Top 25 NFL running backs whose careers were derailed too early
. 5,986 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns. Atlanta Falcons. William Andrews. 18. player. 44
When healthy, Andrews was one of the most feared running backs in the NFL, because of his brutally physical running style, but injuries took a brutal toll on his career.
Andrews burst onto the scene, rushing for 1,023 yards as a rookie after being chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft, including a 167-yard outburst in his professional debut.
He went on to rush for over 1,300 yards in each of his next two seasons while rushing for 17 touchdowns over that span. Following the strike-shortened 1982 season, when he finished second in total yards from scrimmage, Andrews bounced back with a career-high 1,567 yards and seven touchdowns in 1983.
Then, disaster struck.
Andrews suffered a debilitating knee injury that kept him out of action for two full seasons. He’d only play one more season, in part-time duty for the Falcons, rushing for just 214 yards and one touchdown.
Given that Andrews averaged 1,282 rushing yards in his first four and a half seasons, if he were to have stayed healthy and been able to be fully productive for an average running back’s career, he might be significantly higher on the all-time rushing list and regarded as one of the game’s greatest.
- Career stats: 1,315 carries for 5,986 yards and 30 touchdowns, 277 receptions for 2,647 yards and 11 touchdowns
- 1983 First-team All-Pro
- Two-time second-team All-P
- Four-time Pro Bowler