Five men — Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald and Adam Vinatieri — will be formally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Yahoo Sports will take a relatively short look at each legend and how he reached football immortality.
Before Roger Craig, it wasn’t unheard of for a running back to also be a dangerous pass catcher. But it was rare. Recent stars like Christian McCaffrey, Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson became weapons on handoffs and receptions, and Craig was the model for that.
Advertisement
In 1985 Craig had 1,050 rushing yards and 1,012 receiving yards, becoming the first player in NFL history with a 1,000/1,000 season. It wouldn’t happen again until Faulk did it in 1999. Craig, Faulk and McCaffrey are still the only three members of the 1,000/1,000 club.
Play Yahoo’s new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!
Craig is remembered fondly as a huge part of the San Francisco 49ers‘ dynasty of the 1980s, and finally got the call to join the Hall of Fame this year.
In many ways, Craig was ahead of his time.
Roger Craig was part of three Super Bowl championship teams with the 49ers. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
(Focus On Sport via Getty Images)
Roger Craig was first of his kind
Walter Payton was one of the best running backs ever, and he eclipsed more than 500 yards receiving only once. Jim Brown also did it only once, topping out at 517 yards. O.J. Simpson never had more than 476 in a season.
Advertisement
Decades ago, most starting running backs occasionally made plays in the passing game but it wasn’t a priority. Niners head coach Bill Walsh, one of the game’s greatest innovators, saw it a different way after the 49ers made Craig a second-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 1983.
Craig immediately became a big part of the passing game in Walsh’s West Coast offense, with 427 receiving yards as a rookie, 675 in his second season as the 49ers won a Super Bowl, then more than 1,000 the year after.
Craig was stellar running the ball too. He became the 49ers’ starter as a rookie, on a team that went 10-6 and lost in the NFC championship game. He rushed for 8,189 career yards with a great mix of athleticism and toughness. His famous touchdown against the Rams is one of the greatest runs in NFL history, as he showed off his entire skill set by breaking multiple tackles and then running for the score in the open field.
Despite being one of the most popular players of that era, Craig waited decades to get in the Hall of Fame.
Advertisement
Craig had a long wait for Hall induction
Craig’s longevity might have worked against his Hall of Fame case. He had seven very good seasons to start his career with the 49ers, then started to slip. His final three seasons with the Vikings and Raiders were forgettable.
But Craig had plenty working in his favor too. He was a big part of three Super Bowl championship teams. He had three touchdowns in Super Bowl XIX (two of those touchdowns came as a receiver), his 40-yard catch to start the fourth quarter was huge in the 49ers’ comeback win over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII and he had 288 yards and three touchdowns in the playoffs a year later on the way to another title.
Craig was first eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1999 and was a semifinalist 10 times before moving on for consideration in the seniors category. Finally, he got the call.
Craig joins storied teammates like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott from the 1980s 49ers dynasty in the Hall of Fame. Craig was one of the most memorable players from those great teams. It took a while for Craig to join some of his legendary teammates in Canton, but the wait to get the proper due for his career is over.
