Dan Fouts and 9 other greatest NFL careers in Oregon football history
By Sam Fariss
Ahmad Rashad. player. 60. . Wide Receiver, 1972-1982. . . Ahmad Rashad. 5. Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad took some time in the league before finding his footing as well as his franchise team. Eventually landing a spot with the Minnesota Vikings, Rashad’s career took off.
Initially, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft. Rashad spent two years with the team before making a one-year pit stop with the Buffalo Bills. The Pro Duck then spent his final seven years in the NFL with the Vikings.
During his time in Minnesota, Rashad earned four Pro Bowl appearances and helped drive his team to an appearance in Super Bowl XI.
While the Vikings didn’t end up winning it all in 1977, Rashad left a permanent, and impressive, mark on the league.
Rashad caught 495 passes for 6,831 yards and 44 touchdowns in his 10 years in the league. He also earned 44 rushing yards and has the longest-ever play from scrimmage without a touchdown – a 98-yard pass against the Rams.
Many football fans will always remember the Miracle Pass, or the Miracle at the Met, in December of 1980. Quarterback Tommy Kramer hoisted up a Hail Mary pass to Rashad which led to the Vikings’ come-from-behind win over the Cleveland Browns in the Central Division Championship.
Rashad has not been named to the NFL’s Hall of Fame but in 1992 he was added to Oregon’s Hall of Fame and in 2007 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.