List of NFL annual kickoff return yards leaders explained
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
According to Pro Football Reference and The Football Database.[1] [2]
| Season | Player | Kickoff
return yards | Team |
|---|
| Marshall Goldberg | 290* | Chicago Cardinals |
| Marshall Goldberg (2) | 393* | Chicago Cardinals |
| Ken Heineman | 444* | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| John Grigas | 471* | Card-Pitt |
| Frank Seno | 408 | Chicago Cardinals |
| Sonny Karnofsky | 599* | Boston Yanks |
| Eddie Saenz | 797* | Washington Redskins |
| | 594 | Washington Redskins |
| Don Doll | 536 | Detroit Lions |
| Vitamin Smith | 742 | Los Angeles Rams |
| George Taliaferro | 622 | |
| Buddy Young | 643 | Dallas Texans |
| Woodley Lewis | 830* | Los Angeles Rams |
| Woodley Lewis (2) | 836* | Los Angeles Rams |
| Sid Watson | 716 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Al Carmichael | 927* | Green Bay Packers |
| Al Carmichael (2) | 690 | Green Bay Packers |
| Jimmy Sears | 756 | Chicago Cardinals |
| Lenny Lyles | 565 | San Francisco 49ers |
| | 533 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Timmy Brown | 811 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Abe Woodson | 1,157* | San Francisco 49ers |
| Timmy Brown (2) | 945 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Mel Renfro | 1,017 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Kermit Alexander | 741 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Ron Smith | 1,013 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Ron Smith (2) | 976 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Chuck Latourette | 1,237* | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Bo Scott | 722 | Cleveland Browns |
| Alvin Haymond | 1,022 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Dave Hampton | 1,314* | Green Bay Packers |
| Margene Adkins | 1,020 | New Orleans Saints |
| Mack Herron | 1,092 | New England Patriots |
| Lou Piccone | 961 | New York Jets |
| Larry Jones | 1,086 | Washington Redskins |
| | 761 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Bruce Harper | 1,035 | New York Jets |
| Bruce Harper (2) | 1,280 | New York Jets |
| Bruce Harper (3) | 1,158 | New York Jets |
| Eddie Payton | 1,184 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Stump Mitchell | 1,292 | Los Angeles Rams |
| James Brooks | 749 | San Diego Chargers |
| Zachary Dixon | 1,171 | Baltimore Colts
Seattle Seahawks |
| Lionel James | 959 | San Diego Chargers |
| Buster Rhymes | 1,345* | Minnesota Vikings |
| Tim McGee
Herman Hunter | 1,007 | Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions |
| Paul Palmer | 923 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Tim Brown | 1,098 | Los Angeles Raiders |
| James Dixon | 1,181 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Eric Metcalf | 1,052 | Cleveland Browns |
| Mel Gray | 929 | Detroit Lions |
| Deion Sanders | 1,067 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Clarence Verdin | 1,050 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Tyrone Hughes | 1,556* | New Orleans Saints |
| Tyrone Hughes (2) | 1,617* | New Orleans Saints |
| Tyrone Hughes (3) | 1,791* | New Orleans Saints |
| Kevin Williams | 1,458 | Arizona Cardinals |
| Glyn Milburn | 1,550 | Chicago Bears |
| Brock Marion | 1,524 | Miami Dolphins |
| MarTay Jenkins | 2,186* | Arizona Cardinals |
| | 1,541 | San Diego Chargers |
| Michael Lewis | 1,807 | New Orleans Saints |
| Josh Scobey | 1,684 | Arizona Cardinals |
| Dante Hall | 1,718 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Chris Carr | 1,752 | Oakland Raiders |
| Chris Carr (2) | 1,762 | Oakland Raiders |
| Josh Cribbs | 1,809 | Cleveland Browns |
| Josh Wilson | 1,753 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Danny Amendola | 1,618 | St. Louis Rams |
| LaRod Stephens-Howling | 1,548 | Arizona Cardinals |
| Brandon Banks | 1,174 | Washington Redskins |
| David Wilson | 1,533 | New York Giants |
| Devin Hester | 1,436 | Chicago Bears |
| Devin Hester (2) | 1,128 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Ameer Abdullah | 1,077 | Detroit Lions |
| Alex Erickson | 810 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Tyler Lockett | 949 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Andre Roberts | 1,174 | New York Jets |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 825 | Chicago Bears |
| Cordarrelle Patterson (2) | 1,017 | Chicago Bears |
| Andre Roberts (2) | 1,010 | Houston Texans
Los Angeles Chargers |
| Keisean Nixon | 1,009 | Green Bay Packers |
| Keisean Nixon (2) | 782 | Green Bay Packers | |
American Football League (AFL)
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: NFL Year-by-Year Kick Return Yards Leaders . pro-football-reference.com . October 31, 2015 . November 24, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151124230307/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/kick_ret_yds_year_by_year.htm . live .
- Web site: NFL Yearly Leaders – Kickoff Return Yards . footballdb.com . October 31, 2015 . December 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222132316/http://www.footballdb.com/leaders/yearly-kickreturns-yards . live .
- Web site: 1960 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192946/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1960_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1961 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192947/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1961_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1962 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192947/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1962_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1963 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192947/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1963_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1964 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192949/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1964_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1965 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192948/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1965_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1966 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230920005918/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1966_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1967 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192947/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1967_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1968 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192948/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1968_AFL/returns.htm. live.
- Web site: 1969 AFL Kick & Punt Returns. pro-football-reference.com. 2023-08-20. 2023-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820192947/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1969_AFL/returns.htm. live.
