NFL Greatest Players

Eric Dickerson: You couldn't help but notice the glide, the way his feet seemed to hydroplane over a football surface like a speedboat barely touching water. Or the remarkable acceleration that shot Eric Dickerson through the slightest crack in an opponent's line.

He was instant offense, a touchdown waiting to happen. And he was one of the game's spectacular running backs over a sometimes-phenomenal 11-year NFL career.

The tall, muscular, good-looking former SMU star was easy to spot. Off the field, he was charismatic, the man you would notice in a crowded room. On the field, he looked like something out of Star Wars -- clear goggles, a facemask with four horizontal bars, a protective neck collar, extra reinforced shoulder pads, a flak jacket, elbow pads and tape covering his shoes.

The colorful yellow-and-blue Los Angeles Rams uniform and his explosive, upright running style were like exclamation points.

Dickerson became an NFL prodigy in 1983 when he posted record rookie numbers of 390 carries, 1,808 yards, 51 receptions and 20 touchdowns for the suddenly respectable Rams. It was the first of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons and a fitting appetizer for the spectacular 1984 performance that netted a season rushing record of 2,105 yards.

Opponents marveled at his long-striding burst, which allowed Dickerson to run around tacklers and avoid the Jim Brown-like punishment he openly disdained.

Dickerson's Rams career was cut short after three 1987 games by a contract dispute. A spectacular three-team, 10-player trade landed him in Indianapolis, where he continued to churn out big yardage for the lowly Colts.

Dickerson, who ended his career with one-year stops in Los Angeles (the Raiders) and Atlanta, never played on a championship team, but his impressive ledger included 13,259 rushing yards (third all-time), 2,137 receiving yards on 281 catches and six Pro Bowl appearances.