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Under the positive direction of Ollie Wilson, the Falcons running game has experienced a solid track record of success, which includes leading the NFL in rushing yards in each of the past three seasons. Wilson, who coached running backs for the Falcons from 1991-96, returned to the Falcons in 2002. Since the start of his second stint five years ago, no other team has rushed for more yards than the Falcons.
Atlanta set franchise single-season records in 2006 for rushing yards and average yards per attempt, boasting 2,939 yards on the ground for a 5.5-yard per carry average. The 2,939 rushing yards marked the ninth highest single-season total in NFL history and were the most since the 1984 Chicago Bears. The team rushed for over 200 yards in six games last year, including a new regular season team record of 306 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
Running Back Warrick Dunn posted his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season last year, while rookie RB Jerious Norwood rushed for 633 yards with a 6.4-yard per carry average. Falcons runners also boasted several explosive plays as the birds led the NFL with 86 rushes of 10 or more yards. Dunn set a new team mark for longest run from scrimmage in Falcons history with a 90-yard touchdown rush and Norwood's touchdown scampers of 78 and 69 yards, respectively, placed his name in the top five of the longest runs all-time in team annuals.
Over the past three seasons, Wilson's runners have helped the offense rack up 18 games of 200-plus rushing yards (including the postseason), which is tops in the NFL. The three-year combined rushing total of 8,157 yards is the most in the NFL and is 1,000 yards higher than the Denver Broncos, who have the second highest total with 7,024.
Wilson's backs have produced the top three highest yards per carry average in a season ever in franchise history with 5.47 in '06, 5.09 in '04 and 4.795 in '05. Big plays in the running game have been abundant as the Falcons ranked first in the NFL for rushes over 20 yards with 23 in '06, tied for first with 19 in '05 and led the NFL with 22 in 2004.
Individually speaking, Dunn enjoyed his first trip to the Pro Bowl in six seasons in 2005 with a career-high 1,416 yards (eighth best in the NFL) and his 5.1 per carry average was the best in team history and the fourth-highest in the League. With those 1,416 yards, Dunn became only the fourth Falcons player ever to rush for over 1,400 yards in a season.
Wilson's overall production from the running back position has been equally impressive since he arrived in Atlanta. The Falcons have the most rushing yards in the entire NFL with 12,474 yards, averaging nearly 2,500 yards on the ground per season.
In 2004, Wilson's handiwork was evidenced by his runners posting the NFL's best rushing attack for the first time in team history with a then franchise record of 2,672 yards. The 2,672 yards represented the third-highest rushing total in the NFL since 1990. They also established another new team mark at the time, boasting a 5.1-yards per carry average, to eclipse the old mark 4.5-yards per carry in 2002. It marked only the ninth time since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978 that a team averaged 5.1 yards or more per carry. The birds' 20 rushing touchdowns was the third-highest mark in the League.
Wilson's crew also finished with 327 yards rushing in a 47-17 NFC Divisional Playoff victory over St. Louis in the 2005 postseason, the fourth-highest postseason rushing total in NFL history. It was also the highest single-game (regular season or post-season) total in team history. RB T.J. Duckett also put his stamp on the successful running back tandem in 2004 by averaging 4.9 yards per carry, third-highest in the NFL, and setting team records for most rushing touchdowns in a game (four), most touchdowns in a game (four) and most points scored (24) in a game against Oakland.
In 2003, under Wilson's direction, Dunn and Duckett distinguished themselves as one of the best one-two combinations in the NFL as the Falcons finished with at the time their fourth-highest per-carry average in franchise history (4.480). Dunn averaged 5.4 yards per carry, a full 1.5 yards above his career average, before he was lost for the season with a foot injury in Week 12 against Tennessee. Duckett rushed for a career-best 779 yards and set a franchise record by scoring a touchdown in seven straight games.
In 2002, the Falcons averaged 148.0 yards rushing per game (fourth in the NFL), then the fourth-highest mark in team history. Also, they established team records for most rushing touchdowns in a season (23) and best per-carry average (4.528 yards).
Wilson returned to Atlanta in 2002 after spending five seasons as the Running Backs Coach with the San Diego Chargers. In San Diego, Wilson helped tutor rookie runner LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 and saw the fruits of his labor pay immediate dividends when Tomlinson established a Chargers rookie record of 1,236 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns. The 1,236 yards stood second only in San Diego's team history at the time to Natrone Means' 1,350 yards in 1994.
In addition, through Wilson's help, Tomlinson also broke a then 36-year old team record by totaling 1,603 combined yards from scrimmage with another 367 yards receiving on 59 receptions. Tomlinson finished second in the Associated Press' balloting for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to Chicago Bears RB Anthony Thomas.
In his first stint in Atlanta (1991-96), Wilson's three running backs rushed for 1,000 yards or more, including Jamal Anderson (1,055 in 1996), Craig Heyward (1,083 in 1995) and Erric Pegram (1,185 in 1993). Heyward's productive 1995 season made him the first Atlanta Falcons runner to be voted to the Pro Bowl since 1988.
Wilson's first taste of the NFL came as part of the league's successful Minority Coaching Fellowship program with the then Houston Oilers and also with the Falcons. Wilson boasts a college coaching background that includes the University of California Berkeley (1983-90), where he coached running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. Healso served as the Offensive Coordinator at Northeastern University for eight seasons (1976-82) and his first coaching position was wide receivers for Springfield College in 1975.
Wilson was an honorable mention All-America wide receiver for Springfield College. He was born on March 3, 1951 in Worcester, Mass. He and his wife, Nadine, reside in Suwanee, Ga. |
