Alex Smith, Corey Dillon headline Seattle’s top 5 NFL stars

2. Corey Dillon, RB, 1997-2006 

Dillon was a two-sport standout at Seattle’s Franklin High School and actually selected by the San Diego Padres in the 1993 MLB Draft. But football was the sport for Dillon and after stints at a pair of junior colleges, he returned to his home state – the University of Washington – where he set the team’s all-time single-season records for rushing yards (1,695) and touchdowns scored (24) in 1996. He was drafted in the second round (47th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and in his rookie season, rushed 39 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns during a 41-14 win over the Tennessee Oilers which broke Jim Brown’s rookie single-game record that stood for 40 years. Dillon’s 1,129 yards that season is still a Bengals rookie record but for six seasons, he was the only bright spot of a struggling franchise. He rushed for over 1,000 yards each season from 1997-2002 and made the Pro Bowl three times from 1999-2002. On October 22, 2000, Dillon set an NFL record for most yards rushed in one game (278 yards), breaking Walter Payton’s single-game mark of 275 yards set in 1977 (Jamal Lewis and Adrian Peterson have since broken it). He was traded to the Patriots in 2004 and set career highs and franchise records with 1,635 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns that season. Dillon helped New England win Super Bowl XXXIX behind a game-high 75 rushing yards and a touchdown. He spent his final season as the NFL’s active leader in career rushing yards before retiring in 2007. The four-time Pro Bowl selection is a member of the Patriots All-2000s Team and All-Dynasty Team. 

Corey Dillon appreciation post.

⭐️ #SBXXXIX Champion
⭐️ 4x Pro Bowler
⭐️ 11,241 rushing yards
⭐️ 89 career touchdowns pic.twitter.com/RI8vP9AzfZ

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) August 26, 2021