Tag: Roger Craig

Athletes and sports figures who have died in 2023

The notable athletes, broadcasters, and sports figures we’ve lost so far in 2023.

Where do Alvin Kamara’s 73 touchdowns rank in NFL history?

Where do Alvin Kamara’s 73 touchdowns rank in NFL history? The Saints’ star running back has joined rare company:

Alvin Kamara didn’t just make New Orleans Saints franchise history with his touchdown run against the New England Patriots last week — he earned his place in the NFL record books, too. Kamara hit the end zone for the 73rd time in his 90-game career, putting him in a four-way tie to rank 96th in league history. And he’s distinguished himself among some rare company.

Kamara is the only player in that group to score this many touchdowns with a single team, and he’s also done it in the fewest games among his peers. Here’s how they stack up:

  • Alvin Kamara: 90 games with one team
  • Brian Westbrook: 121 games with two teams
  • Roger Craig: 165 games with three teams
  • Stanley Morgan: 196 games with two teams

Westbrook was a Philadelphia Eagles fan-favorite who helped modernize the running back position in an increasingly pass-focused league, finishing his career with the San Francisco 49ers; where Roger Craig earned all sorts of accolades earlier in his career in the 1980’s. Morgan won multiple Pro Bowls during his 13-year New England Patriots career and still played at a high level in his final season on the Indianapolis Colts. Altogether this group of three earned 10 Pro Bowl nods and two spots on the All-Pro first team.

And Kamara might be the best among them. He’s on a hotter pace at an earlier point in his career. He’s also under contract through 2025, so if he can maintain his pace (easier said than done without Drew Brees throwing to him) and continue to average about 14 games per year, he should cross the century mark while he’s still wearing a Saints uniform. That’s something just a few running backs have done before, and many of them are Hall of Famers.

But we’re looking too far ahead. For now all Kamara needs to worry about is helping his team score enough touchdowns to put away an overachieving Houston Texans team on Sunday. Still, it’s worth taking time to acknowledge his achievements. Here’s to many more of them.

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Former 49ers RB Roger Craig denied entry to Hall of Fame again

Roger Craig’s absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is particularly egregious in an era where RBs won’t get paid unless they can play like Craig:

Another class will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, and another class will not include former 49ers running back Roger Craig.

The Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell as the trio of finalists for the class of 2024. A 50-person committee will vote on whether those three get inducted early next year.

Craig was a semifinalist and again failed to make it to the final round of voting.

While there are a slew of worthy candidates who also deserve entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Craig’s continued absence looms larger every time he’s passed over.

That’s particularly true in the modern era where running backs won’t get paid unless they play like … Roger Craig.

Craig was the first player and one of three ever to notch 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. He did so in 1985 when he led the NFL in receptions with a career-high 92. He was also third place in MVP voting in 1988 – the year he was a First-Team All-Pro and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Craig was also voted to four Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls and was a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s.

Juxtaposing his career with other RBs in the Hall of Fame makes it clear Craig should’ve been in a long time ago. Each time he gets passed over will only make his absence from Canton more egregious.

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Former Husker makes the cut for Pro Football Hall of Fame

A former Nebraska Cornhusker has been named a Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 senior semifinalist.

A former Nebraska Cornhusker has been named a Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 senior semifinalist. Running back Roger Craig was one of the 12 individuals named to the list of candidates.

Craig was eliminated from consideration for the 2023 class in late July of last year. The former Husker spent 11 seasons in the NFL, nine of them with the San Fransico 49ers.

He was a three-time Super Bowl in San Fransico with four Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro selection in 1988. The former Husker is also a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and the 49ers Hall of Fame.

Craig was also the first player to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (1985). The Davenport, Iowa native played at Nebraska from 1979-1982 and was a second-round selection in the second round in the 1983 draft.

Raiders greats Art Powell, Albert Lewis among Senior semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Legendary Raiders receiver Art Powell is among Hall of Fame senior semifinalists.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their semifinalists for the class of 2024 Thursday. Among them are Raiders greats WR Art Powell and DB Albert Lewis.

To be eligible for the senior committee, a player must have played their last game in 1998 or earlier. That was Lewis’s final season in the NFL, which was his fifth as a member of the Raiders.

Lewis played 16 years in the NFL, his first 11 with the Chiefs. He collected 42 interceptions, heading to four Pro Bowls and once an All Pro. He also appeared in six playoff games, all with the Chiefs.

Powell is one of the greatest receivers in Raiders history. He spent just four seasons with the Raiders, but made the Pro Bowl in every season and was an All AFL performer in 1963 when he caught 73 passes for a league-leading 1304 yards and 16 touchdowns.

His 16 receiving touchdowns in a season is still the most in Raiders franchise history — and he did in in 14 games.

Powell played a total ten NFL seasons with the Eagles, New York Titans, Raiders, Bills, and Vikings.

Roger Craig is also among the semifinalists. He played one season with the Raiders in 1991 as his career was winding down.

The rest of the semifinalists are Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Randy Gradisher, Joe Jacoby, Steve McMichael, Eddie Meador, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor, and Al Wistert.

Former Raiders head coach Mike Shanahan was among the coaches/contributor semifinalists.

Shanahan coached the Raiders for just 20 games before butting heads with Al Davis and being fired. He then went on to have a very successful career as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, including winning two Super Bowls.

Other coach/contributor semifinalists are Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Lloyd Wells, and John Wooten.

49ers legend Roger Craig named semifinalist for Hall of Fame

Legendary #49ers RB Roger Craig is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Legendary 49ers running back Roger Craig is once again on the cusp of finally being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was announced as one of 12 senior candidate semifinalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Craig set a new standard for NFL running backs during his eight-year tenure with the 49ers. In 1985 he led the NFL with 92 receptions while becoming the first player to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Only two players (Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey) have done it since.

He was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, the Offensive Player of the Year in 1988 when he led the league in scrimmage yards, and a three-time Super Bowl champion who was named to the Hall of Fame’s all-decade team for the 1980s. Craig finished his career with 8,189 rushing yards, 4,911 receiving yards and 73 total touchdowns.

It would be appropriate for Craig to finally be inducted during a time where running back versatility is becoming more necessary at the position.

The journey to Canton has been a long one for Craig, and now he’s just a couple steps away from finally getting there.

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Roger Craig Eliminated from 2023 Hall of Fame Consideration

Once again, the Pro Football Hall of Fame fails to respect the game’s history.

Former Nebraska Cornhusker running back and 3x Super Bowl champion Roger Craig has been eliminated from consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Craig played 11 seasons in the NFL, nine of them with the San Fransico 49ers. He also has the rare honor of making the playoffs every year of his NFL career, with four Pro-Bowl selections and an All-Pro selection in 1988. The former Husker is also a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and the 49ers Hall of Fame. Craig was also the first player to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (1985). The Davenport, Iowa native played at Nebraska from 1979-1982 and was a second-round selection in the second round in the 1983 draft.

This decision is a prime example of why I don’t put any stock in the Hall of Fame and have little to no faith in the selection committee that makes these calls. A cursory glance at the stats and the body of work would tell you that Roger Craig is a no-brainer Hall of Famer. However, I’m genuinely starting to believe that the people who make these decisions don’t know or care about the history of the game of football which is a problem when selecting the Hall of Fame! Without Roger Craig, there’s no Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson, or any modern running back for that matter. Craig was one of the first backs to show NFL coaches that they were not just ball carriers but also weapons to contribute to the passing game. He and Bill Walsh redefined how the position could contribute to a modern offense for future NFL running backs to follow.

Why would the NFL and its Hall of Fame want to honor that? Why show respect and appreciation for the past generations and their role in helping create the modern version of the game? Unfortunately, the Pro Football Hall of Fame once again proves its selection process is flawed and lacks accountability. A committee that meets behind closed doors and never has to explain or defend its decisions is unacceptable. It’s time for the Hall of Fame to change the way they select its members, and then maybe we’ll have a process that honors players who helped redefine the game, players like Roger Craig. Let’s hear from these detractors and make them defend their decision in public. Until then, nothing they say or do will matter much to me.

49ers RB Roger Craig a semifinalist for Hall of Fame

Former #49ers RB Roger Craig is one step closer to the Hall of Fame.

Former 49ers running back Roger Craig took another step toward his long-awaited induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he was included in a group of 25 semifinalists for the Seniors category of the 2023 Hall of Fame class.

Craig revolutionized the running back position for the 49ers during his eight seasons in San Francisco. The 1983 second-round pick rushed for 8,189 yards in his career, and caught 566 balls for 4,911 yards. Those receiving numbers are what should ultimately get him into Canton.

In the 1985 season Craig caught a league-high 92 passes for 1,016 yards en route to becoming the first player to put up 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Only two other running backs have accomplished that feat since, even in an NFL that leans more on its RBs for pass-catching. Marshall Faulk did it in 1999, and Christian McCaffrey did it in 2019.

On top of one of most unique statistical careers in history, Craig was also a three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Pro Bowler, First-Team All-Pro,1988 Offensive Player of the Year, and a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 1980s.

The next step for Craig will be to become one of 12 Senior finalists, which will be named on July 27. There will also be 12 Coaches/Contributors who will land in the finalist pool. Then on August 16 the Senior committee will choose up to three finalists to get their induction into Canton.

Seniors are players who played their final NFL game no later than the 1996 season. The other 24 semifinalists per a release from the Hall of Fame are Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Mark Clayton, LaVern Dilweg, Randy Gradishar, Lester Hayes, Chris Hinton, Chuck Howley, Cecil Isbell, Joe Jacoby, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, Joe Klecko, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Jim Marshall, Clay Matthews Jr., Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Ken Riley, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor and Everson Walls.

Alvin Kamara breaks Roger Craig’s NFL record for most RB receptions in first 5 years

Alvin Kamara breaks Roger Craig’s NFL record for the most receptions by a running back in their first 5 years:

Make some more room in the trophy case: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has broken another NFL record, catching his 359th reception in Sunday’s game with the New York Jets.

Previously held by San Francisco 49ers legend Roger Craig, often the tip of the spear for Bill Walsh’s game-changing West Coast Offense, it’s another impressive accomplishment for No. 41.

This latest broken record goes to show just how unique Kamara’s skills set is. There aren’t many players out there who can run like he does, either behind the offensive line or lined up outside the formation.

He’s the latest step in a series of evolutions to change how the sport has been played, and it’s not hyperbole to suggest he’s making his own Hall of Fame resume. Let’s see what Kamara has in store as the Jets game continues — he’s six touchdowns away from tying Marques Colston’s team record, and a couple of scores today would do a lot to help his cause.

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Alvin Kamara breaks NFL record to reach 3,000 rushing yards, 3,000 receiving yards

Alvin Kamara is the fastest NFL player to reach 3,000 rushing yards, 3,000 receiving yards:

This is impressive: ESPN Stats & Info found that New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is now the fastest player in NFL history to run for 3,000 rushing yards while picking up another 3,000 receiving yards — doing so in 66 games.

The previous record-holder was NFL legend Roger Craig, who achieved that in 70 games.

There just aren’t many playmakers like Kamara, who seems to be a threat in almost every phase of the game. He’s a unique talent in a sport filled with unique talents. Kamara sent the Saints into halftime with 138 yards from scrimmage — against just 141 scrimmage yards from the entire opposing offense. If it somehow wasn’t clear before, the Saints have a special one wearing No. 41.

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