San Diego Chargers: Top 10 Running Backs of All-Time
10). Rod Bernstine, 1987-1992
Bernstine is potentially one of the lesser known of the San Diego Chargers running backs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he was one of the 10 best. Bernstine is listed as a tight end-running back combination which makes sense since he played at a huge 6’3”, 238-pound size and caught 65 passes for 710 yards and five touchdowns during his senior season at Texas A&M.
He was then drafted in the first round by the Bolts as the 24th overall pick in 1987. We didn’t really see Bernstine’s rushing abilities until 1989 when he went for 137 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (9.1 yards per carry). In the next seasons, Bernstine would increase his rushing totals to his current career marks at 2,007 yards (12th), 17 touchdowns (t-ninth), 407 carries (16th) and a 31.9 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry averages.
The reason why Bernstine is in the top 10, despite being a tight end and not having top-10 numbers, is because of efficiency. 4.9 yards per carry is a special statistic that not many people can appreciate in this day and age. His three straight seasons of over 4.7 yards per carry earned him a top spot in the league in yards per carry as his 4.8 yards per carry average in 1991 was ranked second most in the league.
Had Bernstine been the primary back in the Chargers offense, who knows what type of production we would have seen from him. It is no mystery why the Broncos took a chance on Bernie considering his great performances in San Diego. Injury-worn, Bernstine is yet another example of what injuries can do to a great career.
Next: Number 9: Post-ed Up