Don Nottingham
Encyclopedia
Don Nottingham was an American football
running back
who played for the Baltimore Colts
and Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was affectionately referred to as 'The Human Bowling Ball' because of his short stature and wide girth.
in Ravenna, Ohio
and played college football
at nearby Kent State University
. He was a three-year letterman, and captained the team his senior year. He finished his college career with 2,515 yards on 602 carries. He also made the first-team All-Mid-American Conference
teams in 1969 and 1970.
by the Baltimore Colts, the next-to-the-last player picked. He spent two full years with the team, and was traded midway through the 1973 NFL season
to the Dolphins. He was part of the Dolphins team that won Super Bowl VIII
over the Minnesota Vikings
24-7. He spent the remainder of his career backing up Larry Csonka
and Mercury Morris
, although he got a large number of carries, and finished in the top ten of all running backs for rushing touchdown
s during the 1974
, 1975
, and 1976
seasons. He retired after the 1977 NFL season
, and finished his career with 2,496 yards and 34 touchdowns on 611 carries, as well as 67 catches for 502 yards. The Don Nottingham Cup is given to the top Kent State offensive player at the end of spring practice.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was affectionately referred to as 'The Human Bowling Ball' because of his short stature and wide girth.
Early career & college
He attended Ravenna High SchoolRavenna High School (Ohio)
Ravenna High School a public high school located in Ravenna, Ohio, USA. It is the only high school in the Ravenna School District and serves students primarily in Ravenna and Ravenna Township...
in Ravenna, Ohio
Ravenna, Ohio
* Chris Bangle; automobile designer* Bill Bower, last surviving pilot of the Doolittle Raid* David D. Busch; best-selling author* William Rufus Day; U.S. Supreme Court justice* Calvin Hampton; Classical organist* Robert B...
and played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at nearby Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. He was a three-year letterman, and captained the team his senior year. He finished his college career with 2,515 yards on 602 carries. He also made the first-team All-Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
teams in 1969 and 1970.
Pro career
Nottingham was drafted in the 17th round of the 1971 NFL DraftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Baltimore Colts, the next-to-the-last player picked. He spent two full years with the team, and was traded midway through the 1973 NFL season
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
to the Dolphins. He was part of the Dolphins team that won Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
over the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
24-7. He spent the remainder of his career backing up Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
and Mercury Morris
Mercury Morris
Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris , is a former American football player, nicknamed early on for his mercurial quickness when running with the ball. Morris was a running back and kick returner for 9 years, playing mostly for the Miami Dolphins...
, although he got a large number of carries, and finished in the top ten of all running backs for rushing touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s during the 1974
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
, 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, and 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
seasons. He retired after the 1977 NFL season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, and finished his career with 2,496 yards and 34 touchdowns on 611 carries, as well as 67 catches for 502 yards. The Don Nottingham Cup is given to the top Kent State offensive player at the end of spring practice.
Regular season
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||
| 1971 1971 NFL season The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins... |
Baltimore History of the Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls.... |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
14 | 95 | 388 | 5 | 15 | 88 | 0 | ||
| 1972 1972 NFL season The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:... |
Baltimore | NFL | 14 | 123 | 466 | 3 | 25 | 191 | 0 | ||
| 1973 1973 NFL season The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season... |
Bal/Mia Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
NFL | 14 | 52 | 252 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 1974 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings... |
Miami Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
NFL | 14 | 66 | 273 | 8 | 3 | 40 | 0 | ||
| 1975 1975 NFL season The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:... |
Miami | NFL | 14 | 168 | 718 | 12 | 9 | 66 | 0 | ||
| 1976 1976 NFL season The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... |
Miami | NFL | 14 | 63 | 185 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 1977 1977 NFL season The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central.... |
Miami | NFL | 14 | 44 | 214 | 2 | 8 | 58 | 0 | ||
| Regular season totals | 98 | 611 | 2496 | 34 | 67 | 502 | 0 | ||||