NFL HOF Spotlight: Eric Dickerson

This NFL Hall of Fame spotlight focuses on one of the greatest open-field sprinters in the league’s history—Eric Dickerson. With a unique upright running style, Dickerson ran with such grace that it looked as easy as a kid pedaling downhill. Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, he later had spells with the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.

Let’s dive into Dickerson’s multiple record-setting career.

High School and College Career

Dickerson made himself hard to ignore right from his high school days. His 2000-plus senior-year rushing yards at Sealy (Texas) High School caught the attention of several top-level NCAA universities. Thanks to his adoptive mother, Dickerson enrolled at Southern Methodist University.

Throughout his high school, college, and even his professional football career, Dickerson lived by the mantra, “Whatever you do, do with your might; things done by halves are never done right.” Doing things half-heartedly was never an option for the Texas-born superstar. He accomplished several incredible feats in his college career, including Unanimous All-American honors in 1982.

The Rams selected him second overall in the 1983 NFL draft.

Professional Football Career

Dickerson achieved immediate success in the professional league and he kept up the momentum to retire with statistics that place him among the NFL’s elite running backs.

Record-setting Dickerson

Of course, no one would expect a second overall pick to deliver below-par performances but Dickerson took the standards to the roof-top. He didn’t just merely meet expectations, he completely shattered them. He achieved a historic rookie season by recording the most rushing attempts, most rushing yards gained, and most touchdowns by a rookie. His exploits that season earned him a Pro Bowl selection, First-team All-Pro honors, and the Offensive Rookie Player of the Year award. He also finished second in the AP MVP voting.

But Dickerson wasn’t just about individual glory. He helped the Rams out of a two-year losing streak, and into the playoffs. In the wild card playoffs that season, Dickerson rushed for 99 yards and caught two passes for 11 yards. That was enough to send the Rams into the divisional playoffs but the superb combination of the Washington Redskins’ Joe Theismann and Art Monk proved impossible to defeat.

In his second season, he raised the bar even higher for himself, racing his way into the 2000-yard club. He broke O.J. Simpson’s record for most 100-rushing yard games, hitting the mark twelve times in 1984. By the end of the season, Dickerson had totaled 2,105 rushing yards—the most by any player in an NFL season. Dickerson’s efforts once again led the Rams to a winning season and a playoff berth.

Running the Show—in Style

Dickerson had trouble seeing clearly, forcing him to wear goggles. However, that didn’t limit him one bit. Instead, it made him look cooler. At 6’3 and 220 pounds, Dickerson was built like a power back but ran with the smoothness of a sprinter. Beyond his goggles, what was even way cooler about Dickerson was how he eased his way past defenders like they weren’t even there. It was so effortless that some even criticized him for looking like he wasn’t trying hard enough. Dickerson’s results did speak for him, however. He didn’t need to look physical, he was simply faster, smarter, and more fluid than anyone else on the field.

Then-Rams head coach John Robinson once called out Dickerson believing he was jogging during a play. The following game, Eric silenced any doubts with an 85-yard touchdown run against the New York Jets. As he returned to the sideline, Robinson admitted, “I guess you weren’t jogging.”

Dickerson continued his incredible 4-year run of form. Contract issues, a holdout, and a resulting slow start to the 1985 season weren’t even enough to stop him. He did lose his rushing yards title to  Marcus Allen in 1985 but still finished with impressive numbers. In the 1985 divisional playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys, Dickerson rushed for 248 yards, becoming the all-time rushing yards single-game playoffs leader. In 1986, Dickerson once again finished as the league’s leader in rushing yards—the third time in four years. He also earned the Offensive Player of the Year award that season.

Indianapolis Colts

Further contract disputes in 1987 shortened Dickerson’s time in Los Angeles. The Rams were set to trade him and the Colts were on hand with a mouth-watering offer. The blockbuster deal, completed midway through the 1987 season, sent Dickerson to Indianapolis in one of the biggest trades in NFL history, involving multiple teams, players, and draft picks.

However, changing teams didn’t change Dickerson. Despite playing in just nine games for the Colts, he finished with 1,011 rushing yards, scoring 5 touchdowns. The following season, Dickerson returned to the summit of the rushing yards leaderboard, becoming the first Colts to lead the league in rushing since Alan Ameche in 1955.

In the 1989 season, Dickerson reached another record-breaking career milestone. He became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards, accomplishing the feat in just 91 games. That season, he further cemented his dominance with seven straight seasons of rushing for over 1,000 yards. When Tony Dorsett retired, Dickerson took over as the NFL’s leading active rusher, a distinction he held until he hung up his cleats in 1993. At the time of his retirement, Dickerson’s career total of 13,259 rushing yards was the second-highest in NFL history.

Career Achievements

Legends like Allen used words such as “freak of nature” and “beautiful to watch” to describe Dickerson—and rightly so. A six-time Pro Bowler, Dickerson earned five All-Pro selections. Winning the UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year three times, he claimed the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1986.

Dickerson finished as the league’s leader in rushing yards four times and was the joint-rushing touchdowns leader in 1984. He is a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He is also an inductee of the St. Louis Football Ring of Fame and the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor.

Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Related Content: NFL HOF Spotlight: Warren Sapp