Justin Forsett Reaches 1,000 Rushing Yards for 1st Time in Career

Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett ran for 106 yards on 24 carries in Sunday's 34-33 loss to the San Diego Chargers to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time in his seven-year career.

A 29-year-old former seventh-round draft pick, Forsett became the NFL's oldest first-time 1,000-yard rusher since 2000, when a 30-year-old Lamar Smith reached said mark for the Miami Dolphins, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

Even at a position that's become known for the emergence of unlikely star players, Forsett sticks out as a rather surprising late bloomer.

Originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, the former California Golden Bear did not make the team's season-opening roster, but he then caught on with the Indianapolis Colts as a special teams player for three games.

Forsett rejoined the Seahawks from 2009 to 2011, highlighted by a 2009 campaign that saw him rush for 619 yards in 16 games.

He then spent 2012 with the Houston Texans and 2013 with the Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with the Ravens to compete for a roster spot in training camp.

Forsett entered the season with just 1,692 career rushing yards, coming off of a 31-yard campaign for the Jaguars.

After earning a spot on the final roster, Forsett quickly emerged as the lead back in Baltimore, due in large part to his skills as a receiver and blocker.

He has surprisingly proven to be a far more effective runner than almost anyone expected, with his 5.6 yards per carry tops in the NFL among all qualified running backs.

Forsett has notably rushed for 100 yards in each of Baltimore's past three games, making him the first Raven with such a streak since Jamal Lewis in 2003, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Lewis ran for a franchise-record 2,066 yards that season, and while Forsett won't be able to challenge such an impressive total, the well-traveled veteran has a real shot to capture second place on the team's single-season rushing list.

Said place is held jointly by Lewis (2000) and Ray Rice (2011), who managed 1,364 rushing yards apiece in their respective seasons.