* Adrian Peterson ( born 1985 ), American NFL running back

In the 2001 NFL Draft, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers, acquiring the first overall pick ( which was used on quarterback Michael Vick ) in exchange for wide receiver / return specialist Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick ( used on running back LaDainian Tomlinson ).

In the NFL running backs must wear numbers 20 to 49, tight ends must wear numbers 80 to 89 ( or 40 to 49 if the numbers 80 to 89 have been exhausted ), and wide receivers must wear numbers 10 to 19 or 80 to 89.

The NFL began running promotional television ads for fantasy football featuring current players for the first time.

* 1982 – Michael Turner ( American football ), NFL running back for the Atlanta Falcons

The inaugural season featured many of the players who would lead Jacksonville into the playoffs in the team's next four seasons, including quarterback Mark Brunell ( acquired in a draft day trade from Green Bay ), offensive lineman Tony Boselli ( drafted with the 2nd pick overall in the 1995 NFL Draft ) running back James Stewart ( also drafted in 1995 ), and wide receiver Jimmy Smith ( signed as a free agent ).

The Dolphins set the NFL single-season rushing record, and running backs Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first teammates to each rush for 1, 000 yards in a season.

With the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected running back Tommy Mason of Tulane.

During the 1999 NFL Draft, Ditka traded all of his picks for that season, as well as the first-round and third-round picks for the following season, to the Washington Redskins in order to draft University of Texas Heisman Trophy running back Ricky Williams in the first round.

During this period in their history, standout players included defensive end Michael Strahan, who set the NFL single season record in sacks in 2001, and running back Tiki Barber, who set a team record for rushing yards in a season in 2005.

) By the late 1940s, head coach Earle " Greasy " Neale and running back Steve Van Buren led the team to three consecutive NFL Championship Games, winning two of them in 1948 and 1949.

Lionel " Little Train " James, a mere 5 ' 6 " and 171 pound running back, set NFL record of 2, 535 all-purpose yards while also setting a record of 1, 027 receiving yards by a running back.

In the NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns, he collided with linebacker Jim Houston while running for a first down, and Houston had to be helped off the field after the play ended.

The Vikings ' main weapon on their rushing game was NFL Rookie of the Year running back Chuck Foreman, who rushed for 801 yards, caught 37 passes for 362 yards, and scored six touchdowns.

Another key player on the Eagles offense was halfback Wilbert Montgomery, who was widely considered one of the top running backs in the NFL and had rushed for over 1, 200 rushing yards in the last 2 seasons.

Then on the next play, running back Timmy Smith, a rookie in his first NFL start, took off for a 58-yard touchdown run, making the score 21 – 10.

The Redskins primary weapon in the backfield was running back Earnest Byner, who ranked 5th in the NFL with 1, 048 rushing yards, while also catching 34 passes for 308 yards and scoring 5 touchdowns.

Superstar running back Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing, with 1, 713 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 335 yards and another touchdown.

The Broncos ' offense, under the leadership of Elway and running back Terrell Davis, had another outstanding regular season, ranking 2nd in the NFL with 501 points and gaining 6, 276 yards ( 3rd in the league ).

Davis had one of the greatest seasons of any running back in NFL history, rushing for 2, 008 yards, catching 25 passes for 217 yards, and scoring 23 touchdowns to earn him both the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.

In all, Faulk gained a record 2, 429 total yards and became just the second running back in NFL history to gain over 1, 000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season ( Roger Craig was the first ).

With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams and future 4-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmie Giles, the first 1000-yard rushing season from running back Ricky Bell, and a smothering, league-leading defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, the Bucs kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a stunning performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Many former and current NFL head coaches trace their lineage back to Bill Walsh on his coaching tree, shown below.

* Among other rule changes in 2007, kickoffs were moved from the 35-yard line back five yards to the 30-yard line, matching a change that the NFL had made in 1994.

Following the Colts first NFL championship, the team once again posted a 9 – 3 record during the 1959 season and would defeat the Giants once again in the NFL Championship Game to claim their second title in back to back fashion.

Ole Haugsrud was added to the NFL team ownership because in the 1920s when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league, the agreement allowed him 10 % of any future Minnesota team.

The team's heated rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933 and has been called the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century.

The rivalry between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest rivalry in the NFC East and one of the oldest in the NFL, dating all the way back to 1933.

After relocating back to Oakland, the team sued the NFL for interfering with their negotiations to build a new stadium at Hollywood Park prior to the move.

Their heated rivalry with the Giants is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933 and has been considered the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century.

Before 2005, Seattle had the longest drought of playoff victories of any NFL team, dating back to the 1984 season.

As of the 2011 season, the Seattle Seahawks have competed in 36 NFL seasons, dating back to their expansion year of 1976.

On the next play, Dallas committed a 15-yard holding penalty on the 42-yard line, which was a spot foul, pushing the team all the way back to their own 27-yard line ( the NFL did not reduce the penalty for offensive holding to 10 yards until 1974 ).

NFL safety Ronnie Lott had the tip of his little finger removed after it was damaged in the 1985 NFL season.

Although the 49ers had 3 rookies starting as defensive backs, they all were major defensive threats: Carlton Williamson recorded 4 interceptions, Eric Wright had 3, and Ronnie Lott recorded 7 interceptions and tied an NFL record by returning 3 of them for touchdowns.

James Brown hosted all the events with help from his fellow Fox NFL Sunday cast members Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Ronnie Lott.

* Ronnie Brown, NFL player

Former NFL players ( including USC alumni ), such as Ronnie Lott, Gary Plummer, Tim McDonald and Willie McGinest offered their support for Carroll, who they noted had a player-friendly, easygoing style that might suit the college game and particularly recruiting.

Ronald Mandel " Ronnie " Lott ( born May 8, 1959 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in the National Football League ( NFL ) for fifteen seasons during the 1980s and 1990s.

In week 1 of the 2011 NFL Season, Reed recorded two interceptions against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, passing Ronnie Lott for most games with multiple interceptions.

Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. ( born December 12, 1981 ) is an American football running back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League ( NFL ).

In 1998, off the heels of NBC losing the rights to telecast the NFL to CBS, Cris Collinsworth joined Fox NFL Sunday and subsequently replaced Ronnie Lott.