It's hard that believe that Roger Craig is somehow, for some reason, not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's a player who revolutionized the running back position.
In today's NFL, running backs are expected to be able to haul in passes and be productive receivers. Craig was a blueprint for the modern-day running back.
Craig was the first to record a "thousand-thousand" season when he had 1,050 rushing yards and 1,016 receiving yards in 1985. He also had 2,036 total yards from scrimmage in 1988 with 1,502 of those yards coming on the ground.
Despite his impressive resume and forever changing the way people looked at running backs, Craig continues to wait to hear his name called for the Hall of Fame. He remains hopeful that his time will come soon.
Greg Papa of KNBR, who is also the voice of the 49ers, caught up with Craig over the weekend.
"Before Coach Walsh died, he told me, he said, 'Roger, don't you worry. You will be a Hall of Famer. Don't you worry. Just be patient,'" Craig told Papa. "And I've been patient all these years, and it's getting closer. I might be going in next year, you know, with these 10 extra people, or maybe I'll go in with the first five. I don't know. But people are talking.
"I haven't said anything. All I did was make an impact in people's lives and try to make the world a better place with the platform that I played as a professional football player."
If Craig gets into the Class of 2020, it will be as one of the ten seniors, who will be joined by five modern-era players, three Contributors, and two coaches.
In 11 NFL seasons, Craig accumulated 4,911 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions to go along with his 8,189 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns on the ground. He added 606 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions to his 841 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 18 career playoff appearances.
You can listen to Papa's entire conversation with Craig below.
