Corey Dillon

Corey Dillon (born October 24, 1974 in Seattle, Washington) is a former American football running back. He is retired from his football career, having played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon attended the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.

High school career

Dillon attended Franklin High School. Dillon at Franklin teamed with his cousin, Ed Raiford, to form one of the state's most talented twosome. Dillon garnered Parade, USA, and Tom Flemming All-American awards. He was a two-sport standout starring in football and baseball. Dillon was also an excellent baseball catcher, and garnered All-Metro honors, and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.

College career

Dillon played JC ball at Dixie State College of Utah in St. George, Utah, in 1995, and was chosen JC Offensive Back of the Year by College Sports magazine after rushing 279 times for 1999 yards and 20 TDs. In 1994, he rushed for 1165 yards and 16 TDs at Garden City Community College in Kansas.

At the University of Washington, Dillon set the team all-time single-season records for rushing yards (1,555 yards) and touchdowns scored (22) in 1996. In the first quarter against San Jose State University, Dillon rushed for 222 yards and caught an 83 yard touchdown pass, setting NCAA records for both rushing yards and all-purpose yards (305) in one quarter. Dillon did not re-enter the game as the Washington Huskies were comfortably ahead 36-0 by the end of the first quarter.

In the 1996 Holiday Bowl vs. Colorado, he rushed for 140 yards and added 2 more touchdowns to his regular-season total of 23 … Scored 5 TDs in 41-21 conquest of UCLA, earning Sports Illustrated National Player of the Week honors as he rushed for 145 yards and added 53 yards in receptions.

NFL career

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Dillon in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. During his first season, Dillon set the then-NFL rookie rushing record for yards in a single game (246) (Mike Anderson broke the record in 2000; Minnesota's Adrian Peterson again broke the record in 2007 against the San Diego Chargers) in a 41-14 win over the Tennessee Oilers. For six seasons, Dillon was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise horrible Bengals team. After a 2001 game Dillon said “we will never win with the Brown family in Cincinnati." From 1997 to 2002 he rushed for over 1000 yards each year, and made the Pro Bowl 3 times (1999-2001). He also set an NFL record for most yards rushed in one game (278 yards) against the Denver Broncos, breaking Walter Payton’s single-game mark of 275. The record has since been broken by Jamal Lewis on September 14, 2003 and Adrian Peterson on November 4, 2007.

In 2003, Dillon only rushed for 541 yards due to injury, which, along with the emergence of Rudi Johnson, precipitated the trade of Corey Dillon to the New England Patriots for a second-round pick. The Oakland Raiders appeared to be the first team to express interest, but the Raiders were unwilling to sacrifice an early-round draft choice for the aging running back. Dillon left the Bengals as the team's all-time leading rusher with 8,016 yards, surpassing James Brooks's 6,447 yards.

In the 2004 season, Dillon proved himself to be a mature and dedicated team player, putting to rest the negative reputation he acquired before arriving in New England. He set career highs and franchise records with 1,635 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He was a major factor in the Patriots win over the Indianapolis Colts in New England's first playoff game, rushing for 144 yards and catching 5 passes for 17 yards. New England won its third Super Bowl, due in no small part to the running game built around Dillon. He was the top rusher of Super Bowl XXXIX with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also catching 3 passes for 31 yards, for 106 total yards. Overall, Dillon rushed for a total of 292 yards, caught 9 passes for 53 yards, and scored 2 touchdowns in New England's 3 postseason games.

In 2005, injury problems plagued Dillon and he was not able to duplicate his stats from 2004. He remained a major contributor to the team, rushing for 733 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. The Patriots used Dillon more frequently as a pass receiver, with 23 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown, which was more receiving yards than he had gained in his past 2 seasons combined.

In the 2006 season, Dillon began sharing the team's rushing duties with rookie running back Laurence Maroney. He finished the year with 812 rushing yards and a career high 13 touchdowns; the latter tied him for third in the league that season.

On March 2, 2007 the Patriots released Dillon on the first day of training camp.

In mid-August of the 2007 NFL preseason there were rumors that Dillon might rejoin the Cincinnati Bengals, due to the loss of backup RB Kenny Irons to season-ending knee surgery. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis struck down the rumor.

On August 5, 2007, Dillon told the Boston Globe that he will retire from the NFL.

On October 1, 2007, the press reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expressed interest in Dillon returning to the NFL; Dillon stated he was not interested.^[1]

On November 2, 2007 Dillon admitted to considering a comeback with the Patriots with the season-ending injury to RB Sammy Morris.^[2]

Relationship with the media

From the start of his NFL career, Dillon has never had a strong relationship with the media. He prefers to give one-on-one interviews rather than speaking with all members of the media at once. One of his most vocal lash-outs took place on January 5, 2006 during a media-access portion in the Patriots locker room, in which Dillon was asked about being buried by his critics.^[3]

Personal

Dillon and his wife, Desiree, have three daughters: Cameron, Carly and Devon. They reside in Southern California.

References

External links

• Corey Dillon at ESPN.com

• New England Patriots profile
• NFL's all time rushing leaders [1]
• Dillon's stats [2]
• More Current Stats
• Corey Dillon's Official Home Page
• Corey Dillon High School Stats