On This Date in Sports December 22, 1985: Dual Threat
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Roger Craig of the San Francisco 49ers becomes the definitive dual threat out of the backfield, as he becomes the first player to 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards rushing in the same season. Craig came into the game near 1,000 in each category and had a monster game against the Dallas Cowboys. With 72 yards on the ground, Roger Craig finished with 1,050 yards while 50 yards through the air landed him at 1,016 yards as the Niners beat Dallas 31-16 at Candlestick Park.
Roger Craig was born on July 10, 1960, in Davenport, Iowa. A star in track and football, Roger Craig followed in the footsteps of his older brother Curtis, who played for Tom Osborne at Nebraska. Craig was a key piece in Osborne's I-Formation, helping the Huskers to rank among the best teams in the NCAA. In the 1982 NFL Draft, Roger Craig was picked in the second round with the 49th pick by the 49ers.
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Realizing Roger Craig's ability to catch passes out of the backfield, coach Bill Walsh began designing more screen passes, which helped take the 49ers' offense to another level. Craig topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two seasons. This included a big performance in Super Bowl XIX, in which he had 58 yards on the ground and 77 receiving yards, with three touchdowns as the Niners beat the Miami Dolphins 38-16.
Following the Super Bowl, Roger Craig was poised for superstardom. While the 49ers had their early-season struggles dealing with a Super Bowl hangover, Craig was a consistent performer. This included a three-touchdown game in a 28-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings to open the season.
Heading into the final game, the Niners, sitting at 9-6, needed a win over the Cowboys to get a Wild Card spot. Roger Craig had 972 rushing yards on the season and 966 receiving yards; a big day would mean history for the high stepping running back. The Cowboys dominated the game early, building a 13-0 lead. However, once the Niners got rolling, they steamrolled Dallas, outscoring the Cowboys 21-0 in the second half. As the Niners recorded a 31-16 win, Roger Craig was leading the way, rushing for 72 on 13 carries while catching five passes for 50 yards, scoring one touchdown. Craig's touchdown in the third quarter gave San Francisco the lead for good.
Roger Craig would make his first Pro Bowl roster in 1985. He would make the Pro Bowl three more times in his career. This included 1988 when he was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. That season he had a career-high 1,506 yards on the ground and had 2,036 yards from scrimmage. Only two other players have repeated the 1,000-1,000 feat that Roger Craig accomplished in 1985. The first was Marshall Faulk with the St. Louis Rams in 1999 and Christian McCaffery of the Carolina Panthers in 2019.