Roger Craig's 1,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving season set a new standard
nbcsports.com • • sports
Key Points:
- In 1985, 49ers running back Roger Craig became the first NFL player to gain over 1,000 yards both rushing (1,050) and receiving (1,016) in a single season, setting a groundbreaking standard.
- Prior to Craig's achievement, no player had even reached 800 yards in both rushing and receiving in the same season, highlighting the uniqueness of his performance.
- Coach Bill Walsh challenged Craig after the 1984 season to reach 1,000 yards on offense in 1985, motivating Craig to aim for 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving.
- Since Craig's 1985 season, only Marshall Faulk (1999 Rams) and Christian McCaffrey (2019 Panthers) have matched the 1,000/1,000 yard feat, despite the evolution of NFL offenses.
- Roger Craig, who retired in 1993, is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as a pioneering all-purpose back in NFL history.
