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.
--
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.
