John Riggins
Encyclopedia
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", (born August 4, 1949) is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the New York Jets
and Washington Redskins
. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1992.
and attended Centralia High School in Centralia, Kansas
. While there, he was a three-sport athlete, earning high school All-America
n recognition in football, all-state honors in basketball and twice winning the Class B 100-yard dash
state title.
Riggins' high school is now located on John Riggins Avenue, which runs through a main part of Centralia.
at the University of Kansas
for the Jayhawks
, where he was an All-America
n and two-time All-Big Eight Conference
first-team selection. Riggins led the Jayhawks to a Big Eight Conference
championship win in 1968. The team then went to the 1969 Orange Bowl, which they lost to Pennsylvania State University
, 15-14.
During his senior season in 1970, Riggins rushed for 1,131 yards and scored a then school-record 14 touchdowns. He finished his career with 2,659 rushing yards, which broke Gale Sayers
's career rushing record for the school (now ranked fifth for Kansas' all-time rushing leaders and 14th for total yards).
While at Kansas, Riggins majored in journalism.
in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft
by the New York Jets
and as a rookie he became the first Jet to lead the team in both rushing and receiving. On October 15, 1972, the Jets set a team-record of 333 rushing yards against the New England Patriots
, beating them 41-13. Riggins, who had 168 yards, and Emerson Boozer
, who had 150 yards, became the only running back
tandem in franchise history who both rushed for 150 yards in a game. Although he missed the final two games in 1972 because of knee surgery, Riggins rushed for 944 yards, four yards less than Matt Snell
's franchise record.
Riggins was among the top ten rushers in the American Football Conference
in 1974
despite missing four games with a shoulder injury. After only four years with the Jets, he was already the fourth leading rusher in team history with 2,875 yards. In 1975
, Riggins became the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season. On December 21, 1975, he ran for 121 yards against the Dallas Cowboys
, which was his fifth consecutive 100 yard game and gave him 1,005 for the season. In what turned out to be his last season with the Jets, Riggins made his only appearance in the Pro Bowl
.
Riggins was named the Jets' MVP (now known as the Martin Award) in 1972
and 1975
.
, Riggins signed as a free agent
with the Washington Redskins
, who offered him a four-year, $1.5 million contract, compared to the $75,000 he earned in his final year with the Jets. He was used mostly in short-yardage situations in his first season with Washington and missed much of the 1977 season
with a knee injury. However, he gained more than 1,000 yards each of the next two seasons and was a major part of the Redskins' offense.
and didn't rejoin the Redskins until 1981
, when new Washington head coach Joe Gibbs
traveled to Kansas to make a peace offering.
"He had a camouflage
outfit on", Gibbs recalled.
Riggins's return also came at the suggestion of Ed Garvey
, who was the executive director of the NFL Players Association.
Eleven months after he left, Riggins returned to training camp in 1981 with a new contract, telling the media "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."
Upon Riggins' return in 1981
, he managed just 714 rushing yards but scored 13 touchdowns.
During the strike-shortened 1982 season
, Riggins gained 553 yards. He was much more successful during the playoffs
, during which he gained 444 yards in victories over the Detroit Lions
, Minnesota Vikings
(where he had a franchise playoff record 185 yards), and Dallas Cowboys
, and helped the Redskins reach Super Bowl XVII
. Riggins rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards on 38 carries as the Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins
27–17. He was then named Super Bowl MVP.
A play that was designed for gaining short yardage called "70 chip" turned out to be the key play of the game. With 10 minutes remaining, Riggins took a handoff on 4th-and-inches, broke an attempted tackle by Dolphin cornerback
Don McNeal
and ran for a 43 yard touchdown. The Super Bowl win was the Redskins' first championship victory since 1942
. Riggins' total of 610 yards amounted to 43 percent of Washington's offense in the four playoff games. His four consecutive playoff games with over 100 yards was an NFL postseason record. On December 6, 2007, Riggins' run was voted by fans as the Redskins' Greatest Moment.
The 610 rushing yards and 625 yards from scrimmage he gained in the 1982 playoffs are both single NFL postseason records.
In 1983
, Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards, scored a then-NFL record 24 touchdowns, won the Bert Bell Award
, and was named All-Pro for the first time in his career. Riggins went on to have another outstanding postseason, rushing for 242 yards and two touchdowns in their two playoff games, extending his NFL record of postseason games with at least 100 rushing yards to six. He then rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' 38-9 Super Bowl XVIII loss against the Los Angeles Raiders
.
Two other career milestones happened in 1983 for Riggins. On November 20, 1983, he set an NFL record by scoring in his 12th consecutive game during a 42–20 win over the Los Angeles Rams
. His record would end at 13 consecutive games the following week. Then on December 17, 1983, Mark Moseley
set an NFL kicking record by scoring 161 points in a season, which also made him the league leader in scoring that season. Riggins, who scored 144 points, was second on the season scoring list. This was the first time since 1951
that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team.
Riggins gained 1,239 in 1984
and tied for the league lead in rushing TDs (14), despite a bad back. In 1985
, he rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his last four starts before being replaced by George Rogers
as the starter. He retired after that season.
Riggins played 175 games in 14 seasons, had 13,442 total yards (11,352 rushing and 2,090 receiving) and 116 total touchdowns (104 rushing and 12 receiving). Riggins rushed over 1,000 yards five times in his career and over 100 yards in 35 games, including a then-record six in post-season. He rushed 251 times for 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine post-season contests. He was the second player ever to rush for over 100 touchdowns in NFL history, and the first to do it since Jim Brown
reached the milestone in 1965
.
productions of the plays Gillette and A Midsummer Night's Dream
(in which he played Bottom
). His television credits include Guiding Light
, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
and One Tree Hill
.
Riggins' acting career began at Centralia High when a teacher cast him as the lead role in his junior play. His career as a professional actor started in 1992 when he appeared in "Illegal Motion" in a Maryland (The Olney Theatre) theater.
He starred as the beleaguered head football coach accused of inappropriate recruiting practices. US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
attended his opening night where she presented him with a dozen roses, and letting him know that she always admired his character notwithstanding the "loosen up, Sandy baby" comment he made to her years before at a formal Washington DC dinner party, where "Riggo" fell asleep (really, passed out after having too much to drink) under the table during a presidential speech.
and charged with driving while intoxicated. He was taken to the Arlington County jail - brought before Virginia Magistrate Daniel J Aragona - arraigned and released later that day. He was also charged by police for refusing to take a breath or blood test following his arrest and spent several hours in the Arlington County jail before being released on $750 bond.
and radio
.
In 1998
, John and Chris Russo
hosted Riggins and Russo on Sundays during the football season. The show was aired on WCBS-TV
in New York City
, focusing primarily on the Jets
' and Giants
' upcoming games.
Since 2006
, Riggins has served as color commentator
on Westwood One
for the network's weekly national radio broadcast of Sunday Night Football
.
On July 18, 2006, Triple X ESPN Radio was launched with Riggins hosting The John Riggins Show. Riggins could be heard in the Washington, D.C.
area weekdays from 4-7pm on 94.3 FM, 92.7 FM & 730 AM, WXGI
950 AM in Richmond, Virginia
and WXTG-FM
102.1 FM in Virginia Beach, Virginia
and WXTG (AM)
1490 in Hampton, Virginia
. The last show of the series aired on its second anniversary, July 18, 2008. With the merger of Triple X into WTEM
to form ESPN 980, Riggins' afternoon show was replaced by WTEM's afternoon drive show, The Sports Reporters. Riggins stayed with ESPN 980 as a commentator at large.
On January 3, 2008, Riggins co-hosted the 74th Orange Bowl
pre-game show. That same night, the Kansas Jayhawks
defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies
24–21. It came 39 years after Riggins and the Jayhawks last played in the game in 1969. He offered congratulations to his Alma Mater in his closing comments, saying "The KU ship's been out at sea since '48. It finally came to port tonight!"
In September 2008 it was announced that Riggins would co-host the program "Sirius Blitz" with Adam Schein on Satellite Radio Stations Sirius 124 and XM 105. Following his involvement with "Sirius Blitz" Riggins began hosting his own show, The John Riggins Show, which simulcasts on television and radio on MASN-TV and WTOP-HD3, which airs each weekday afternoon. Riggins has been critical on his radio shows of the current management of the Washington Redskins under owner Dan Snyder.
Previously, he had been a panelist on Redskins Report until that show was canceled in December 2008 due to budget cuts.
were inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame. As Riggins' name was called, he ran onto the field in full Redskins uniform, including pads, and was received by the crowd at RFK Stadium with thunderous applause. Riggins later explained that he "just had to hear[ the roar of the crowd] one more time".
In 1992 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
On October 13, 2007, Riggins was inducted into the University of Kansas
' Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium.
near the Potomac River.
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...
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...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 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,...
. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1992.
Early life
Riggins was born in Seneca, KansasSeneca, Kansas
Seneca is a city in and the county seat of Nemaha County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,991.-History:...
and attended Centralia High School in Centralia, Kansas
Centralia, Kansas
Centralia is a city in Nemaha County, Kansas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 512.-Geography:Centralia is located at...
. While there, he was a three-sport athlete, earning high school All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n recognition in football, all-state honors in basketball and twice winning the Class B 100-yard dash
100-yard dash
The 100 yard dash is a track and field event of 100 yards or 91.44 metres. It was part of the Commonwealth Games until 1966, and was included in the decathlon of the Olympics, at least in 1904. It is not generally used in international events...
state title.
Riggins' high school is now located on John Riggins Avenue, which runs through a main part of Centralia.
College career
Riggins attended and played college footballCollege 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 the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
for the Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, where he was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and two-time All-Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
first-team selection. Riggins led the Jayhawks to a Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
championship win in 1968. The team then went to the 1969 Orange Bowl, which they lost to Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, 15-14.
During his senior season in 1970, Riggins rushed for 1,131 yards and scored a then school-record 14 touchdowns. He finished his career with 2,659 rushing yards, which broke Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
's career rushing record for the school (now ranked fifth for Kansas' all-time rushing leaders and 14th for total yards).
While at Kansas, Riggins majored in journalism.
New York Jets (1971–1975)
Riggins was draftedNFL 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...
in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft
1971 NFL Draft
The 1971 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1971.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and as a rookie he became the first Jet to lead the team in both rushing and receiving. On October 15, 1972, the Jets set a team-record of 333 rushing yards against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, beating them 41-13. Riggins, who had 168 yards, and Emerson Boozer
Emerson Boozer
Emerson Boozer is a former running back in the American Football League and in the NFL. In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, rather than with an NFL team. He played his entire professional career with the Jets...
, who had 150 yards, became the only 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...
tandem in franchise history who both rushed for 150 yards in a game. Although he missed the final two games in 1972 because of knee surgery, Riggins rushed for 944 yards, four yards less than Matt Snell
Matt Snell
Matt Snell was the American Football League's New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath...
's franchise record.
Riggins was among the top ten rushers in the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
in 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...
despite missing four games with a shoulder injury. After only four years with the Jets, he was already the fourth leading rusher in team history with 2,875 yards. In 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:...
, Riggins became the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season. On December 21, 1975, he ran for 121 yards against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, which was his fifth consecutive 100 yard game and gave him 1,005 for the season. In what turned out to be his last season with the Jets, Riggins made his only appearance in the Pro Bowl
1976 Pro Bowl
The 1976 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 26, 1976 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The final score was NFC 23, AFC 20. Billy Johnson of the Houston Oilers was the game's MVP. The referee was Fred Silva....
.
Riggins was named the Jets' MVP (now known as the Martin Award) in 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:...
and 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:...
.
Washington Redskins (1976–1979)
In 19761976 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...
, Riggins signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
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,...
, who offered him a four-year, $1.5 million contract, compared to the $75,000 he earned in his final year with the Jets. He was used mostly in short-yardage situations in his first season with Washington and missed much of the 1977 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....
with a knee injury. However, he gained more than 1,000 yards each of the next two seasons and was a major part of the Redskins' offense.
Contract dispute (1980)
During training camp in July 1980, Riggins requested to renegotiate his $300,000-a-year contract and the Redskins refused. He then chose to leave camp and the Redskins placed him on the left camp-retired list, a move that made him ineligible to play for any other team in the league. He sat out the 1980 season1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
and didn't rejoin the Redskins until 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, when new Washington head coach Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
traveled to Kansas to make a peace offering.
"He had a camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
outfit on", Gibbs recalled.
Riggins's return also came at the suggestion of Ed Garvey
Ed Garvey
- Background :Edward Garvey graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and spent two years in the U.S. Army; he then returned to the University of Wisconsin Law School and earned a law degree.- Law and union work :...
, who was the executive director of the NFL Players Association.
Eleven months after he left, Riggins returned to training camp in 1981 with a new contract, telling the media "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."
Washington Redskins (1981–1985)
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, he managed just 714 rushing yards but scored 13 touchdowns.
During the strike-shortened 1982 season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, Riggins gained 553 yards. He was much more successful during the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1982-83
The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...
, during which he gained 444 yards in victories over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, 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...
(where he had a franchise playoff record 185 yards), and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and helped the Redskins reach Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...
. Riggins rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards on 38 carries as the Redskins beat the 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...
27–17. He was then named Super Bowl MVP.
A play that was designed for gaining short yardage called "70 chip" turned out to be the key play of the game. With 10 minutes remaining, Riggins took a handoff on 4th-and-inches, broke an attempted tackle by Dolphin cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Don McNeal
Don McNeal
Don McNeal is a former American professional football player who played defensive back for the Miami Dolphins in the 1980s....
and ran for a 43 yard touchdown. The Super Bowl win was the Redskins' first championship victory since 1942
1942 NFL season
The 1942 NFL season was the 23rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, many players left for service in World War II, thus depleting the rosters of all the teams....
. Riggins' total of 610 yards amounted to 43 percent of Washington's offense in the four playoff games. His four consecutive playoff games with over 100 yards was an NFL postseason record. On December 6, 2007, Riggins' run was voted by fans as the Redskins' Greatest Moment.
The 610 rushing yards and 625 yards from scrimmage he gained in the 1982 playoffs are both single NFL postseason records.
In 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
, Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards, scored a then-NFL record 24 touchdowns, won the Bert Bell Award
Bert Bell Award
The Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. This award is named in honor of Bert Bell , Commissioner of the National Football League and founder of the Maxwell Club...
, and was named All-Pro for the first time in his career. Riggins went on to have another outstanding postseason, rushing for 242 yards and two touchdowns in their two playoff games, extending his NFL record of postseason games with at least 100 rushing yards to six. He then rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' 38-9 Super Bowl XVIII loss against the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Two other career milestones happened in 1983 for Riggins. On November 20, 1983, he set an NFL record by scoring in his 12th consecutive game during a 42–20 win over 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,...
. His record would end at 13 consecutive games the following week. Then on December 17, 1983, Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
set an NFL kicking record by scoring 161 points in a season, which also made him the league leader in scoring that season. Riggins, who scored 144 points, was second on the season scoring list. This was the first time since 1951
1951 NFL season
The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest...
that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team.
Riggins gained 1,239 in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
and tied for the league lead in rushing TDs (14), despite a bad back. 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:...
, he rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his last four starts before being replaced by George Rogers
George Rogers (American football)
George Washington Rogers is a former American football player who achieved distinction in both the college and professional ranks as a running back...
as the starter. He retired after that season.
Riggins played 175 games in 14 seasons, had 13,442 total yards (11,352 rushing and 2,090 receiving) and 116 total touchdowns (104 rushing and 12 receiving). Riggins rushed over 1,000 yards five times in his career and over 100 yards in 35 games, including a then-record six in post-season. He rushed 251 times for 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine post-season contests. He was the second player ever to rush for over 100 touchdowns in NFL history, and the first to do it since Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
reached the milestone in 1965
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
.
NFL Records
- Most rushing attempts and rushing yards in a single postseason: 136 attempts, 610 yards; 4 playoff games (1982)
- Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a game: 35 years, 71 days
- Oldest player to rush for 3 touchdowns in a game: 36 years, 70 days
- Oldest player to have a game with 100+ rushing yards & 1 rushing touchdown: 36 years, 84 days
- Oldest player to have 30+ rushing attempts in a game: 36 years, 84 days
- Oldest player to rush for 100+ yards in a playoff game: 34 years, 157 days(breaking his own record he set one week earlier)
- Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 179 days
- Oldest player to rush for 175+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 164 days
- Most rushing attempts after 35th birthday: 503 - broken by Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
who finished with 537 - Most rushing touchdowns after 35th birthday: 22 - broken by Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
who finished with 25 - Most rushing yards after 35th birthday: 1,916 - broken by Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
who finished with 2,225 - Most 100 yard rushing games after 35th birthday: 8
- Most games with 2+ rushing touchdowns after 35th birthday: 4 - broken by Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
who finished with 5 - Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 35th birthday: 11
- Oldest player to have 300+ rushing attempts in a season: 35
- Oldest player to have 1,200 rushing yards in a season: 35
- Oldest player to have 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 35
- Oldest player to score 20+ touchdowns in a season: 34
- Oldest player to have 350+ rushing attempts in a season: 34
- Oldest player to have 1,300 rushing yards in a season: 34
- Oldest player to have 20+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 34
- Most rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 1,510
- Most rushing touchdowns after 30th birthday: 71
- Most rushing yards after 30th birthday: 5,683 - broken by Emmitt SmithEmmitt SmithEmmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
who finished with 5,789 - Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 36
- Most games in the postseason of 100+ yards rushing: 6 - broken by Emmitt Smith and Terrell Davis who each posted 7
- Most rushing yards in a Super Bowl: 166 - broken by Marcus AllenMarcus AllenMarcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
(191) and Timmy SmithTimmy SmithTimothy LaRay Smith is a former professional American football player who was a running back for the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted out of Texas Tech in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft...
(204) - Most touchdowns in a season: 24 - broken by several players since
- Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 24 - broken by several players since
Acting
In 1994, he began acting lessons and has since starred in off-off-BroadwayOff-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...
productions of the plays Gillette and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
(in which he played Bottom
Nick Bottom
Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream who provides comic relief throughout the play, and is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of an ass by the elusive Puck within the play.- Overview :...
). His television credits include Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
and One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
.
Riggins' acting career began at Centralia High when a teacher cast him as the lead role in his junior play. His career as a professional actor started in 1992 when he appeared in "Illegal Motion" in a Maryland (The Olney Theatre) theater.
He starred as the beleaguered head football coach accused of inappropriate recruiting practices. US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
attended his opening night where she presented him with a dozen roses, and letting him know that she always admired his character notwithstanding the "loosen up, Sandy baby" comment he made to her years before at a formal Washington DC dinner party, where "Riggo" fell asleep (really, passed out after having too much to drink) under the table during a presidential speech.
Arrest
On May 7, 1992, Riggins was arrested in Arlington, VirginiaArlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
and charged with driving while intoxicated. He was taken to the Arlington County jail - brought before Virginia Magistrate Daniel J Aragona - arraigned and released later that day. He was also charged by police for refusing to take a breath or blood test following his arrest and spent several hours in the Arlington County jail before being released on $750 bond.
Commentating
Since retiring from professional football, Riggins has worked as a sports commentator on televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
In 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, John and Chris Russo
Chris Russo
Christopher Michael Russo , known as the "Mad Dog," is an American sports radio personality who is best known as the former co-host of the widely popular Mike and the Mad Dog sports radio show with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on WFAN in New York City and simulcast on the YES Network...
hosted Riggins and Russo on Sundays during the football season. The show was aired on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, focusing primarily on the Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' and 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...
' upcoming games.
Since 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, Riggins has served as color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
for the network's weekly national radio broadcast of Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
.
On July 18, 2006, Triple X ESPN Radio was launched with Riggins hosting The John Riggins Show. Riggins could be heard in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area weekdays from 4-7pm on 94.3 FM, 92.7 FM & 730 AM, WXGI
WXGI
WXGI is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Richmond/Petersburg area. WXGI is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting.-History:...
950 AM in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and WXTG-FM
WXTG-FM
WXTG-FM is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, serving the Southside of Hampton Roads. WXTG-FM is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting.-History:...
102.1 FM in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
and WXTG (AM)
WXTG (AM)
WXTG is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Hampton, Virginia, serving the Peninsula of Hampton Roads. WXTG is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting....
1490 in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
. The last show of the series aired on its second anniversary, July 18, 2008. With the merger of Triple X into WTEM
WTEM
WTEM — branded ESPN 980 — is a sports radio station licensed to Washington, D.C. and serving the Washington metro area. It is the flagship of a sports talk trimulcast with WWXT in Prince Frederick, Maryland and WWXX in Buckland, Virginia, all affiliated with ESPN Radio and owned by Red Zebra...
to form ESPN 980, Riggins' afternoon show was replaced by WTEM's afternoon drive show, The Sports Reporters. Riggins stayed with ESPN 980 as a commentator at large.
On January 3, 2008, Riggins co-hosted the 74th Orange Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphins Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and...
pre-game show. That same night, the Kansas Jayhawks
2008 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2008 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2008-2009. It was the school's 119th year of intercollegiate football...
defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
24–21. It came 39 years after Riggins and the Jayhawks last played in the game in 1969. He offered congratulations to his Alma Mater in his closing comments, saying "The KU ship's been out at sea since '48. It finally came to port tonight!"
In September 2008 it was announced that Riggins would co-host the program "Sirius Blitz" with Adam Schein on Satellite Radio Stations Sirius 124 and XM 105. Following his involvement with "Sirius Blitz" Riggins began hosting his own show, The John Riggins Show, which simulcasts on television and radio on MASN-TV and WTOP-HD3, which airs each weekday afternoon. Riggins has been critical on his radio shows of the current management of the Washington Redskins under owner Dan Snyder.
Previously, he had been a panelist on Redskins Report until that show was canceled in December 2008 due to budget cuts.
Honors
On October 21, 1990, Riggins and Joe TheismannJoe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
were inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame. As Riggins' name was called, he ran onto the field in full Redskins uniform, including pads, and was received by the crowd at RFK Stadium with thunderous applause. Riggins later explained that he "just had to hear
In 1992 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
On October 13, 2007, Riggins was inducted into the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
' Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium.
Personal
Riggins has been married twice and has six children. He now resides in Cabin John, MarylandCabin John, Maryland
Cabin John is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The placename is a corruption of its original name of "Captain John's Mills."-Geography:...
near the Potomac River.