Chuck Foreman
Encyclopedia
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.
He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.
. His ability in football to catch passes out of the backfield was evident throughout his years on varsity at Frederick High School. He played center on Frederick High's outstanding basketball team, which narrowly missed the state title his senior year.
Foreman attended the University of Miami
, where he played defensive back, wide receiver and running back.
first round draft choice in 1973, Chuck Foreman was selected with the 12th overall pick in the draft. He was a consensus choice as the National Football Conference (NFC) Rookie of the Year in 1973, when he rushed for 801 yards on 182 attempts and caught 37 passes for 362 yards.
Foreman was named NFC player of the year by The Sporting News in 1974 and by UPI
in 1976. He was named All-Pro in 1975 and played in five consecutive Pro Bowl
s (1973–1977). Foreman had 3 straight seasons rushing for 1,000+ yards (1975–1977) and scored a then NFC record 22 Touchdowns in 14 games during the 1975 campaign. Foreman just missed a rare NFC 'Triple Crown' (rushing yards, receptions & TDs) in 1975 as well. During the last regular season game of 1975 the Vikings were playing the Buffalo Bills
at Rich Stadium on Saturday, December 20 --- a nationally televised game on CBS --- during a classic Buffalo, NY snowstorm. Foreman was having a fantastic game despite the conditions. He would finish with 85 yards rushing, 10 receptions and four TDs in less than three quarters. After Foreman's third score (which gave him 21 TDs for the year, one shy of the NFL mark), Fran Tarkenton
joked in the huddle, "Anybody who gets to the one-yard line, go out of bounds. We want some touchdowns for Chuck."
The crowd was getting ornery. Not only were the Bills being clobbered, 28-6, but it was looking like Foreman and not hometown hero O.J. Simpson might walk away with the TD record. Simpson had gotten his 22nd TD of the season in the first half, equaling Gale Sayer's
1965 total, but Foreman and the Vikes were really on a roll.
Late in the 3rd quarter Foreman was chasing a pass thrown out of the end zone when he was hit in the eye by a snowball. He went out of the game for a couple of plays, then returned with blurred vision and caught a six-yard touchdown pass to tie Sayers and Simpson with 22 TDs. That was it, though. He spent the last quarter on the bench.
Less than a minute later, Simpson scored on a 54-yard reception to surpass Sayers & Foreman. The next day, St. Louis' Jim Otis
, playing only the first half, gained 69 yards in 14 carries to edge Foreman for conference rushing honors, 1,076 to 1,070. During that same season, Foreman also led the NFL in receptions with 73, a record for receptions by a running back. Foreman amassed 51 touchdowns over a 3 year span (1974–1976). Foreman played in 3 Super Bowl
s with the Vikings. Injuries plagued him throughout the 1978 and 1979 seasons and Foreman was subsequently traded to the New England Patriots
, where he spent the 1980 season before retiring.
His pass-catching ability out of the backfield, combined with the ability to make the first tackler miss, was a key in the Minnesota Viking offense, which was sort of a pre-cursor of the West Coast Offense
which became popular in the following decades. Chuck is widely known as "The Spin Doctor" for his elusive way of avoiding would-be tacklers.
Career statistics:
He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.
Early career
Foreman was a standout athlete in football, basketball and track at Frederick High School in Frederick, MarylandFrederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
. His ability in football to catch passes out of the backfield was evident throughout his years on varsity at Frederick High School. He played center on Frederick High's outstanding basketball team, which narrowly missed the state title his senior year.
Foreman attended the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, where he played defensive back, wide receiver and running back.
Professional career
The Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
first round draft choice in 1973, Chuck Foreman was selected with the 12th overall pick in the draft. He was a consensus choice as the National Football Conference (NFC) Rookie of the Year in 1973, when he rushed for 801 yards on 182 attempts and caught 37 passes for 362 yards.
Foreman was named NFC player of the year by The Sporting News in 1974 and by UPI
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
in 1976. He was named All-Pro in 1975 and played in five consecutive Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s (1973–1977). Foreman had 3 straight seasons rushing for 1,000+ yards (1975–1977) and scored a then NFC record 22 Touchdowns in 14 games during the 1975 campaign. Foreman just missed a rare NFC 'Triple Crown' (rushing yards, receptions & TDs) in 1975 as well. During the last regular season game of 1975 the Vikings were playing the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Rich Stadium on Saturday, December 20 --- a nationally televised game on CBS --- during a classic Buffalo, NY snowstorm. Foreman was having a fantastic game despite the conditions. He would finish with 85 yards rushing, 10 receptions and four TDs in less than three quarters. After Foreman's third score (which gave him 21 TDs for the year, one shy of the NFL mark), Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
joked in the huddle, "Anybody who gets to the one-yard line, go out of bounds. We want some touchdowns for Chuck."
The crowd was getting ornery. Not only were the Bills being clobbered, 28-6, but it was looking like Foreman and not hometown hero O.J. Simpson might walk away with the TD record. Simpson had gotten his 22nd TD of the season in the first half, equaling Gale Sayer's
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
1965 total, but Foreman and the Vikes were really on a roll.
Late in the 3rd quarter Foreman was chasing a pass thrown out of the end zone when he was hit in the eye by a snowball. He went out of the game for a couple of plays, then returned with blurred vision and caught a six-yard touchdown pass to tie Sayers and Simpson with 22 TDs. That was it, though. He spent the last quarter on the bench.
Less than a minute later, Simpson scored on a 54-yard reception to surpass Sayers & Foreman. The next day, St. Louis' Jim Otis
Jim Otis
James Lloyd "Jim" Otis is a former college and professional American football running back.-College career:Otis was a fullback for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1967-69. He led the team in rushing every year of his college career...
, playing only the first half, gained 69 yards in 14 carries to edge Foreman for conference rushing honors, 1,076 to 1,070. During that same season, Foreman also led the NFL in receptions with 73, a record for receptions by a running back. Foreman amassed 51 touchdowns over a 3 year span (1974–1976). Foreman played in 3 Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s with the Vikings. Injuries plagued him throughout the 1978 and 1979 seasons and Foreman was subsequently traded to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, where he spent the 1980 season before retiring.
His pass-catching ability out of the backfield, combined with the ability to make the first tackler miss, was a key in the Minnesota Viking offense, which was sort of a pre-cursor of the West Coast Offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
which became popular in the following decades. Chuck is widely known as "The Spin Doctor" for his elusive way of avoiding would-be tacklers.
Personal life
- Chuck's son Jay ForemanJay Foreman (American football)Jamal A. Foreman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans, and the New York Giants...
played linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the NFL from 1999 to 2006 - Chuck is a substitute teacher in Minnesota at Bloomington Kennedy High SchoolBloomington Kennedy High SchoolKennedy High School is one of two public high schools located in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA. Named after former president John F. Kennedy, it was opened in 1965 due to the rapid growth of Bloomington at the time. The school has been a member of the Lake Conference since the school opened...
in BloomingtonBloomington, MinnesotaBloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... - Chuck hosts a weekly internet radio talk show called SPIN IT! with Chuck Foreman
Giving Back
Sound Advice For Life, a student development program established by Chuck Foreman to provide positive reinforcement and guidelines for a productive life.Awards and honors
- 1973 NFL Rookie of the Year
- 2005, College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
honored Chuck with the Community Service Award - 2007,Inducted to the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
Ring of Honor
Career statistics:
- Rushing: 5,950 total yards. 1,556 carries (3.8 yard average); 53 touchdowns
- Pass receptions: 350 passes for 3,156 yards (9.0 yard average); 23 touchdowns