July 16, 2013

Rookie of the Year: Marcus Allen, 1982

Running Back, Los Angeles Raiders



Age: 22
College: Southern California
Height: 6’2”   Weight: 205

Prelude:
Allen was used primarily as a blocking fullback in his first two college seasons, but became the starting tailback as a junior with spectacular results. He won the 1981 Heisman Trophy, capping a season in which he rushed for 2427 yards and 22 touchdowns, and was chosen by the Raiders in the first round of the ’82 draft (10th overall).

1982 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 9 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 160 [6]
Most attempts, game - 25 (for 93 yds.) vs. LA Rams 12/18
Yards – 697 [4]
Most yards, game – 156 yards (on 24 carries) vs. Seattle 12/5
Average gain – 4.4 [7, tied with George Rogers]
TDs – 11 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 3

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 38 [12, tied with Wendell Tyler]
Most receptions, game – 8 (for 61 yds.) vs. LA Rams 12/18
Yards – 401
Most yards, game - 91 (on 5 catches) vs. Denver 12/26
Average gain – 10.6
TDs - 3

Passing
Pass attempts – 4
Pass completions – 1
Passing yardage – 47
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1098 [2]

Scoring
TDs – 14 [1]
Points – 84 [1]

Postseason: 2 G
Rushing attempts – 32
Most rushing attempts, game - 17 vs. Cleveland, AFC First Round playoff
Rushing yards – 108
Most rushing yards, game - 72 vs. Cleveland, AFC First Round playoff
Average gain rushing – 3.4
Rushing TDs – 3

Pass receptions – 12
Most pass receptions, game - 6 vs. Cleveland, AFC First Round playoff, vs. NY Jets, AFC Second Round playoff
Pass receiving yards - 112
Most pass receiving yards, game - 75 vs. Cleveland, AFC First Round playoff
Average yards per reception – 9.3
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Rookie of the Year: NEA, Sporting News
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-AFC: UPI
Pro Bowl

Raiders went 8-1 in strike-shortened season and were first seed in the AFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format. Won First Round playoff over Cleveland Browns (27-10). Lost Second Round playoff to New York Jets (17-14).

Aftermath:
Allen gained over a thousand yards rushing in each of the next three seasons, with a high of 1759 yards in 1985, which led the league along with his 2314 yards from scrimmage. He also was the MVP of the Super Bowl following the ’83 season, after rushing for 191 yards, and led the NFL with 18 touchdowns in 1984. Allen was a proficient receiver out of the backfield, catching a total of 237 passes in his first four seasons. He played for 16 years in the NFL, and went to the Pro Bowl six times, but after 1985 never again ran for a thousand yards or caught more than 51 passes. Bothered by injuries (and involved in disputes with owner Al Davis), Allen shared time with other running backs during the remainder of his career with the Raiders, most notably Bo Jackson. Signing with the Chiefs as a free agent in 1993 reinvigorated his career at age 33, and he led the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns. Allen retired in 1997 with 123 career touchdowns, as well as 12,243 rushing yards and 587 pass receptions for another 5412 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2003.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).