Roger Craig’s three-decade wait to hear his name join the hallowed halls of Canton, Ohio, officially came to a close Thursday night.
Craig, the Nebraska football alum and legendary NFL running back, was announced as one of five new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 during the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco.
The Bay Area setting was fitting for Craig, who built his NFL Hall of Fame resume as a key part of the San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty of the 1980s. A two-way threat as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, he was the first player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Craig accomplished that in 1985 and later led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage in 1988.
San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig (33) and Guy McIntyre (62) in action against Washington Redskins defensive back Martin Mayhew (35) at Candlestick Park. | Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images
Prior to becoming a key cog of Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense, Craig arrived at Nebraska in 1979 from Davenport, Iowa, to play college football. Craig was a legacy Cornhusker, joining the program after his brother Curtis was a wingback for the Huskers from 1975-77.
Craig was an almost immediate star despite the depth at I-back for the Huskers in the early 1980s. He began his sophomore season in 1980 as the third-string back yet gained 769 rushing yards for a 7.1 yards per carry average along with 15 rushing touchdowns. He was named Big Eight Conference offensive player of the week after a late-October matchup against Colorado, rushing for 176 yards and three scores.
As a junior in 1981, Craig led the team in rushing with 1,060 yards, becoming Nebraska’s seventh single-season 1,000-yard rusher despite splitting time with future Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier. During his final year in Lincoln in 1982, injuries slowed Craig down while he again split time with Rozier – including an experiment putting Craig at fullback with Rozier at I-back.
Craig would finish his four seasons at Nebraska three yards shy of the No. 3 spot in the career-rushing list at the time with 2,446 rushing yards. Craig now sits 21st all-time in Nebraska history,
San Francisco 49ers running back (33) Roger Craig follows the block of (81) Jamie Williams against New York Giants defensive tackle (70) Leonard Marshall at Candlestick Park during the 1990 NFC Championship Game. The Giants defeated the 49ers 15-13. | Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images
Craig would go on to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft, being picked at No. 49 overall. The 49ers and Craig became a force, winning Super Bowls to cap the 1984, 1988, and 1989 seasons, with the running back earning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1988.
Craig would follow his final season in San Francisco in 1990 with a one-year stint with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991 and a two-year period with the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 1993. He finished his NFL career with 8,189 rushing yards, including 51 scores, while nabbing 566 receptions for 4,911 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. The dynamic back finished with 13,100 yards from scrimmage over 11 NFL seasons.
Since Craig’s historic 1,000 rushing, 1,000 receiving yard season in 1985, only two NFL players have matched the feat: Marshall Faulk in 1999 and Christian McCaffery in 2019. Craig is also one of only three NFL running backs to lead the league in receptions for a single season, while his 410 yards from scrimmage in Super Bowl appearances are the third-most ever.
Exclusive: Roger Craig elected to Hall of Fame…according to multiple sources. Official announcement comes Thursday at @NFL Honors show. 65 year old #49ers legend is 3-time #SuperBowl champion who was 1st player to have 1K yards rushing/receiving in same season. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/YDTr1KO8W2
— Raj Mathai (@rajmathai) February 4, 2026
Craig’s formal induction this summer will give Nebraska its sixth honoree in Canton. The running back will join Guy Chamberlain, Roy “Link” Lyman, Bob Brown, Will Shields, and Mick Tingelhoff as former Huskers enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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