junior in 1981, he gained 1,060 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes. In 1982, he played alongside future Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier. Craig also ran indoor track at Nebraska for one season.
Professional Football Career
Joining the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers picked Roger Craig in the second round of the 1983 NFL draft. He was the 49th player chosen overall.
In his first year (1983), playing for coach Bill Walsh and with quarterback Joe Montana, Craig scored 12 touchdowns. He helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship game. Craig became known for his special high-knee running style.
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In Super Bowl XIX in 1985, Craig ran for 58 yards and caught seven passes for 77 yards. He made history by becoming the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. The 49ers won the game 38–16 against the Miami Dolphins.
Making History: 1,000/1,000 Yards
The next season, in 1985, Roger Craig made NFL history again. He became the first player ever to run for at least 1,000 yards and 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 a team-high 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 Super Bowl, 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.
In 1989, the 49ers won another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXIV. Craig had 1,527 combined yards that season. In the Super Bowl, he ran for 69 yards, caught five passes for 34 yards, and scored a touchdown.
In 1990, the 49ers were trying to win their third Super Bowl in a row. In the NFC Championship Game, a tough play led to Craig fumbling the ball late in the game. The New York Giants recovered it and won the game with a last-second field goal.
Over eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Craig played in 121 games. He gained a total of 11,506 yards from scrimmage. He ran for 7,064 yards and 50 touchdowns, and caught 508 passes for 4,442 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 16 playoff games with the 49ers, he had 817 rushing yards and 606 receiving yards, helping the team win three Super Bowls.
Later Career: Raiders and Vikings
After leaving the 49ers, Craig played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991. He led the Raiders in rushing with 590 yards.
Craig 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. He retired after the 1993 season. He signed a special one-day contract with the 49ers so he could officially retire as a 49er.
Roger Craig's Legacy in Football
Roger Craig played in the NFL Playoffs every year of his career. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times (1985, 1987–1989). He finished his eleven NFL seasons with 8,189 rushing yards and 4,911 receiving yards. In total, he gained 13,143 yards and scored 73 touchdowns (56 rushing and 17 receiving).
Craig was the first running back to gain over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season (1985). Only two other running backs have done this since: Marshall Faulk (1999) and Christian McCaffrey (2019). In 1985, he also caught a record 92 passes. In 1988, Craig set a team record for the 49ers with 1,502 rushing yards.
Craig is one of only three running backs to ever lead the NFL in receptions for a single season. He is also one of only three running backs to have 100 or more receiving yards in a Super Bowl. Even though he caught only 16 passes in his college career, he became a great receiver in the NFL.
Despite his many achievements, Roger Craig has not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some people believe he should be in the Hall of Fame because of his impressive stats and records. Others argue that his success was helped by playing with Hall of Fame teammates like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
Honors and Awards
Roger Craig has received many honors for his football career:
- In 1987, he was inducted into the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame.
- He was inducted into the Davenport Central High School Hall of Honor in 1989.
- In 1989, he was inducted into the Des Moines Register's Sunday Register Hall of Fame.
- Craig was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
- In 2002, he was inducted into Iowa's IHSAA Football Players' Hall-of-Fame.
- Craig was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF) in 2008.
- He is a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
- Craig was chosen as a running back for the National Football League 1980s All-Decade Team.
- He was a semifinalist and then a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009 and 2010.
- In 2019, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Craig to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2019.
Personal Life
Roger Craig has studied Tae Kwon Do. He is also a big fan of running and has completed over 38 marathons and half-marathons.
He was the Grand Marshal for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 race at Infineon Raceway.
Roger Craig is the cousin of current New York Jets running back Breece Hall.
