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Year-by-Year Longest Kick Returns Leaders
For some seasons (1960-1969 & 1947-1950) leaders for both leagues are shown.
| Year | Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active | Lng | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Allen Rossum (33) | 104 | SFO |
| 2007 | Ellis Hobbs (24) | 108 | NWE |
| 2006 | Justin Miller (22) | 103 | NYJ |
| 2005 | Jerome Mathis (22) | 99 | HOU |
| Chris Johnson (26) | 99 | STL | |
| Terrence McGee (25) | 99 | BUF | |
| 2004 | Terrence McGee (24) | 104 | BUF |
| 2003 | Dante Hall (25) | 100 | KAN |
| Rod Smart (26) | 100 | CAR | |
| Josh Scobey (24) | 100 | ARI | |
| 2002 | Reggie Swinton (27) | 100 | DAL |
| 2001 | Derrick Mason (27) | 101 | TEN |
| 2000 | Tony Horne (24) | 103 | STL |
| 1999 | Tony Horne (23) | 101 | STL |
| 1998 | Terry Fair (22) | 105 | DET |
| 1997 | Eric Guliford (28) | 102 | NOR |
| Eric Bieniemy (28) | 102 | CIN | |
| 1996 | Derrick Witherspoon (25) | 97 | PHI |
| Tamarick Vanover (22) | 97 | KAN | |
| Eric Moulds (23) | 97 | BUF | |
| 1995 | Tamarick Vanover (21) | 99 | KAN |
| 1994 | Mel J. Gray (33) | 102 | DET |
| 1993 | Tyrone Hughes (23) | 99 | NOR |
| 1992 | Jon Vaughn (22) | 100 | NWE |
| 1991 | Alexander Wright (24) | 102 | DAL |
| 1990 | Eric Metcalf (22) | 101 | CLE |
| 1989 | Joe P. Johnson (27) | 99 | WAS |
| Bobby Morse (24) | 99 | NOR | |
| 1988 | Stanford Jennings (26) | 98 | CIN |
| 1987 | Sylvester Stamps (26) | 97 | ATL |
| 1986 | Mel J. Gray (25) | 101 | NOR |
| 1985 | Willie Gault (25) | 99 | CHI |
| 1984 | Del Rodgers (24) | 97 | GNB |
| Bobby Humphery (23) | 97 | NYJ | |
| 1983 | Carl Roaches (30) | 97 | HOU |
| 1982 | Ricky Smith (22) | 98 | NWE |
| 1981 | Eddie Payton (30) | 99 | MIN |
| 1980 | James Owens (25) | 101 | SFO |
| 1979 | Roy Green (22) | 106 | STL |
| 1978 | Curtis Brown (24) | 102 | BUF |
| 1977 | Raymond Clayborn (22) | 101 | NWE |
| 1976 | Willie Shelby (23) | 97 | CIN |
| 1975 | Harold Hart (23) | 102 | OAK |
| 1974 | Larry Jones (23) | 102 | WAS |
| 1973 | Bob Gresham (25) | 103 | HOU |
| 1972 | Vic Washington (26) | 98 | SFO |
| 1971 | Travis Williams (25) | 105 | RAM |
| 1970 | Dave Hampton (23) | 101 | GNB |
| 1969 | Mercury Morris (22) | 105 | MIA |
| Don McCall (25) | 101 | PIT | |
| 1968 | Preston Pearson (23) | 102 | BAL |
| Max Anderson (23) | 100 | BUF | |
| 1967 | Noland Smith (24) | 106 | KAN |
| Carl Ward (23) | 104 | CLE | |
| Travis Williams (21) | 104 | GNB | |
| 1966 | Nemiah Wilson (23) | 100 | DEN |
| Goldie Sellers (24) | 100 | DEN | |
| Roy Shivers (25) | 94 | STL | |
| Dick Gordon (22) | 94 | CHI | |
| 1965 | Charley Warner (25) | 102 | BUF |
| Lance Rentzel (22) | 101 | MIN | |
| 1964 | Clarence Childs (26) | 100 | NYG |
| Ode Burrell (25) | 93 | HOU | |
| 1963 | Abe Woodson (29) | 103 | SFO |
| Dave Grayson (24) | 99 | KAN | |
| 1962 | Herb Adderley+ (23) | 103 | GNB |
| Keith Lincoln (23) | 103 | SDG | |
| 1961 | Timmy Brown (24) | 105 | PHI |
| Jon Arnett (26) | 105 | RAM | |
| Fred Brown (23) | 93 | BUF | |
| 1960 | Ken Hall (25) | 104 | HOU |
| Lenny Lyles (24) | 97 | SFO | |
| 1959 | Abe Woodson (25) | 105 | SFO |
| 1958 | Lenny Lyles (22) | 103 | BAL |
| 1957 | Jon Arnett (22) | 98 | RAM |
| 1956 | Al Carmichael (28) | 106 | GNB |
| 1955 | Al Carmichael (27) | 100 | GNB |
| 1954 | Bill Bowman (23) | 100 | DET |
| 1953 | Buddy Young (27) | 104 | BAL |
| 1952 | Ollie Matson+ (22) | 100 | CRD |
| 1951 | Emlen Tunnell+ (26) | 100 | NYG |
| 1950 | Russ Craft (31) | 103 | PHI |
| 1949 | Jack Salscheider (25) | 95 | NYG |
| Buddy Young (23) | 91 | NYY | |
| 1948 | Joe Scott (22) | 99 | NYG |
| Joe Perry+ (21) | 87 | SFO | |
| 1947 | Billy Hillenbrand (25) | 96 | BCL |
| Steve Van Buren+ (27) | 95 | PHI | |
| 1946 | Frank Seno (25) | 105 | CRD |
| Spec Sanders (28) | 103 | NYY | |
| 1945 | Steve Van Buren+ (25) | 98 | PHI |
| 1944 | Steve Van Buren+ (24) | 97 | PHI |
| 1943 | Ned Mathews (25) | 98 | DET |
| 1942 | Andy Uram (27) | 98 | GNB |
| 1941 | Billy Jefferson (23) | 101 | DET |