Mark Higgs
Encyclopedia
Mark Deyon Higgs is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
who led the Miami Dolphins
in rushing from 1991
-1993
.
. Recruited to the University of Kentucky
, Higgs earned the best average per rushing attempt (5.43), and became UK's third all-time rusher, earning Higgs a spot in the University of Kentucky's Hall of Fame in 2005.
by the Dallas Cowboys
, where he only played five games before departing to the Philadelphia Eagles
for the 1989 season. He joined the Dolphins as a free agent
prior to the 1990 season
. Prior to the beginning of the 1991 season
, Higgs was named the starter
, replacing an injured Sammie Smith
. Higgs remained the starter, even after Smith returned from his injury.
During the 1993 NFL season
, Higgs was replaced as the team's starting running back by Terry Kirby
, despite then leading the team in rushing for the third consecutive season, a feat that had only been matched in the past by Larry Csonka
. After leaving the Dolphins, Higgs spent his last two years with the Arizona Cardinals
. He retired following the 1995 season
after a hit resulted in a back injury that kept him out of the season for 13 weeks.
Higgs is one of three family members to hold top scoring records at Owensboro High School
. Higgs is the younger brother of retired Cleveland Cavaliers
/Denver Nuggets
guard Kenny Higgs
, who is the all-time leading scorer of the Red Devils' basketball team (1,833). His cousin Dwight Higgs, a former Euroleague
basketball guard and three time Division II All-American (Kentucky Wesleyan
), holds the OHS record for most points scored in a single season (887), and is the #7 overall scorer. Dwight's younger brother Bobby is also a top 20 career scorer at Owensboro High
, ranking at #15.
.
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...
who led 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...
in rushing from 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
-1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
.
Youth and college career
Though Higgs was constantly discouraged from playing football due to his size (5'7", 195 lbs), he went on to surpass many of the rushing records at Owensboro (Senior) High SchoolOwensboro High School
Owensboro High School is a high school located at 1800 Frederica Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. The school's newspaper is The Scoop and its yearbook is the Owensboroan. Owensboro High School is one of only 33 high schools in Kentucky to be listed among the “Best High Schools 2009 Search” published...
. Recruited to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Higgs earned the best average per rushing attempt (5.43), and became UK's third all-time rusher, earning Higgs a spot in the University of Kentucky's Hall of Fame in 2005.
NFL career
Higgs was drafted in the eighth round of the 1988 NFL Draft1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
by 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...
, where he only played five games before departing to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the 1989 season. He joined the Dolphins 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....
prior to the 1990 season
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
. Prior to the beginning of the 1991 season
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, Higgs was named the starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, replacing an injured Sammie Smith
Sammie Smith
Sammie Lee Smith , is a former American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 1st round of the 1989 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 226-lb...
. Higgs remained the starter, even after Smith returned from his injury.
During the 1993 NFL season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, Higgs was replaced as the team's starting running back by Terry Kirby
Terry Kirby
Terry Gayle Kirby , is a former professional American football player who played ten seasons in the NFL from 1993 to 2002. A 6'1" running back from the University of Virginia...
, despite then leading the team in rushing for the third consecutive season, a feat that had only been matched in the past by 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...
. After leaving the Dolphins, Higgs spent his last two years with the Arizona 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...
. He retired following the 1995 season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
after a hit resulted in a back injury that kept him out of the season for 13 weeks.
Owensboro (Senior) High School, 1980-1983,
- All-time leading rusher, (6,721)
- Yards rushing - season (2,858 in 1983)
- Most rushing touchdowns, career (75)
- Total touchdowns - career (75)
Higgs is one of three family members to hold top scoring records at Owensboro High School
Owensboro High School
Owensboro High School is a high school located at 1800 Frederica Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. The school's newspaper is The Scoop and its yearbook is the Owensboroan. Owensboro High School is one of only 33 high schools in Kentucky to be listed among the “Best High Schools 2009 Search” published...
. Higgs is the younger brother of retired Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
/Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
guard Kenny Higgs
Kenny Higgs
Kenneth Lee Higgs is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a 6'0" 180 lb point guard and he played collegiately at Louisiana State University....
, who is the all-time leading scorer of the Red Devils' basketball team (1,833). His cousin Dwight Higgs, a former Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
basketball guard and three time Division II All-American (Kentucky Wesleyan
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...
), holds the OHS record for most points scored in a single season (887), and is the #7 overall scorer. Dwight's younger brother Bobby is also a top 20 career scorer at Owensboro High
Owensboro High School
Owensboro High School is a high school located at 1800 Frederica Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. The school's newspaper is The Scoop and its yearbook is the Owensboroan. Owensboro High School is one of only 33 high schools in Kentucky to be listed among the “Best High Schools 2009 Search” published...
, ranking at #15.
University of Kentucky, 1984-1987
- #1 Best Average Per Rushing Attempt, Career (5.43)
- #3 Most Rushing Yards, Career (2,892)
- #9 Most All-Purpose Yardage (Career), 3,387
- Inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame in 2005
Miami Dolphins
- Leading rusher, 1991-1993
- #9 NFL leading rusher, 1992 (915)
- #8 Most 100 yard rushing Games (8)
- Longest blocked punt return for a TD (19 yards)
- Only the second Dolphins player (out of three total) to lead in rushing for three consecutive seasons (after with Larry Czonka and before Karim Abdul- JabbarAbdul-Karim al-JabbarAbdul-Karim al-Jabbar, previously Karim Abdul-Jabbar , is a former American football player. A 5'11" running back, he played in the National Football League from 1996 to 2000 with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.-College:Born in Los Angeles, California, he played for...
Life after football
Higgs began his own business, M and T Transportation, Inc, in 1998. He joined the Miami Dolphins Alumni Association’s advisory board in 2002, and is a frequent visitor to the Dolphins' radio show. In 2007, he became the running backs coach for Miami Central High SchoolMiami Central High School
Miami Central Senior High School, commonly referred to as Central Rockets, is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. The school serves most of the northern fringes of the city of Miami as well as parts of North Miami,...
.