Eric Dickerson Rushed for 1,808 Yards in Rookie Season

Published on May 14th, 2024 2:01 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


There have been some amazing performances from running backs in their rookie seasons.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 1,631 yards in 15 games in 2016.

George Rogers rushed for 1,674 yards and 13 touchdowns in 1981.

The best rookie campaign by a running back, however, belongs to Eric Dickerson, and it's not particularly close.

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Eric Dickerson was the #2 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, and it's not hard to see why.

During his time at SMU, Dickerson established himself as a dominant force in the backfield.

In his senior year at SMU, Dickerson ran for 1,617 yards and 17 touchdowns, finishing third behind John Elway and Herschel Walker in Heisman Trophy voting. If John Elway weren't in the 1983 NFL Draft, Dickerson would have been the surefire first overall pick.

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The Houston Oilers had the number two pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, and they said that they were intent on drafting Dickerson.

Dickerson's family didn't want him to play for the Oilers, and the Los Angeles Rams ended up acquiring the #2 overall pick, which they used to draft Dickerson.

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There were high hopes for Dickerson heading into his rookie campaign, and he managed to surpass all of them.

Not only did Dickerson win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he also won the OPOY in 1983 as well.

Dickerson rushed the ball 390 times in 1983 and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.

Dickerson finished the season with 1,808 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.

In addition, Dickerson caught 51 passes for 404 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns.

In total, Dickerson had 2,214 scrimmage yards, which would be the second highest total of his career.

Dickerson would finish second in MVP voting in 1983.

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Dickerson is one of the top running backs of all time in the NFL, but you can't help but wonder what kind of totals he could have put up had he not battled injuries for much of his professional career.