John Riggins Bio - Biography

Name John Riggins
Height
Naionality American
Date of Birth August 4, 1949
Place of Birth Seneca, Kansas
Famous for
Known by Redskins fans as "the Diesel" and "Riggo", Riggins was a classic workhorse running back. What set him apart from many other workhorse backs is that he also had excellent speed.

Riggins attended Centralia High School in Centralia, Kansas, which is now located at 507 John Riggins Avenue, where he was a two time state champion in the 100-yard dash (9.6 seconds). Educated at the University of Kansas, he broke Gale Sayers's career rushing record for the school and led the Jayhawks to the Big 8 conference championship in 1968, KU's last championship in football (through the 2007 season).

He was the first-round draft pick for the New York Jets in the 1971 draft. He spent five years with the Jets, and became the Jets' MVP in 1972 and 1975. In that 1975 season, he made his only appearance in the Pro Bowl, and was the first Jet to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season (1,005). He eventually signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins in 1976. He remained with Washington until retiring in 1985. He holds NFL records for a Caucasian player with 11,352 rushing yards, 2,916 attempts, 104 rushing TDs, and 116 total TDs.

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