GoSeahawks
01-07-2004, 05:56 PM
The Pittsburgh Steelers used their 19th overall pick in 2018 selecting running back George Campana. In his first year he ran for 1,247 yards on the way to Rookie of the Year honors. In 2019 he followed it up with 1,565 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground, but didn’t earn a pro bowl selection. His third season was much the same as he rushed for 1,179 yards throughout the first 14 games before going down with a severe knee injury.
After the season ended, Pittsburgh chose to release the young RB as they figured his career was over. In 2021 Campana sat in free agent pool as he slowly healed. It wasn’t until the 4th week of the regular season that a team finally took notice of him. St. Louis made a joke offer and retained Campana for the league minimum for a fourth year player. From there he went on to play the backup role where he carried the ball just 59 times for 214 yards. After the season, he was a free agent again.
In 2022, Campana wasn’t a hot ticket in the free agent market. In fact, he was passed up in the early stages of free agency. It looked as if he might go unnoticed again, but during late free agency Dallas made a two-year offer worth 4.59 million. It wasn’t a spectacular offer, but it was enough to give him security for a couple years, so Campana accepted.
In his first regular season game with Dallas, Campana broke free for 107 yards. He followed the season opener with an 80-yard and a 72-yard game. It was a good start for a guy who was pretty much left for dead, but it wasn’t any indication about what was to come.
In week four Campana rushed for 179 yards. It was the start of 7 straight games with over 100 yards. The streak was then interrupted when Campana carried 15 times for 21 yards. As soon as it looked like he had been figured out he started another 100-yard streak. This time it was only three games, but it was enough that the 2,000-yard mark looked obtainable with two games left.
In the 15th game of the season, Campana rushed for 71 yards. It was only his 4th game of the season without 100+ yards rushing, and suddenly the 2,000-yard mark looked a little less than doable. He would need 220 yards in his final game to reach the mark.
Finally in week 17 a Dallas crowd witnessed the impossible. George Campana carried the ball 34 times for 261 yards with three touchdowns. In doing so, he surpassed the 2,000-yard plateau joining one other player in the history of this league. The amazing feat came from a player who wasn’t sure if he was going to be on a roster this year. It proves that players can come back from major injuries and still have productive years, even magnificent ones.
Interesting Stats
409 Carries (league record)
2041 yards (league record)
4.9 ypc
12 touchdowns
12 100+ rushing games
5 150+ rushing games
1 200+ rushing game
261 yards in one game (league record)
After the season ended, Pittsburgh chose to release the young RB as they figured his career was over. In 2021 Campana sat in free agent pool as he slowly healed. It wasn’t until the 4th week of the regular season that a team finally took notice of him. St. Louis made a joke offer and retained Campana for the league minimum for a fourth year player. From there he went on to play the backup role where he carried the ball just 59 times for 214 yards. After the season, he was a free agent again.
In 2022, Campana wasn’t a hot ticket in the free agent market. In fact, he was passed up in the early stages of free agency. It looked as if he might go unnoticed again, but during late free agency Dallas made a two-year offer worth 4.59 million. It wasn’t a spectacular offer, but it was enough to give him security for a couple years, so Campana accepted.
In his first regular season game with Dallas, Campana broke free for 107 yards. He followed the season opener with an 80-yard and a 72-yard game. It was a good start for a guy who was pretty much left for dead, but it wasn’t any indication about what was to come.
In week four Campana rushed for 179 yards. It was the start of 7 straight games with over 100 yards. The streak was then interrupted when Campana carried 15 times for 21 yards. As soon as it looked like he had been figured out he started another 100-yard streak. This time it was only three games, but it was enough that the 2,000-yard mark looked obtainable with two games left.
In the 15th game of the season, Campana rushed for 71 yards. It was only his 4th game of the season without 100+ yards rushing, and suddenly the 2,000-yard mark looked a little less than doable. He would need 220 yards in his final game to reach the mark.
Finally in week 17 a Dallas crowd witnessed the impossible. George Campana carried the ball 34 times for 261 yards with three touchdowns. In doing so, he surpassed the 2,000-yard plateau joining one other player in the history of this league. The amazing feat came from a player who wasn’t sure if he was going to be on a roster this year. It proves that players can come back from major injuries and still have productive years, even magnificent ones.
Interesting Stats
409 Carries (league record)
2041 yards (league record)
4.9 ypc
12 touchdowns
12 100+ rushing games
5 150+ rushing games
1 200+ rushing game
261 yards in one game (league record)