Sports Reference Blog
PFR: HoF Candidate – Roger Craig
Posted by Neil on December 13, 2011
Roger Craig
Roger Timothy Craig
Position: RB
Height: 6-0 Weight: 222 lbs.
Born: July 10, 1960 in Davenport, IA
College: Nebraska (school history)
Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2nd round (49th overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 93 (211th overall since 1950)
4-time Pro Bowler & 1-time First-Team All-Pro (fine print)
Hall of Fame finalist in 2010, semi-finalist in 2009
Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
1983 | 23 | SFO | FB | 33 | 16 | 13 | 176 | 725 | 8 | 71 | 4.1 | 45.3 | 11.0 | 48 | 427 | 8.9 | 4 | 23 | 3.0 | 26.7 | 1152 | 12 | 6 | 10 |
1984 | 24 | SFO | FB | 33 | 16 | 16 | 155 | 649 | 7 | 28 | 4.2 | 40.6 | 9.7 | 71 | 675 | 9.5 | 3 | 64 | 4.4 | 42.2 | 1324 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
1985* | 25 | SFO | FB | 33 | 16 | 16 | 214 | 1050 | 9 | 62 | 4.9 | 65.6 | 13.4 | 92 | 1016 | 11.0 | 6 | 73 | 5.8 | 63.5 | 2066 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
1986 | 26 | SFO | FB | 33 | 16 | 15 | 204 | 830 | 7 | 25 | 4.1 | 51.9 | 12.8 | 81 | 624 | 7.7 | 0 | 48 | 5.1 | 39.0 | 1454 | 7 | 4 | 10 |
1987* | 27 | SFO | RB/fb | 33 | 14 | 14 | 215 | 815 | 3 | 25 | 3.8 | 58.2 | 15.4 | 66 | 492 | 7.5 | 1 | 35 | 4.7 | 35.1 | 1307 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
1988*+ | 28 | SFO | RB | 33 | 16 | 15 | 310 | 1502 | 9 | 46 | 4.8 | 93.9 | 19.4 | 76 | 534 | 7.0 | 1 | 22 | 4.8 | 33.4 | 2036 | 10 | 8 | 17 |
1989* | 29 | SFO | RB | 33 | 16 | 16 | 271 | 1054 | 6 | 27 | 3.9 | 65.9 | 16.9 | 49 | 473 | 9.7 | 1 | 44 | 3.1 | 29.6 | 1527 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
1990 | 30 | SFO | RB | 33 | 11 | 11 | 141 | 439 | 1 | 26 | 3.1 | 39.9 | 12.8 | 25 | 201 | 8.0 | 0 | 31 | 2.3 | 18.3 | 640 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
1991 | 31 | RAI | RB | 22 | 15 | 13 | 162 | 590 | 1 | 15 | 3.6 | 39.3 | 10.8 | 17 | 136 | 8.0 | 0 | 20 | 1.1 | 9.1 | 726 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
1992 | 32 | MIN | 33 | 15 | 1 | 105 | 416 | 4 | 21 | 4.0 | 27.7 | 7.0 | 22 | 164 | 7.5 | 0 | 22 | 1.5 | 10.9 | 580 | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
1993 | 33 | MIN | 33 | 14 | 3 | 38 | 119 | 1 | 11 | 3.1 | 8.5 | 2.7 | 19 | 169 | 8.9 | 1 | 31 | 1.4 | 12.1 | 288 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
Career | 165 | 133 | 1991 | 8189 | 56 | 71 | 4.1 | 49.6 | 12.1 | 566 | 4911 | 8.7 | 17 | 73 | 3.4 | 29.8 | 13100 | 73 | 42 | 113 | ||||
8 yrs | SFO | 121 | 116 | 1686 | 7064 | 50 | 71 | 4.2 | 58.4 | 13.9 | 508 | 4442 | 8.7 | 16 | 73 | 4.2 | 36.7 | 11506 | 66 | 37 | 100 | |||
2 yrs | MIN | 29 | 4 | 143 | 535 | 5 | 21 | 3.7 | 18.4 | 4.9 | 41 | 333 | 8.1 | 1 | 31 | 1.4 | 11.5 | 868 | 6 | 3 | 7 | |||
1 yr | RAI | 15 | 13 | 162 | 590 | 1 | 15 | 3.6 | 39.3 | 10.8 | 17 | 136 | 8.0 | 0 | 20 | 1.1 | 9.1 | 726 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Not to be confused with the Roger Craig who was in San Francisco 1985-92.
Craig was a fine player who deserves a good look at the hall, but his chances are much enhanced due to the fact he played for the 49ers. He was only a first-team all-pro once and his career declined quickly after he departed San Francisco. Its hard to hold him out with two 2,000+ total yards seasons as a RB, but I would not give him a vote.
Roger Craig was a very good player. I do think the amount 1, 0000 he had was caused by the fact he shared carries with Wendell Tyler, and Joe Cribbs.
I don't think he is a hall of fame player though. Roger was the premier all purpose back from 1985 to 1989, but he was not the premier back of his era. Eric Dickerson was best back of that time period. If Roger didn't share the carries, he would have had a stronger case for going to Canton because he could have had 3 or 4 2,000 yard all purposed years by rushing and receiving. That would have been enough for going to canton.
Roger does have a very good excuse why his career declined quickly after leaving the 49ers. Roger Craig already was declining by the time he left the 49ers. It was by injuries he had in 1990 besides being 30 years old. Running backs usually decline by the time they hit 30 although there had been exceptions. Running back primes are short because of the amount carries they get in a season
i say no. i always think of him as a reciever who ran the ball. great player but them last 3 years shows he was wearing down and duribility means alot in my estimation. rathman,tyler,and cribbs took alot of tough carries from craig.
I'll give him a very slight yes. He's marginal, but versatile.
No. He belongs in the hall of very good. He was an 80's back, and when you think 80's backs he doesn't belong in the discussion with Payton, Dickerson, Dorsett, or even Marcus Allen.
I love Roger Craig, he was a helluva football player, but I'm sorry, he's not a Hall of Famer.
He had a good career and was a football player but he was not dominant as a running back over a long period of time! He is not someone that merits a Hall of Fame player even though he had his flashes! He is one of my favorite players on the 49ers though in what was one of the best teams in the 80's though!
If he didn't have the 1k-1k season, he wouldn't even be in the discussion. As a runner, he was just a guy, playing in a system that made him look like a player. As a receiving back, he was a player who Montana made look like a star.
Even that big season was a bit of a fluke: Jerry wasn't yet Jerry, Dwight was pretty much at the end, and given how much time Joe had to throw the ball, somebody had to end up with the receptions.
Roger Craig is not a Hall of Famer because he did not maintain a level of greatness over a long period of time. He had some phenomenal seasons in 1985 and 1988 - but as a Running Back and only having three 1000 yard seasons, the only reason he gets past the semi-finalist list is because he played for the 49ers and won 3 Super Bowl rings and 556 receptions.
There is a long list of offensive players with Super Bowl rings and impressive resumes who have stronger cases to get in, including (but not limited to): Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, Corey Dillon, Cliff Branch, Ken Stabler, Phil Simms, Issac Bruce, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne - and that is just the "skill position" players. Alan Faneca, Johnathon Ogden, Orlando Pace and Larry Allen.
He ranks #37 on the All-Time List (although at the time of his retirement he actually ranked #12 - which was Hall of Fame worthy). But since 25 RBs have passed him up since his retirement - in particular Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis, LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk all cracked the top 10 All Time Rushing list.
Roger Craig was a great player for the 49ers - a key contributor to a dynasty. But being part of a Dynasty with 2 outstanding seasons and a career of solid but not consistently good contributions is not enough to warrant a bust in Canton.
I think he could get in in a weak year, but he's certainly not a perfect candidate, and I doubt he'll ever make it. Very good player,though.
Roger Craig, aside from his 1000-1000 season and his 1500+ yard season in 1988 was a pedestrian running back at best. He never maintained his peak level for a long period of time.
Easy no, for reasons already covered in the comments above.
Roger Craig is NOT a HoF'er!!
As a Running Back his numbers are nothing special. Three seasons over 1000 yds? Please! To get a 1000 yds in a 16 game season, you need only 65/game. Thats nothing. Plus he never averaged over 5.0 yds/carry in any season. Craigs 1502 season is the only one that stands out, and one is not nearly enough. There is a reason why, despite being older and more experienced, he was demoted at Nebraska by Osborne to make room for Rozier. I put him in the "right-place-right-time" category that goes with many of the 49ers from the 80s. Craigs receiving numbers are impressive, until you realize most of those catches were screens or in the flat where he was essentially uncovered.
Walsh and Rice are the only HoF'ers from those 80s teams. And of course, Walsh stole everything from Paul Brown, and one could argue he doesnt belong either.
Ronnie Lott was not a player that belong in the "right-place-right-time category" unlike what the poster above indicated. Ronnie Lott actually is one of those players that would have fit in any era in the NFL and become a legend in any era. Ronnie Lott was great in pass coverage, great tackler, and is really the complete package as a Defensive back.
I'm sure Xogo was forgetting Lott, who is clearly deserving of his place in the HOF.
Xogo is clearly a student of the game. Few people are aware of how Paul Brown created the West Coast offense, and that Walsh stole it from him, and generally made no contributions to the game of football himself whatsoever.
Oh wait....
Only Rice is deserving?
Not Joe Montana? Are you out of your mind?
I am a Cowboy fan, and to suggest that Joe Montana's greatness is because he was in the "right place at the right time" is sheer lunacy. Was that feathery throw to Clark done with smoke and mirrors? Were his 11 touchdown passes and ZERO interceptions in the Super Bowl simply a matter of luck?
A great scheme like the West Coast Offense or the 46 Defense can only get you so far. You need talent to execute that scheme to its highest level of efficiency - and Montana did that to tune of four championship rings.
To prove the idiocy of your post look at it this way: Imagine the kind of quarterback it would take exceed Montana's accomplishment. That is, a quarterback who could win 5 Super Bowls in a decade. Obviously it would take a cinch Hall of Famer to accomplish that. Which is exactly what Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw are.
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Craig should be in the HOF
I would personally vote for him, because he helped define what a RB could be in the modern (WCO) game. Not only good hands out of the backfield, but could line up on the LOS as a receiver and run actual routes. He was one hell of a blocker as well (came into the league as a fullback, made the pro-bowl as both a fullback and halfback, only player ever to do so).
He was a league MVP, led the league in receptions by a back for 6 straight years, could change a game with one carry or catch, and was one of the best at selling the play action fake.
Throw in some great post-season performances, where he was at his best was the SB's. 135 total yards and 3 scores in his first one (set records), 172 total yards in his 2nd, and 103 total yards and a score in his 3rd SB.
Cris Carter has 300 career reg and post-season yards on Craig (in 5 more seasons), and no rings. Only Dickerson, Marcus Allen, and Walter Payton had more yards in the 80's out of every single back, TE, and WR that played in that decade.