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9. Ollie Matson

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Ollie Matson, a 4x400 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 1952 Helsinki Games, already had plans after achieving huge Track and Field success; he was already the Third Overall Draft Pick by the Chicago Cardinals.

Matson had a strong rookie year with 1,326 All-Purpose Yards, a Pro Bowl, and a First Team All-Pro Selection.  He missed 1953 due to military service but was an even better version upon his return, leading the NFL in All-Purpose Yards in 1954 (1,666) and 1956 (1,524) and never had a season with the Cardinals where he had less than 1,200 APY.  His trophy case was laden over this period with six Pro Bowls and five First Team All-Pros.

Matson was among the few stars that the Cardinals had in the 50s, but his supporting cast was not great.  Chicago only had one winning season while he was there, and the Los Angeles Rams offered seven players and two draft picks for Matson, which they agreed to.  None of the players that the Cardinals received made much of a difference, but Matson's skills declined after he moved west.  Matson left behind 8,544 All-Purpose Yards and 46 Touchdowns.

An All-Decade Player in the 1950s, Matson entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.  He was part of the first group when the Cardinals began their Ring of Honor in 2006.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Flanker, Running Back
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 3rd Overall in the NFL Draft 1/17/52.
  • Departed: Traded to the Los Angeles Rams for Ken Panfil, Frank Fuller, Glenn Holtzman, Art Hauser, Don Brown, Larry Hickman, John Tracey, and the 1960 2nd and 4th Round Pick 3/23/59
  • Games Played: 72
  • Notable Statistics:

    62 Games Started
    761 Rushing Attempts
    3,331 Rushing Yards
    24 Rushing Touchdowns
    130 Receptions
    2,150 Receiving Yards
    16 Receiving Touchdowns
    48 Punt Returns
    524 Punt Return Yards
    3 Punt Return Yard Touchdowns
    86 Kick Returns
    2,454 Kick Return Yards
    6 Kick Return Touchdowns
    3 Interceptions
    51 Interception Return Yards
    4 Pass Completions
    13 Pass Attempts
    106 Passing Yards
    0 Touchdown Passes
    1 Interception
    61.7 Passer Rating
    N/A Approximate Value*

    No Playoff Games

    *Approximate Value was not calculated until 1960.
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    First Team All-Pro (1952, 1954, 1955, 1956 & 1957)
    Pro Bowl (1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 & 1958)
    Most All-Purpose Yards (1954 & 1956)
    Most Punt Return Yards (1955)
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