Terry Metcalf
Encyclopedia
Terrance Randolph Metcalf (born September 24, 1951 in Seattle, Washington
, USA
) is a former professional American football
running back
who played six total seasons in the National Football League
, five of them with the St. Louis Cardinals
, and one with the Washington Redskins
. He attended Long Beach State University. He is the father of former NFL wide receiver
and kick returner
Eric Metcalf
.
Metcalf finished his career with 3,489 rushing yards, 245 receptions for 2,457 yards, 936 punt return yards, and 3,087 yards returning kickoffs. He also scored 36 touchdowns (24 rushing, 9 receiving, 1 punt return, 2 kickoff returns). He holds the record for most games with 250+ all purpose yards: 7.
In the 14-game 1975 season
, he set a then-NFL record for combined yards with 2,462. This feat has since been eclipsed during the 16-game era, Lionel James
of the San Diego Chargers
being the first to do so in 1985
. James' head coach
was Don Coryell
, who also coached Metcalf during his record-setting season. He also became the first player in NFL history to average at least 30 yards per kick return and 10 yards per punt return in the same season. Joshua Cribbs
of the Cleveland Browns
became the second in 2007
.
He also played 3 full seasons in the Canadian Football League
with the Toronto Argonauts
. In 1978 he rushed 169 times for 669 yards, and caught 31 passes. In 1979 he carried the ball 141 times for 691 yards and caught 55 passes, and in his final year, 1980, he rushed for 540 yards and caught 51 passes. While he was a division all star in 1979, his rushing average is below the 5 yards per carry expected by a good running back in the CFL
(with its three down game) and his performance in Toronto
was seen as underwhelming.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is a former professional American football
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 six total seasons in 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...
, five of them with the St. Louis 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...
, and one with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He attended Long Beach State University. He is the father of former NFL wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
Eric Metcalf
Eric Metcalf
Eric Quinn Metcalf is a former American football running back and wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Browns, Falcons, Chargers, Cardinals, Panthers, Redskins and Packers...
.
Metcalf finished his career with 3,489 rushing yards, 245 receptions for 2,457 yards, 936 punt return yards, and 3,087 yards returning kickoffs. He also scored 36 touchdowns (24 rushing, 9 receiving, 1 punt return, 2 kickoff returns). He holds the record for most games with 250+ all purpose yards: 7.
In the 14-game 1975 season
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:...
, he set a then-NFL record for combined yards with 2,462. This feat has since been eclipsed during the 16-game era, Lionel James
Lionel James
Lionel 'Little Train' James , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Undersized at 5'6" and 171 lbs., James played running back at Auburn University where he shared the backfield with Bo Jackson...
of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
being the first to do so in 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
. James' head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
was Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
, who also coached Metcalf during his record-setting season. He also became the first player in NFL history to average at least 30 yards per kick return and 10 yards per punt return in the same season. Joshua Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs
Joshua "Josh" Cribbs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played collegiately for Kent State University. He holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns...
of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
became the second in 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
.
He also played 3 full seasons in 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....
with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. In 1978 he rushed 169 times for 669 yards, and caught 31 passes. In 1979 he carried the ball 141 times for 691 yards and caught 55 passes, and in his final year, 1980, he rushed for 540 yards and caught 51 passes. While he was a division all star in 1979, his rushing average is below the 5 yards per carry expected by a good running back in the CFL
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....
(with its three down game) and his performance in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
was seen as underwhelming.