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Wikipedia list article
This list is complete and up to date as of December 2021.
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]
New NFL Record
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
|
2016
|
Alex Erickson
|
810
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
2017
|
Tyler Lockett
|
949
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
2018
|
Andre Roberts
|
1,174
|
New York Jets
|
2019
|
Cordarrelle Patterson
|
825
|
Chicago Bears
|
2020
|
Cordarrelle Patterson
|
1,017
|
Chicago Bears
|
References[]
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General | |
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Passing | |
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Rushing | |
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Receiving | |
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Defense | |
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Special teams | |
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