Marcus Allen takes a breather as the quarterback at Lincoln High in San Diego during 1977 season. He went to become an all-time great NFL running back. Photo: Partletonsports.com.
With the NFL season in full swing, this is the second in a series of posts in which we rank the top 20 all-time players from the state from every position. These rankings will be different than others we’ve done in the past in that they’ll be based strictly on how players have done after high school and not on what they did during high school. It’s a debate any way you look at it and the one for RBs is really tricky because what do you with the good, the bad and the ugly of O.J. Simpson?
(Note: The following players from California high schools are all ranked in order based on their success after they’ve gone on to college and to the NFL. We obviously also only considered what they did on the field. Writeups by Sean Tennis, University of Nevada.)
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Previous All-Time State Player Rankings: QBs (WRs coming next)
1. Marcus Allen (Lincoln, San Diego)
As the only player in football history to win a Heisman Trophy, NCAA national championship, a Super Bowl, Super Bowl MVP, and NFL MVP, Allen is a clear choice for No. 1 on our list. As a freshman at USC, the former QB at San Diego Lincoln backed up fellow Heisman winner and top 20 back Charles White when the Trojans won a national championship. Allen won the Heisman Trophy himself in 1981, rushing for 2,342 yards and 22 touchdowns. He still shares the record for most 200 yards games in a college career (12). As a rookie in the NFL, Allen won offensive rookie of the year and led the league in rushing touchdowns. In 1983, Allen led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory, rushing for 191 yards and scoring two touchdowns in the game. Allen’s 74-yard touchdown run is the second-longest in the game. He won NFL MVP in 1985, rushing for 1,759 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also played for 16 total NFL seasons, 11 with the Raiders and five with Kansas City. Allen ranks 13th all-time in rushing yards and 3rd all-time in rushing touchdowns with 123.
