Rob Carpenter (running back)

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For the American football wide receiver, see Rob Carpenter (wide receiver).
Rob Carpenter
No. 26, 38
Born: (1955-04-20) April 20, 1955 (age 66)
Lancaster, Ohio
Career information
Position(s)Running back
CollegeMiami (OH)
NFL draft1977 / Round: 3 / Pick: 84
Career history
As player
1977–1981Houston Oilers
1981–1985New York Giants
1986Los Angeles Rams
Career stats

Robert Joseph Carpenter, Jr. (born April 20, 1955, in Lancaster, Ohio) is a former American football running back who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He is the father of linebacker Bobby Carpenter, former University of Cincinnati linebacker Johnathan Carpenter, former Marshall University linebacker George Carpenter, and former Ohio defensive back Nathan Carpenter. He currently resides in Lancaster, Ohio and is a gym teacher at Lancaster High School.

College career[]

Carpenter played for the Miami Redskins from 1973 to 1976, where he was a three-year letterman. He played for two Mid-American Conference championship teams in 1974 and 1975. In his final two seasons, he made first team All-MAC, and was an honorable mention on the College Football All-America Team, rushing for 1,142 yards as a Junior and 1,064 yards as a senior. In four seasons for the Redskins, Carpenter rushed for 2,909 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also catching 35 passes for 315 yards and two more scores.[1] Carpenter was inducted into Miami's athletic Hall of Fame in 1988.[2]

NFL career[]

Carpenter was selected by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1977 draft. After a solid 652-yard rushing season as a rookie, Carpenter spent most of his next three seasons as a blocking fullback for Houston's new star running back Earl Campbell, though he still managed to rush for over 340 yards in each one. In a 1979 divisional playoff game against the San Diego Chargers, Carpenter filled in for an injured Campbell, leading the team in rushing with 67 yards while also catching four passes for 23 yards in a 17–14 upset victory, despite being barely recovered from a knee injury himself, reportedly not taking a painkiller in order to "feel the pain."[3] In 1981, Carpenter was traded to the New York Giants after the fourth week for a third round draft pick.[4] He went on to have the best season of his career, rushing for a career high 822 yards, including four 100-yard games, before going on to lead the Giants to their first playoff victory in decades, carrying the ball 33 times for a franchise postseason record 161 yards while also catching four passes for 32 in a 27–21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Carpenter called the game "the greatest football day of my life".[5] Carpenter went on to rush for 61 yards and catch 3 passes for 18 in New York's loss to San Francisco in the following week. He continued playing for the Giants until 1985. Then after spending 1986 with the Los Angeles Rams, Carpenter retired with 6,070 career yards from scrimmage and 34 touchdowns.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Rob Carpenter College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "1988 Hall of Fame Inductees". Miami University RedHawks.
  3. ^ "Remembering the hysteria, love affair with the '70s Houston Oilers". NFL.com.
  4. ^ Katz, Michael (September 30, 1981). "GIANTS ACQUIRE ROB CARPENTER". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Carpenter Brings Giants the Power And the Glory Washington Post. December 29, 1981.
  6. ^ "Rob Carpenter Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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