Friday, May 13, 2016

Earl Campbell < Herschel

Like Gale Sayers, Earl Campbell made the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a short but productive career. In eight years the Tyler Rose gained 10,213 all-purpose yards.

Herschel Walker gained almost 50% more yards than Campbell in his first eight years as a pro, out-gaining the Texan every season. Walker totaled 14,668 yards in his first eight years. After eight years Campbell was worn out. Herschel went on to gain another ten thousand yards.

If you only count his first eight years in the NFL, Herschel still out-gained Campbell by over 1,100 yards. Earl only out-gained Walker in three of their first eight NFL seasons.

Herschel’s NFL stats compare favorably with every other Hall-of-Famer as well. Add his three seasons in the USFL and Walker’s stats are greater than any other pro player. Yet Walker has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Walker never played in a Super Bowl. Does that hold him back? Earl Campbell never played in a Super Bowl, yet he made the hall. 

…EC..HW w/USFL.HW NFL
1. 01498  02301   01574
2. 01791  01867   01606
3. 01981  02878   02019
4. 01532  01574   01338
5. 00668  01606   01085
6. 01517  02019   01029
7. 00495  01338   01348
8. 00731  01085   01356
T. 10213  14668   11355

While researching these numbers I stumbled across a detailed analysis of the greatest yards from scrimmage seasons in history. As usual, Herschel’s greatest season was left off the list. Pro-rating Walker’s 1985 season to 16 games nearly equaled OJ Simpson’s record-setting 1975 season.


1975 2243 2563 OJ Simpson
1985 2878 2558 Herschel Walker
2009 2509 2509 Chris Johnson
1963 2131 2435 Jim Brown
1999 2429 2429 Marshall Faulk
1977 2121 2424 Walter Payton
2005 2390 2390 Tiki Barber
2003 2370 2370 LaDanian Tomlinson
1973 2073 2369 OJ Simpson
1997 2358 2358 Barry Sanders
2006 2334 2334 Steven Jackson
1983 2301 2045 Herschel Walker
1988 2019 2019 Herschel Walker
1980 1981 1981 Earl Campbell
2012 1694 1964 Calvin Johnson

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