Former Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts running back Randy McMillan died Wednesday. He was 67.
McMillan’s death was announced by the Colts on Thursday. No further details regarding his death were available.
Prior to his NFL career, McMillan was a star at the University of Pittsburgh alongside legendary quarterback Dan Marino. He was drafted by the then-Baltimore Colts with the 12th overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft.
McMillan burst onto the NFL scene, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns in his debut as the Colts defeated the Patriots, 29-28, on Sept. 6, 1981. The Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis ahead of the 1984 NFL season, and McMillan led the Colts in rushing yards each of the next three seasons.
However, after six seasons with the Colts, McMillan was struck by a car in April 1987 and sustained a significant leg injury, which prematurely ended his NFL career at age 28. McMillan was walking across a road in his native Maryland when he was hit by a car, shattering his tibia and fibula in his leg, according to The Baltimore Sun. He attempted an NFL comeback, but to no avail.
“That was my demise,” McMillan told The Baltimore Sun in 1992. “My tibia and fibula were broken, and there was nerve damage. Even when I healed, the legs didn’t react as they had before. I gained some strength and was able to go to training camp, but couldn’t do much and finally went back into rehab the middle of October. I tried to come back the next season, but the Colts let me go. I had some other offers, but I retired. I was not capable of doing the job the way I wanted to, and if I couldn’t do that, it was time to quit.”
McMillan finished his NFL career with 990 carries for 3,876 yards (3.9 ypc) and 24 touchdowns, along with 164 receptions for 1,356 yards and two touchdowns in 88 games played.