No. 44 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Fullback | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S. | October 7, 1962||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Grand Island Senior | ||||||
College: | Nebraska | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1986 / Round: 3 / Pick: 56 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
As a player: | |||||||
As a coach: | |||||||
| |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Thomas Dean Rathman (born October 7, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Following his playing career, he became a coach in 1995 and coached the 49ers' running backs through the 2016 season, and was later inducted into the 49ers' hall of fame. Rathman was a three-sport star at Grand Island Senior High in central Nebraska. In addition to a state Hall of Fame career as a fullback for the Islanders football team, Rathman won a state championship in the high jump in 1980 during his junior year.
Rathman was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Rathman was a three sport athlete at Grand Island High School in Grand Island, Nebraska. Rathman exceled on the football field as a fullback and linebacker. He was nominated first team all-state in 1980. [1] He was an accomplished track and field athlete winning the state championship in high jump as a junior. [2] Rathman has been inducted to the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. [3]
Rathman was a three-year letter winner in football at the University of Nebraska. He finished his college career with 1,425 rushing yards, and averaged over six yards per carry. Often considered the greatest fullback in modern Nebraska history, Rathman set several school position records, some of which still stand, including most yards rushing by a fullback in a single season (881, in 1985) and most career rushing touchdowns by a fullback (twelve). He was noted for his ability to break long runs, especially during his senior year in 1985, when he averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
Legend | |
---|---|
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
1981 | Nebraska | 11 | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1983 | Nebraska | 12 | 26 | 143 | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 1 |
1984 | Nebraska | 11 | 75 | 381 | 5.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1985 | Nebraska | 11 | 118 | 881 | 7.5 | 8 | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 0 |
45 | 223 | 1,425 | 6.4 | 12 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 1 |
Rathman was selected by the 49ers in the third round [ broken anchor ] of the 1986 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. [4] His professional career spanned nine years as a fullback, the first eight with the 49ers. For the first five seasons, he was the lead blocker for another former Cornhusker, Roger Craig. Rathman helped lead the 49ers to two Super Bowl championships, rushing for 38 yards, catching four passes for 43 yards, and scoring two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIV. In 1989, he led all NFL running backs in receiving with 73 receptions for 616 yards.
Rathman spent his last season in 1994 with the Los Angeles Raiders. [5]
Rathman finished his NFL career with 2,020 rushing yards, 320 receptions for 2,684 yards with a total of 34 touchdowns. Additionally, Rathman had five kickoff returns for 103 yards.
Legend | |
---|---|
Won the Super Bowl | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1986 | SFO | 16 | 1 | 33 | 138 | 4.2 | 29 | 1 | 13 | 121 | 9.3 | 14 | 0 |
1987 | SFO | 12 | 7 | 62 | 257 | 4.1 | 35 | 1 | 30 | 329 | 11.0 | 29 | 3 |
1988 | SFO | 16 | 16 | 102 | 427 | 4.2 | 26 | 2 | 42 | 382 | 9.1 | 24 | 0 |
1989 | SFO | 16 | 16 | 79 | 305 | 3.9 | 13 | 1 | 73 | 616 | 8.4 | 36 | 1 |
1990 | SFO | 16 | 16 | 101 | 318 | 3.1 | 22 | 7 | 48 | 327 | 6.8 | 28 | 0 |
1991 | SFO | 16 | 16 | 63 | 183 | 2.9 | 16 | 6 | 34 | 286 | 8.4 | 32 | 0 |
1992 | SFO | 15 | 15 | 57 | 194 | 3.4 | 17 | 5 | 44 | 343 | 7.8 | 27 | 4 |
1993 | SFO | 8 | 4 | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 19 | 3 | 10 | 86 | 8.6 | 17 | 0 |
1994 | RAI | 16 | 16 | 28 | 118 | 4.2 | 14 | 0 | 26 | 194 | 7.5 | 18 | 0 |
131 | 107 | 544 | 2,020 | 3.7 | 35 | 26 | 320 | 2,684 | 8.4 | 36 | 8 |
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1986 | SFO | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
1987 | SFO | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 13 | 0 |
1988 | SFO | 3 | 1 | 18 | 88 | 4.9 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 87 | 10.9 | 22 | 0 |
1989 | SFO | 3 | 3 | 28 | 125 | 4.5 | 18 | 2 | 13 | 120 | 9.2 | 18 | 0 |
1990 | SFO | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 12 | 0 |
1992 | SFO | 2 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 5.6 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 12 | 0 |
1993 | SFO | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 9 | 1 |
14 | 10 | 64 | 287 | 4.5 | 22 | 4 | 38 | 327 | 8.6 | 22 | 1 |
After retiring as a player, Rathman began his coaching career in 1995 at the high school level, as the running backs coach for Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo. The next year, he served as offensive coordinator at Menlo College in Atherton. He became a pro coach in 1997 when he joined the 49ers staff, and served as running backs coach through 2002. In 2003, he accompanied head coach Steve Mariucci to the Detroit Lions where Rathman was running backs coach during Mariucci's three seasons with the Lions. He then held the same position for the Oakland Raiders for three seasons, and returned to the 49ers as running backs coach on January 7, 2009. [6] Following the departure of head coach Mike Singletary, Rathman was retained by Jim Harbaugh for the 2011 season and was again retained by Jim Tomsula for the 2015 season. After the firing of Tomsula a year later, Rathman was once again retained by new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly for the 2016 season. Following that season, Rathman was not re-hired after Kyle Shanahan was named head coach for the upcoming season. On February 27, 2018, Rathman was hired as the running backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts. On January 28, 2021, the Colts announced Rathman had retired. [7]
Rathman currently resides in Redwood Shores, California with his wife Holly, and three daughters, Nicole, Ali, and Samantha.
Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1989 season. The game was played on January 28, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 49ers defeated the Broncos by the score of 55–10, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, and their fourth overall, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins at that time. San Francisco also became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls with two different head coaches; rookie head coach George Seifert took over after Bill Walsh retired following the previous season's Super Bowl.
Roger Timothy Craig is an American former football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. Craig went to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls with the 49ers. Craig was the first NFL player to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey are the only other players to have accomplished that feat. He currently works as the VP of Business Development at TIBCO Software.
Ahman Rashad Green is an American former football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning second-team All-American honors in 1997. Green was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft, playing there for two seasons before being traded to the Green Bay Packers, with whom he played for eight of the next ten seasons. Green also played for the Houston Texans, and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Packers, where he holds the franchise record for rushing yards. He was the head esports coach at Lakeland University until the end of 2022.
Fletcher Joseph Perry was an American football fullback who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1960, the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and returned to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname, "the Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), he became one of American football's first black stars.
Franklin Gore Sr. is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career rushing yards. His career was noted for its longevity, rare for his position, and he holds the league record for games played by a running back.
Lawrence Lamond Phillips was an American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. A highly touted collegiate prospect, Phillips' professional career was cut short by legal troubles that continued up until his death.
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman is an American former professional football player who played his entire career as a running back and kick returner for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, earning All-American honors twice. After his playing career, he became an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School and Dublin High School in the Bay Area.
Cory Michael Schlesinger is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and current executive for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL draft. He was selected to three Pro Bowls.
Tommie James Frazier Jr. is an American former college football player who was a quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He earned consensus All-American honors in 1995.
George Ignacio Mira is an American former football quarterback who played in eight National Football League (NFL) seasons for four teams. He then played five seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the World Football League (WFL).
Calvin D'Wayne Jones is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers. In his only season with the Packers, they won Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots.
Dahrran Diedrick was a Canadian professional football player who was a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2005 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2009 and 2010. Diedrick played college football in the United States with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He began his pro career in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Redskins. He played for ten seasons in the CFL, primarily with the Alouettes.
Blaine Williamson Gabbert is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Missouri before leaving early for the 2011 NFL draft after his junior year. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round with the 10th overall pick. He has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Kansas City Chiefs. He won Super Bowl LV as a backup with the Buccaneers and Super Bowl LVIII as a backup with the Chiefs.
Steve Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Taylor had signed a four-year contract with the Edmonton Eskimos just one month after finishing his senior season of college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The dual-threat quarterback was selected in the 12th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts in April, but Taylor was already committed to playing in the CFL.
Roy Ziegler Helu Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Rex Burkhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Bengals, Burkhead spent his next four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he appeared in consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII. Burkhead joined the Houston Texans in 2021, spending two seasons with them before retiring in 2024.
Andy Janovich is a former American football fullback. He played college football at Nebraska, and was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He also played for the Cleveland Browns.
Marlon Devon Mack is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the South Florida Bulls and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Michael Christianson is an American football college and professional coach. Christianson most recently served as the assistant running backs coach and the Director of Technology for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) in 2011 thru 2013 which featured a Super Bowl appearance against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII (47). Prior to his tenure with the 49ers, Christianson also served on University of Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's staff at the University of San Diego (USD) where the Toreros of the Pioneer Football League won a Division I-AA Mid-Major National title in 2006. He has worked as a football coach at several other National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions, including The University of Nebraska, Montana State University and Portland State University. Christianson coached the offensive line in 2002-2003 as a member of Jon Gruden's staff and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII (37). Christianson played tight-end and offensive lineman at Western Oregon University.
Joseph Manuel Orduna is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts from 1972 to 1974.