List of National Football League season kickoff return yards leaders
This is a list of National Football League kickoff returners who have led the regular season in kickoff return yards each year.
Kick return yards leaders
As per Pro Football Reference and The Football Database.[1][2]
Year |
Player |
Kickoff Return Yards |
Team |
1941 |
Marshall Goldberg |
290 |
Chicago Cardinals |
1942 |
Marshall Goldberg |
393 |
Chicago Cardinals |
1943 |
Ken Heineman |
444 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
1944 |
John Grigas |
471 |
Chicago Cardinals |
1945 |
Frank Seno |
408 |
Chicago Cardinals |
1946 |
Abe Karnofsky |
599 |
Boston Yanks |
1947 |
Eddie Saenz |
797 |
Washington Redskins |
1948 |
Dan Sandifer |
594 |
Washington Redskins |
1949 |
Herman Wedemeyer |
602 |
Baltimore Colts |
1950 |
Vitamin Smith |
742 |
Los Angeles Rams |
1951 |
George Taliaferro |
622 |
New York Yanks |
1952 |
Buddy Young |
643 |
Dallas Texans |
1953 |
Woodley Lewis |
830 |
Los Angeles Rams |
1954 |
Woodley Lewis |
836 |
Los Angeles Rams |
1955 |
Sid Watson |
716 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
1956 |
Al Carmichael |
927 |
Green Bay Packers |
1957 |
Al Carmichael |
690 |
Green Bay Packers |
1958 |
Jimmy Sears |
756 |
Chicago Cardinals |
1959 |
Lenny Lyles |
565 |
San Francisco 49ers |
1960 |
Ted Dean |
533 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
1961 |
Timmy Brown |
811 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
1962 |
Abe Woodson |
1,157 |
San Francisco 49ers |
1963 |
Timmy Brown |
945 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
1964 |
Mel Renfro |
1,017 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1965 |
Kermit Alexander |
741 |
San Francisco 49ers |
1966 |
Ron Smith |
1,013 |
Atlanta Falcons |
1967 |
Ron Smith |
976 |
Atlanta Falcons |
1968 |
Chuck Latourette |
1,237 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
1969 |
Mercury Morris |
1,136 |
Miami Dolphins |
1970 |
Alvin Haymond |
1,022 |
St. Louis Rams |
1971 |
Dave Hampton |
1,314 |
Green Bay Packers |
1972 |
Margene Adkins |
1,020 |
New Orleans Saints |
1973 |
Mack Herron |
1,092 |
New England Patriots |
1974 |
Lou Piccone |
961 |
New York Jets |
1975 |
Larry Jones |
1,086 |
Washington Redskins |
1976 |
Willie Shelby |
761 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
1977 |
Bruce Harper |
1,035 |
New York Jets |
1978 |
Bruce Harper |
1,280 |
New York Jets |
1979 |
Bruce Harper |
1,158 |
New York Jets |
1980 |
Eddie Payton |
1,184 |
Minnesota Vikings |
1981 |
Stump Mitchell |
1,292 |
St. Louis Rams |
1982 |
James Brooks |
749 |
San Diego Chargers |
1983 |
Zachary Dixon |
1,171 |
Baltimore Colts Seattle Seahawks |
1984 |
Lionel James |
959 |
San Diego Chargers |
1985 |
Buster Rhymes |
1,345 |
Minnesota Vikings |
1986 |
Tim McGee Herman Hunter |
1,007 |
Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions |
1987 |
Paul Palmer |
923 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
1988 |
Tim Brown |
1,098 |
Los Angeles Raiders |
1989 |
James Dixon |
1,181 |
Dallas Cowboys |
1990 |
Eric Metcalf |
1,052 |
Cleveland Browns |
1991 |
Mel Gray |
929 |
Detroit Lions |
1992 |
Deion Sanders |
1,067 |
Atlanta Falcons |
1993 |
Clarence Verdin |
1,050 |
Indianapolis Colts |
1994 |
Tyrone Hughes |
1,556 |
New Orleans Saints |
1995 |
Tyrone Hughes |
1,617 |
New Orleans Saints |
1996 |
Tyrone Hughes |
1,791 |
New Orleans Saints |
1997 |
Kevin Williams |
1,458 |
Arizona Cardinals |
1998 |
Glyn Milburn |
1,550 |
Chicago Bears |
1999 |
Brock Marion |
1,524 |
Miami Dolphins |
2000 |
MarTay Jenkins |
2,186 |
Arizona Cardinals |
2001 |
Ronney Jenkins |
1,541 |
San Diego Chargers |
2002 |
Michael Lewis |
1,807 |
New Orleans Saints |
2003 |
Josh Scobey |
1,684 |
Arizona Cardinals |
2004 |
Dante Hall |
1,718 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
2005 |
Chris Carr |
1,752 |
Oakland Raiders |
2006 |
Chris Carr |
1,762 |
Oakland Raiders |
2007 |
Josh Cribbs |
1,809 |
Cleveland Browns |
2008 |
Josh Wilson |
1,753 |
Seattle Seahawks |
2009 |
Danny Amendola |
1,618 |
St. Louis Rams |
2010 |
LaRod Stephens-Howling |
1,548 |
Arizona Cardinals |
2011 |
Brandon Banks |
1,174 |
Washington Redskins |
2012 |
David Wilson |
1,533 |
New York Giants |
2013 |
Devin Hester |
1,436 |
Chicago Bears |
2014 |
Devin Hester |
1,128 |
Atlanta Falcons |
2015 |
Ameer Abdullah |
1,077 |
Detroit Lions |
References