On This Date in Sports December 9, 1984: Big Dickerson
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
With 215 yards against the Houston Oilers, Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams becomes the second member of the NFL's 2,000-yard club. Dickerson breaks O.J. Simpson's record of 2,003 yards, which was set in 1973 with the Buffalo Bills. Eric Dickerson scores two touchdowns as the Rams beat the Oilers 27-16 at Anaheim Stadium. The Rams had one game remaining, with Dickerson rushing for 98 yards to finish the season with 2,105 rushing yards, which remains the record.
Eric Dickerson was born on September 2, 1960, in Sealy, Texas. Known for his goggles, due to an eye disorder, Dickerson became a star at SMU in a backfield that was nicknamed "Pony Express." He had originally committed to Texas A&M but changed his mind when he was given a Pontiac Trans Am by Ron Meyer. SMU would later get the "Death Penalty" for their transgressions. Meanwhile, Eric Dickerson finished third in Heisman voting behind Herschel Walker of Georgia and Stanford's John Elway in 1982.
Eric Dickerson was the second pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. After flirting with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, Dickerson signed with the Rams and became the face of the franchise. Dickerson had a rookie season for the ages. He led the NFL in rushing with 1,808 yards, setting a rookie record that stills stands. Eric Dickerson is one of the best draft classes in NFL history would emerge as the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
After his stellar rookie season, fans in Los Angeles were dreaming of the possibilities of a 2,000-yard season for Eric Dickerson. He started the season with 138 yards and one touchdown in a 20-13 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Following a 102-yard game against the Cleveland Browns, Dickerson was held under 100 yards in road games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. The next four games saw Eric Dickerson get back on track, with 100 yards in two games against the Atlanta Falcons and games against the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints. The highlight was 175 yards at the Superdome in a 28-10 win over the Saints.
Eric Dickerson had his worst game in Week 9, as he was held to 38 yards by the San Francisco 49ers as the Rams were shutout 33-0 at the Big A. The Rams dropped to 5-4 with the loss. A week later, Dickerson ran angry, with 208 yards as the Rams beat the St. Louis Cardinals 16-13 at Busch Stadium. Dickerson followed it up with 149 yards against the Chicago Bears in a showdown with Walter Payton, who set the career rushing mark earlier in the season. Dickerson also had two touchdowns as the Rams won the game 16-13.
Following a 132-yard game against the Green Bay Packers, in which the Rams suffered a stunning 33-6 loss in Milwaukee, Eric Dickerson approached 200 yards again. He finished the road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 192 yards with three scores as the Rams bounced back with a 34-33. After rushing for 149 yards against the Saints, Eric Dickerson had 1,792 yards on the season going into the final two games. When O.J. Simpson rushed for 2,000 yards in had been a 14-game season. The next two games would tell if Dickerson could be the first to rush for 2,000 yards in a 16-game season.
In the Rams' final home game of the season, they faced the Houston Oilers, who at 3-11 were one of the worst teams in NFL for coach Hugh Campbell. At 9-4, the Rams were closing in on the playoffs for coach John Robinson. It was a big day for Dickerson as he thrilled the crowd of 49,000. The Rams had the game locked up late when Vince Newsome intercepted Warren Moon. With the record in reach, Eric Dickerson had a nine-yard run to pass Simpson and finished the game with 2,007 yards after 215 yards on 27 carries, scoring two touchdowns.
Eric Dickerson would run for 98 yards as the Rams were defeated by the 49erds 19-16 in the final game of the season at Candlestick Park. He finished the year with 2,105 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Rams finished the season with a 10-6 record and hosted the Giants in the Wild Card, but suffered a 16-13 loss, despite 107 yards from Dickerson, who also had a costly fumble.
Since 1984, there have been five other members of the 2,000 club, with Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions rushing for 2,053 yards in 1997. Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos had 2,008 yards one year later. In 2003, Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens had 2,033 yards, while Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans became CJ2K with 2,006 yards in 2009. The last player to reach 2,000 was Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, who had 2,097 yards in 2012.