NFL: Ranking every MVP winner in league history based on pro career

Ranking every MVP winner in NFL history: 22. Marcus Allen

Stats: 

• 12,243 rushing yards
• 123 rushing touchdowns

We’ve come across a player who was great early on in his career but was extremely mediocre as the years went by.

The Los Angeles Raiders used an early draft pick, tenth overall, in 1982, to take Marcus Allen. After running all over defenses at USC, the Raiders believed he could do the same in the pros, they were right.

In only his first year in the league, Allen led the league in rushing touchdowns with 11. He then went on to have three consecutive seasons in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards. During the Raiders Super Bowl run in 1983, Allen rushed for 191 yards, two touchdowns and led his squad to the Lombardi.

Two years later, Allen added an MVP to his name. He went on to rush for 1,759 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also led the league in yards per game with 109.9. While it was clear that he was a great player, Allen was forced to give up almost half of his touches the following year once the Raiders drafted Bo Jackson.

Allen would never come close to rushing for a thousand yards but he did have several seasons in which he rushed past 800. Despite registering 11 straight seasons of less than a thousand yards, Allen still managed to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, mostly due to his longevity.