Top 5 Rookie Seasons in NFL History

In the midst of the 2011 NFL season, there have been a handful of rookies that have shown they have what it takes to succeed in the league.

It's a rarity that rookies acclimate to the size and speed in the NFL due to the immense concentration of talent the league possesses. When a young man makes an immediate impact, he should be honored with the distinction of his season being remembered—regardless of the era in which he played.

Throughout history, such seasons have foreshadowed the kind of career a player would have, often leading to them being reserved a spot in the hallways of a building in Canton, Ohio.

Criteria

The only thing that matters here are statistics; they show how well the player adjusted to the game in order to make an impact for his team.

Most rookies that come in struggle to make a difference, no matter who they become later in their career.

Take, for example, Walter Payton.

"Sweetness" has long been considered one of the best running backs in NFL history—and for good reason.

However, in only three of his 13 seasons did he not rush for at least 1,000 yards: The strike-shortened 1982 season, his final season in 1987 as a 33-year-old shell of his former self, and in his rookie season of 1975.

In '75, Sweetness rushed 196 times for 679 yards, seven TD and 3.5 ypc. He showed glimpses of what he would become, but did not have the impact like the handful of gentlemen on our list.

Honorable Mentions

Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions, 1989

280 carries for 1,470 yards and 14 TD, 5.3 ypc

Sanders was as good the day he retired in 1999 as he was the day he came in a decade earlier. He had unparalleled speed and moves that would make the most fleet-of-foot defenders look silly.

He finished second in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns and fourth in yards per carry in '89.

Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins, 1983

58.4 percent completion, 2,210 yards passing, 20 TD, 6 INT, 96.0 rating

In just 11 games in '83, Marino put up numbers that in the '80s resembled an entire season of work. He threw a touchdown pass in all but one game his rookie year and threw at least two TDs in seven games.

He finished second in the NFL with only two percent of his passes being intercepted and third in passer rating.

5. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, 2011

For the No. 1 overall pick in the most recent draft to be placed on an all-time list such as this before his rookie campaign is even complete, he needs to have been spectacular.

You all have seen the footage. Cam Newton has been nothing short of spectacular.

Already the owner of the most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in league history, this past weekend against Tampa Bay Newton broke a 35-year-old NFL record for QBs by recording his 13^th such score of the season.

The mark surpassed that of Steve Grogan who notched 12 rushing touchdowns in 1976 with New England, his second season in the league.

Newton is just 34 yards from breaking Vince Young’s rookie record of 552 yards rushing for a QB and will likely own it all to himself by the time Week 14 comes to a close.

Newton is also on pace for 4,396 yards passing which would shatter the rookie record of 3,739 set by none other than Peyton Manning back in 1998.

Who knows; Newton may need to be placed higher on this list by the time his rookie season is complete.

4. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Roethlisberger with the No. 11 overall selection in 2004 with the hopes that he would eventually replace Tommy Maddox as the starting quarterback.

Little did they know it would happen much sooner than they could have anticipated.

The Lima, Ohio native entered the preseason as the No. 3 quarterback behind Maddox and Charlie Batch. When Batch was injured in a preseason game, Roethlisberger moved into the backup role.

Then in the second game of the regular season, in a game against arch-rival Baltimore, Maddox struggled and then went down with ligament damage to his throwing elbow, forcing the rookie into the lineup.

He never looked back.

As Pittsburgh's starter, Roethlisberger went 13-0 in the regular season and led the Steelers to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Big Ben completed 66.4 percent of his passes (No. 4 in NFL) for 2,621 yards, 8.9 YPA (No. 2 in NFL), 17 TD, 11 INT, and a QB rating of 98.1 (No. 5 in NFL and rookie record).

He led five fourth-quarter comebacks in 2004, including one against the New York Jets in an AFC Divisional playoff game that put them in the AFC Championship game.

3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, 2007

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 draft, Peterson made an immediate and obvious impact in the NFL.

He played in 14 regular season games and started just nine, but still finished near the top in almost every rushing category.

His 1,341 yards rushing were good enough for No. 2 in the league.

He also finished No. 1 in rushing yards per game (95.8), No. 2 in rushing TDs (12) and yards per carry (5.6), No. 4 in yards from scrimmage (1,609) and No. 6 in all-purpose yards (2,021).

His combination of size and speed—he's 6-foot-2, 217 pounds and ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine—made him a lock to be successful at the highest level of play.

That was especially noticeable while he was in college at the University of Oklahoma.

Even as a true freshman, Peterson looked NFL-ready. Throughout his three-year career in Norman, he routinely punished would-be tacklers with impressive power and that carried over well into the NFL.

Peterson’s rookie season featured six 100-yard rushing performances and two of greater than 200 yards, including an NFL-record 296 yards against San Diego on November 4 of that year.

2. Dick "Night Train" Lane, Los Angeles Rams, 1952

For an undrafted rookie out of Scottsbluff Junior College, Lane made quite the impact his rookie year.

In just 12 games for the Rams in ’52 he set an NFL record, grabbing 14 interceptions. The record still stands to this day and will likely never be broken.

He also led the NFL with two INTs returned for touchdown and 268 INT return yards.

Night Train was big for a corner at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, however his speed was unmatched in the league at the time.

His break on a pass was legendary and his hitting power was feared around the league. Lane had a nose for the ball and was not afraid of contact.

Lane's motto was “Hang ‘em high”—fitting with the way he tackled.

He patented the clothesline tackle and likely ended a few careers using it, but he will always be remembered for the finesse he showed in intercepting those 14 passes during his rookie season of 1952.

1. Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams, 1983

“Mr. Fourth Quarter” was another running back along the lines of Adrian Peterson; a man-child in college and bound for NFL greatness.

His rookie year of 1983 was one for the ages.

Dickerson rushed for an NFL-high and rookie record 1,808 yards and finished No. 2 in the league with 18 touchdowns. He also caught 51 passes for 404 yards and two more TDs.

His 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame would suggest he was a powerful runner who could not be brought down. While that was true, he also possessed the speed and agility to run by anyone.

By the time his rookie season ended, Dickerson had broken four Rams' single-season rushing records; yards, touchdowns, rushing attempts (390), and yards per game (113.0).

If there was one knock on his game, it was that he could not hold onto the football.

1983 saw him cough it up 13 times, and his individual fumble totals for the first four seasons of his career (13,14,10,12) are all part of the top 10 list for the most fumbles in a single season in Rams’ franchise history.

But boy, could he run.