Gene Roberts (American football)
Encyclopedia
Eugene O. "Choo-Choo" Roberts (January 20, 1923July 6, 2009) was an American football
running back
for the New York Giants
of the National Football League
from 1947 to 1950. He set the NFL and the New York Giants single game rushing record with 218 yards on November 12, 1950 against the Chicago Cardinals
. The NFL record was broken by Thomas Wilson of the Los Angeles Rams
on December 16, 1956. The Giants single game rushing record stood for over 55 years, until it was broken by Tiki Barber
on December 17, 2005.
Roberts left the Giants in 1950 and began playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders
of the Canadian Football League
. In 1953 he led the CFL in scoring with 88 points, making him to date the only player to lead both the NFL and CFL in scoring during his career.
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...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National 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...
from 1947 to 1950. He set the NFL and the New York Giants single game rushing record with 218 yards on November 12, 1950 against the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The NFL record was broken by Thomas Wilson of the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on December 16, 1956. The Giants single game rushing record stood for over 55 years, until it was broken by Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
on December 17, 2005.
Roberts left the Giants in 1950 and began playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. In 1953 he led the CFL in scoring with 88 points, making him to date the only player to lead both the NFL and CFL in scoring during his career.
External links
- "A search for Choo-Choo Roberts reveals that he's still elusive"
- Mocs Legend Gene Roberts Passes
- Obituary from the July 7, 2009 Kansas City Star