Joe Cribbs

Last updated

Joe Cribbs
Former NFL Player Joe Cribbs helping survivors in Alabama (cropped).jpg
Cribbs in 2011
No. 20, 28, 30
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1958-01-05) January 5, 1958 (age 66)
Sulligent, Alabama, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school: Sulligent (AL)
College: Auburn
NFL draft: 1980  / round: 2 / pick: 29
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:5,356
Rushing average:4.1
Rushing touchdowns:27
Player stats at PFR

Joe Stanier Cribbs (born January 5, 1958) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Auburn University along with future NFL backs William Andrews and James Brooks. He began his professional career in 1980 with the Buffalo Bills.

Contents

After being drafted in the second round of the 1980 NFL draft, Cribbs went on to start all 16 games of his rookie year with Buffalo, finishing with 1185 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. His performance earned him consensus UPI AFC Rookie of the Year honors and a spot in the Pro Bowl, the only rookie chosen as a starter that year. In five seasons with the team, split around a detour with the USFL, Cribbs had 13 100-yard games and ran for 1,000 yards in a season three times.

In the spring of 1984, Cribbs left the Bills in a contract dispute and signed on as a member of the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).

Cribbs was to serve as the president of Team Alabama of the AAFL, which suspended operations shortly before it was slated to play its first games. Almost immediately, Cribbs was named commissioner of the United National Gridiron League, which likewise failed ever to play a game. [1]

College career

Joe Cribbs played college football at Auburn. He played his first college football game in 1976, and when the season was over, he had 171 yards on 43 rushing attempts. He got more playing time in 1977, with 872 yards on 161 rushing attempts. He scored four touchdowns as a rusher. He also caught six passes for 51 yards.

1978 was the breakout year. Cribbs rushed for 1,205 yards in 253 attempts, scoring 16 touchdowns, and averaging well over hundred yards a game. He was a threat out of the backfield as well, catching right passes. He was also used on gadget plays as well. Cribbs passed the ball four times, completing three passes for 74 yards.

In 1979, Cribbs final season at Auburn, Cribbs had 200 rushing attempts for 1,120 yards, and scored 14 touchdowns rushing [2]

Buffalo Bills career and lawsuit

Cribbs (middle) rushes the ball for the Bills against the Jets in the 1981 AFC wild card game. 1986 Jeno's Pizza - 30 - Joe Cribbs (cropped).jpg
Cribbs (middle) rushes the ball for the Bills against the Jets in the 1981 AFC wild card game.

Cribbs was an immediate success playing for the NFL team which drafted him, the Buffalo Bills, and was named the American Football Conference Rookie of the Year for the 1980 season and as a starter in the Pro Bowl. On September 7, 1980, Cribbs contributed 131 combined yards of offense as the Bills would snap a 20-game losing streak versus the Dolphins, winning in a 17–7 final. [3] He also played very well in each of the two subsequent seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl again following each. When the NFL played an abbreviated 9 game schedule due to the strike-shortened season in 1982, Cribbs was only able to play in 7 games but nonetheless led the league with 90.4 rushing yards per game. Cribbs was not exactly happy in Buffalo, however, as he especially disliked playing in their infamous cold-weather home games. With one year left on his contract with the Bills, Cribbs signed a contract with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL. In the summer of 1983, Cribbs officially inked a contract with Birmingham worth $3.5 million.

However, the Bills challenged the contract, citing that they had first right of refusal. This clause had been in Cribbs' original contract with the Buffalo Bills. This was placed in the contract in order to protect Buffalo in case there was no collective bargaining agreement and to prevent another NFL team from signing Cribbs in that event. However, obviously there was no mention of a prohibition of any team from the USFL signing Cribbs, as that league was yet to be formed when Cribbs signed his contract with the Bills.

The trial was held in Buffalo, and one of the people testifying for the Bills was head coach Kay Stephenson, who stated that Joe Cribbs was irreplaceable in the Bills lineup. Federal Judge John T. Elfvin heard the case. While the trial was going on, Cribbs continued to work out with the Stallions. When the verdict came down, Judge Elfvin ruled in favor of Cribbs, allowing him to play for the Birmingham Stallions. [4]

USFL and contract dispute in Birmingham

Herschel Walker made the jump from college football to the USFL, becoming the league's highest paid player at $6 million over four years. This played a factor in Joe Cribbs walking out of his contract with the Birmingham Stallions. Cribbs had signed a deal in 1983 worth $2.6 million to play for Birmingham, and still five years left on the contract. At the time of his walkout, Cribbs was leading the USFL in rushing. [5]

Later career

Cribbs was a fairly major star with the Stallions; however, the USFL folded after its 1985 season and Cribbs then returned to play in the NFL. Cribbs played for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1986 and 1987 seasons. He then divided the 1988 season between the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins prior to his retirement. During this return stint in the NFL, Cribbs never came truly close to the level of consistency which had put him into three consecutive Pro Bowls early in the decade.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingFumbles
GPGSAttYdsAvgY/GLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDFumFR
1980 BUF 16163061,1853.974.14811524158.0211161
1981 BUF 15152571,0974.373.13534060315.1657121
1982 BUF 761346334.790.462313997.631052
1983 BUF 16162631,1314.370.7453575249.233761
1984 BUF Sat out due to contract dispute
1985 BUF 1051223993.339.9161181427.923051
1986 SF 14101525903.942.1195353469.933051
1987 SF 113703004.327.32019707.816010
1988 IND 10Did not record any stats
MIA 1205214.21.8110–––––10
Career 102711,3095,3564.152.562272242,1999.86515517

Related Research Articles

The Orlando Renegades were a professional American football team that played in Orlando, Florida, in the United States Football League (USFL) for a single season in 1985. Before its season in Orlando, the franchise played in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Federals for two seasons, in 1983 and 1984.

The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League (USFL) established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983 to 1985, winning 31 regular season games and losing 25 while going 0–2 in postseason competition. Home games were played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was called The Meadowlands for Generals games.

The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field. They competed in all three USFL seasons, 1983–1985. During their run, they were one of the USFL's more popular teams, and seemed to have a realistic chance of being a viable venture had the USFL been better run.

The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons. They were noteworthy for introducing former Middletown (Ohio) High School football coach Glenn "Tiger" Ellison's Run & Shoot offense to the world of pro football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Brown</span> American football player (born 1981)

Ronnie G. Brown Jr. is an American former professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadillac Williams shared carries at running back, while he had 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2002, 446 yards and five touchdowns in 2003, and 913 yards and eight touchdowns in 2004. Brown finished seventh in school history with 2,707 rushing yards and fifth with 28 rushing touchdowns. He twice earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2002 and 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Williams</span> American football player and coach (born 1982)

Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football coach and former running back who is the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the running backs coach at Auburn University from 2019 to 2023, he also served as their interim head coach in 2022, the first African American to hold the position in Auburn history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Morris</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Samuel Morris III is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He played college football at Texas Tech University.

Clifford Lewis Stoudt is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL). Stoudt played college football for the Youngstown State Penguins. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL draft by the Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Humphrey</span> American football player (born 1966)

Bobby Gene Humphrey is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, twice earning All-American honors.

Robert Herber Parsons was an American professional football punter and tight end who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears from 1972 to 1983 and later played with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).

Reginald C. Collier is a former professional American football quarterback. Best known as a dynamic college football star, he had a short-lived professional career in both the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern Mississippi.

The 1980 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 11th season in the National Football League, and the 21st overall. Their 11–5 record was tied for best in the AFC.

The 1983 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League, and the 24th overall. It was the first of three seasons for head coach Kay Stephenson. Bills running back Joe Cribbs was both the Bills' leading rusher, and the team's leader in receptions and receiving yards. The team looked to improve on its 4–5 record from 1982. With the NFL schedule back to 16 games, the Bills were a more competitive team during 1983. The team started 5–2 through its first 7 games. However, they would struggle the rest of the way, as they went 3–6 in its final 9 games en route to a mediocre 8–8 season. This season also saw the Bills beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time since 1966, Miami's inaugural season. After beating the Chiefs, 14–9, in Arrowhead Stadium on December 4, the Bills would lose 22 road games in a row, which included going 0–8 on the road in each of the following two seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Clay (American football)</span> American football player (born 1989)

Charles Clay is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Tulsa and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Johnson</span> American football player (born 1993)

Randy "Duke" Johnson Jr. is an American former professional football running back who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft after playing college football at the University of Miami. He played in the NFL for the Browns, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karlos Williams</span> American football player (born 1993)

Karlos Jermell Williams Sr. is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played college football at Florida State.

Noah Igbinoghene is an American professional football cornerback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Igbinoghene has also played for the Dallas Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J'Mar Smith</span> American gridiron football player (born 1996)

Jamarius "J'Mar" Smith is an American professional football quarterback for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Louisiana Tech University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Dillon</span> American football player (born 1995)

Derrick Dillon is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sal Cannella (American football)</span> American football player

Salvatore Cannella is an American professional football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for Auburn. After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft he signed with the TSL Generals of The Spring League (TSL). He also played for the Green Bay Packers, the Miami Dolphins, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL), and the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL).

References

  1. ↑ UNFL Wants Team in Alabama Archived May 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Site is undergoing maintenance".
  3. ↑ 100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p.179
  4. ↑ Kickoff magazine Violume 4
  5. ↑ "Birmingham Stallions running back Joe Cribbs, who was obtained".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.