Boldin vs. history
Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver ANQUAN BOLDIN (right) started his National Football League career with a bang. The rookie out of Florida State had 10 catches for 217 yards in his professional debut as the Cardinals fell to the Detroit Lions 42-24 in Week 1. Boldin's 217 yards receiving were the most ever by a rookie in his first NFL game. The only other 200-yard game recorded thus far this season came last weekend when the Torry Holt of the St. Louis Rams had 200 yards on 11 catches.
Boldin has accumulated 48 catches for 672 yards, 14.0 average, 3 TDs and a long reception of 71 yards in the first eight games of his pro career. He is well on the way to becoming just the 12th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie. Here are the 10 players who've accomplished the feat.
|
Receivers with 1,000 Yards as a rookie
|
||||||
| Year | Player |
No.
|
Yds.
|
Avg.
|
Long
|
TD
|
| 1952 | Billy Howton, Green Bay Packers |
53
|
1,231
|
23.2
|
90
|
13
|
| 1954 | Harlon Hill, Chicago Bears |
45
|
1,124
|
25.0
|
76
|
12
|
| 1960 | Bill Groman, Houston Oilers |
72
|
1,473
|
20.5
|
92
|
12
|
| 1961 | Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears |
56 |
1,076 |
19.2 |
76 |
12 |
| 1965 | Bob Hayes, Dallas Cowboys |
46
|
1,003
|
21.8
|
82
|
12
|
| 1978 | John Jefferson, San Diego Chargers |
56
|
1,001
|
17.9
|
46
|
13
|
| 1981 | Cris Collinsworth, Cincinnati Bengals |
67
|
1,009
|
15.1
|
74
|
8
|
| 1986 | Ernest Givins, Houston Oilers |
61
|
1,062
|
17.4
|
60
|
3
|
| 1995 | Joey Galloway, Seattle Seahawks |
67
|
1,039
|
15.5
|
59
|
7
|
| 1996 | Terry Glenn, New England Patriots |
90
|
1,132
|
12.6
|
37
|
6
|
| 1998 | Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings |
69
|
1,313
|
19.0
|
61
|
17
|
Hall of Famers as rookies
Here's a look at how the 17 modern-era wide receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame fared as rookies.
The Seattle Seahawks' Steve Largent had the best rookie campaign with regards to catches with 54.
Paul Warfield (left) of the Cleveland Browns came the closest of the Hall of Famers to reaching the 1,000-yard plateau as a rookie (920 yards).
|
Rookie seasons by the modern era wide receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
|
|||||||
| Hall of Famer |
Year
|
Team |
G
|
No.
|
Yds.
|
Avg.
|
TD
|
| Lance Alworth |
1962
|
San Diego |
4
|
10
|
226
|
22.6
|
3
|
| Raymond Berry |
1955
|
Baltimore |
12
|
13
|
205
|
15.8
|
0
|
| Fred Biletnikoff |
1965
|
Oakland |
14
|
24
|
331
|
13.8
|
0
|
| Tom Fears |
1948
|
Los Angeles Rams |
12
|
51
|
698
|
13.7
|
4
|
| Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch * |
1949
|
Los Angeles Rams |
12
|
22
|
326
|
14.8
|
4
|
| Charlie Joiner |
1969
|
Houston |
7
|
7
|
77
|
11
|
0
|
| Steve Largent |
1976
|
Seattle |
14
|
54
|
705
|
13.1
|
4
|
| Dante Lavelli |
1946
|
Cleveland (AAFC) |
14
|
40
|
843
|
21.1
|
8
|
| James Lofton |
1978
|
Green Bay |
16
|
46
|
818
|
17.8
|
6
|
| Don Maynard |
1958
|
New York |
12
|
5
|
84
|
16.8
|
0
|
| Tommy McDonald |
1957
|
Philadelphia |
12
|
9
|
228
|
25.3
|
3
|
| Bobby Mitchell * |
1958
|
Cleveland |
12
|
16
|
131
|
8.2
|
3
|
| Pete Pihos |
1947
|
Philadelphia |
12
|
23
|
382
|
16.6
|
7
|
| John Stallworth |
1974
|
Pittsburgh |
13
|
16
|
269
|
16.8
|
1
|
| Lynn Swann |
1974
|
Pittsburgh |
12
|
11
|
208
|
18.9
|
2
|
| Charley Taylor |
1964
|
Washington |
14
|
53
|
814
|
15.4
|
5
|
| Paul Warfield |
1964
|
Cleveland |
14
|
52
|
920
|
17.7
|
9
|
* also played as halfback