DANCES ON AIR; DICKERSON FLOATING ON OVER TO JOIN NFL HALL OF FAME.Byline: John McClain Houston Chronicle In the City of Angels, Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson was heaven-sent for frustrated fans of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Rams. Picked second in the 1983 NFL draft The NFL Draft (officially the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting[1]) is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns, through seven rounds[2] behind quarterback John Elway John Albert Elway, Jr. (born June 28, 1960) played American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos from 1983 through 1998. Elway holds many college and professional records and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is the only , Dickerson was a sculpted sculpt v. sculpt·ed, sculpt·ing, sculpts v.tr. 1. To sculpture (an object). 2. To shape, mold, or fashion especially with artistry or precision: 6-foot-3, 218-pound running back from Southern Methodist. He was single, handsome, intelligent and talented. Dickerson was so cool his feet never touched the ground. As he became one of the greatest running backs in history, he moved with a style and elegance seldom seen Seldom Seen was a horse that competed at the highest levels of dressage with his rider, Lendon Gray.
abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga - like a ballerina in shoulder pads This article is about football protective equipment. For shoulder pads in fashion, see Shoulder pads (fashion). Shoulder pads are a piece of protective equipment used in American and Canadian football. . ``The first time I saw Eric run, I knew we were dealing with a different kind of cat,'' says former Rams offensive tackle Jackie Slater Jackie Ray Slater (born May 27, 1954, in Jackson, Mississippi) is a former American football offensive tackle who played his entire 20-year career with the Rams organization, playing 19 seasons for the Rams in Los Angeles (1976-1994) and one season for the St. Louis Rams in 1995. . ``We weren't dealing with a Ford - we were dealing with a Ferrari.'' Dickerson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio Canton is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Stark CountyGR6. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio and is situated on the Nimishillen Creek, approximately 24 miles (38 km) south of Akron[4] , today. Slater, who played 20 years for the Rams and is expected to be elected in 2001, will be Dickerson's presenter. ``We realized how special Eric was when he came to work every day,'' says Slater, who works as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports. ``He had so much God-given talent, but he never missed a practice. He became the centerpiece, the standard-bearer.'' These days, Dickerson smiles a lot and signs autographs for everyone who asks. Looking back on his playing days, he laughs and says: ``I had a God-given gift. Sometimes I'd watch film and amaze myself. I'd see me make a move and think, `Man, how'd I do that?' ``After my senior year at SMU SMU Southern Methodist University SMU Solid (Waste) Management Unit SMU Saint Mary's University (Halifax, Nova Scotia; Philippines) SMU Singapore Management University SMU Saint Mary's University of Minnesota , I began to realize I was a pretty good player. Before my first year with the Rams, I thought a real good season would be about 600 yards and eight or nine touchdowns. ``That first year was phenomenal. It didn't come easy, but it was just so natural. At times, my cuts were so crisp it was almost like I was doing a dance.'' During his first training camp, Dickerson and some other rookies went to Venice Beach. There he saw a crowd gathered around somebody, who just happened to be Magic Johnson “Earvin Johnson” redirects here. For the Milwaukee Bucks center, see Ervin Johnson. Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan), nicknamed Magic . ``After we walked away, I told the others that I wanted people to know me like they knew Magic,'' Dickerson said. ``That was one of my goals, that people in L.A. would know who Eric Dickerson was. ``I wanted to show the world my talent. I wanted people to see what kind of football player I was. I think I attained those goals.'' Dickerson helped turn coach John Robinson's Rams into a perennial playoff team. He rushed for a rookie-record 1,808 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. He obliterated o·blit·er·ate tr.v. o·blit·er·at·ed, o·blit·er·at·ing, o·blit·er·ates 1. To do away with completely so as to leave no trace. See Synonyms at abolish. 2. the so-called sophomore jinx jinx n. 1. A person or thing that is believed to bring bad luck. 2. A condition or period of bad luck that appears to have been caused by a specific person or thing. tr.v. by rushing for 2,105 yards and breaking O.J. Simpson's single-season record. In his first four seasons with the Rams, he averaged 1,742 yards rushing. That was the good part of his career with the Rams. The bad part revolved around Dickerson's contract and his squabbles with management. After his record-breaking season in 1984, Dickerson held out for 46 days and got a new contract. He signed an agreement not to try to renegotiate the new deal until it expired. After rushing for 1,821 yards in 1986, Dickerson wanted a new deal that would pay him like a quarterback. About Dickerson's contract problems, Slater said: ``It's easy to say Eric was getting some bad advice. He was young and impressionable, and he was dealing with some serious issues. His prime came right out of college. He wasn't making the money he thought he deserved compared to others around the league. ``At that point in Eric's career, he was the standard-bearer. Once he hit that zenith, he started competing against himself. On the field, he was rivaled by few. As far as his compensation package, he was rivaled by many.'' The Rams, who were one of the thriftier teams in the league at the time, traded Dickerson to the Colts on Oct. 31, 1987, as part of a three-way deal with Buffalo. He signed a new contract with the Colts, paying him $5.3 million over four years. ``Everybody thinks I pushed that trade, but I never did,'' he says. ``I was trying to get the Rams to pay me $1 million. I just wanted to be close to everybody else. I think I went from $200,000 to $600,000 ($682,000). ``John Robinson Several notable individuals have been named John Robinson: Politicians
``You know, I heard that I was money-hungry, but that's not true. I just wanted to be able to take care of my family in a way I thought they deserved - a way I saw other players be able to take care of their families. I didn't have to be a rich man. I wanted to be able to buy my mom a dress or a car.'' After he signed his new contract with the Colts, Dickerson bought his aunt a Cadillac, a house and a mink coat mink coat highly prized fur apparel; traditionally associated with wealthy ladies. [Western Culture: Misc.] See : Luxury . Colts coach Ron Meyer Ron Meyer (born February 17, 1941) is a former college and professional football coach. He is best known for being the head coach of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Meyer's head coaching career began at UNLV, where he coached from 1971 to 1975. , who recruited and coached Dickerson at SMU, called him on Halloween. ``I remember I was dressed in an Indian costume and going to a masquerade party when he called and asked me if I was ready to play for the Colts,'' Dickerson says. ``He told me the Rams had given them permission to talk to me. He wanted me to fly to Indianapolis because we had 24 hours to get it done. I took my costume off, went to Indianapolis and we got it done pretty fast. ``I thank the Colts for giving me an opportunity to play, but I never wanted to leave the Rams. I wanted to play for the Rams for the rest of my life.'' Dickerson rushed for 1,288 yards with the Rams and Colts in the strike-torn 1987 season. He compiled 1,659 and 1,311 yards in his next two seasons with Indianapolis. He played two more seasons with the Colts, one with the Raiders and one with the Falcons in 1993, his last season. ``I don't regret it,'' he says about not finishing his career with the Rams. ``I just don't think about it.'' Slater, however, speculates if Dickerson had remained with the Rams, he would have shattered Walter Payton's NFL career rushing record. Payton rushed for 16,726 yards, and Dickerson is third with 13,259. ``Without a doubt, Eric would be the all-time leading rusher had he stayed with us,'' Slater says. ``I played with Walter three years in college (Jackson State). He was a technical runner. He didn't have Eric's speed or acceleration. Walter also never had a line to rival ours.'' HALL OF FAME PROFILES ERIC DICKERSON Position: Running back Teams: L.A. Rams (1983-87), Indianapolis Colts Notable: Ran for an NFL-record 2,105 yards with the Rams in 1984. He stands third on the career rushing list with 13,259 yards, having rushed for more than 1,000 yards seven times. Was the No. 1 pick by the Rams and second player taken overall in 1983 draft. Named NFL Player of the Year The Associated Press (AP) designates two separate player of the year awards each year for players in the National Football League (NFL):
TOM MACK Position: Guard Teams: L.A. Rams (1966-78) Notable: Although he never made it to a Super Bowl, Mack was a frequent postseason player. He was selected to play in Pro Bowls 11 times in 13 years. One reason was his durability; he never missed a game because of injury. The No. 1 pick by the Rams in 1966 played in 184 straight games. OZZIE NEWSOME Position: Tight end Teams: Cleveland Browns (1978-90) Notable: Tops all NFL tight ends in career receptions. ``The Wizard of Oz'' went 150 games with at least one reception and totaled 662 catches for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns in his 13 seasons. A first-round pick out of Alabama, he had 89 catches in 1983 and again in 1984. Caught 50 or more passes six seasons. Did not fumble in last 557 carries. Had three or more receptions in 112 games. Played in three AFC (1) (Application Foundation Classes) A class library from Microsoft that provides an application framework and graphics, graphical user interface (GUI) and multimedia routines for Java programmers. title games and was a Pro Bowl choice in 1982, 1985 and 1986. BILL SHAW Position: Guard Teams: Buffalo Bills (1961-69) Notable: The driving force of the Bills' offensive unit that emphasized the run. Was proficient in pass and run blocking. Named first-team All-AFL 1962-66. Selected to play in eight AFL AFL: see American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. All-Star games. Named to pro football's All-Decade Team of the 1960s and All-Time AFL Team. The captain for eight seasons, played on the Bills' championship teams of 1964 and 1965. LAWRENCE TAYLOR Position: Linebacker Teams: New York Giants
Notable: A quick and athletic linebacker who redefined his position. Anchored the Giants defense in two Super Bowls wins (1987 and 1991). Named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 following a season in which he recorded a career-high 20.5 sacks. Was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. Selected to 10 Pro Bowls. Recorded 132.5 sacks, which doesn't include the 9.5 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn't official. Was selected to the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. CAPTION(S): 5 Photos, Box Photo: (1--Color) Former Rams running back Eric Dickerson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today. Paul Sancya/Associated Press (2) TOM MACK (3) OZZIE NEWSOME (4) BILL SHAW (5) LAWRENCE TAYLOR Box: HALL OF FAME PROFILE (See text) |
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