May 9, 2014

MVP Profile: Chuck Foreman, 1974

Fullback, Minnesota Vikings



Age: 24 (Oct. 26)
2nd season in pro football & with Vikings
College: Miami (FL)
Height: 6’2”   Weight: 207

Prelude:
Seeking an upgrade at running back, the Vikings took Foreman in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft (12th overall). In college, he had played in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver as well as running back and excelled, setting school records for total yards, scoring, touchdowns, and kickoff return yards. As a rookie in ’73, he rushed for 801 yards on 182 carries, caught 37 passes for 362 more yards, and received Rookie of the Year as well as Pro Bowl honors.

1974 Season Summary
Appeared in 13 of 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 199 [10]
Most attempts, game – 23 (for 72 yds.) at Dallas 10/6
Yards – 777 [11]
Most yards, game – 83 yards (on 13 carries) at Detroit 9/22
Average gain – 3.9
TDs – 9 [3, tied with Sam Cunningham, Larry Csonka & Otis Armstrong]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 53 [8] 
Most receptions, game – 9 (for 88 yds.) at LA Rams 11/24
Yards – 586 [18]
Most yards, game – 131 (on 5 catches) at Dallas 10/6
Average gain – 11.1
TDs – 6 [6, tied with five others]
100-yard receiving games – 1

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 30
Average – 30.0
TDs – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1393 [9]

Scoring
TDs – 15 [1]
Points – 90 [4, tied with John Smith]

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 57
Most rushing attempts, game - 23 vs. St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff
Rushing yards – 212
Most rushing yards, game - 114 vs. St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff
Average gain rushing – 3.7
Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 10
Most pass receptions, game - 5 vs. St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff; vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 104
Most pass receiving yards, game – 54 vs. St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff
Average yards per reception – 10.4
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFC Player of the Year: Sporting News
2nd team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA
1st team All-NFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Vikings went 10-4 to finish first in the NFC Central. Won NFC Divisional playoff over St. Louis Cardinals (30-14) and NFC Championship over Los Angeles Rams (14-10). Lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers (16-6).

Aftermath:
Foreman was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons and received first- or second-team All-NFL honors every year from 1974 to ’77. Outstanding as a receiver out of the backfield as well as a ball carrier, Foreman totaled over a thousand yards from scrimmage in each of his first six years and had over a thousand yards in rushing alone for three straight seasons (1975-77). He led the NFL in pass receptions (73) and NFC in touchdowns (22) in 1975, and was league leader in TDs again in ‘76. His productivity dropped significantly after 1977 and he finished his career with the New England Patriots in 1980. Overall, Foreman rushed for 5950 yards on 1556 carries (3.8 avg.), caught 350 passes for 3156 more yards, and scored a total of 76 TDs. 

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

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