Terry Metcalf
He did everything for us except drive the bus to the stadium
Dan Dierdorf
One of the outstanding All Purpose Backs of the NFL in the 70s. Terry Metcalf was a third round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals from Long Beach in 1973. He didn’t waste any time making an impact led the Cards with 1068 All-Purpose Yards as well as being the team’s #2 rusher with 628 yards on the ground.
It was 1973 when the NFL began to really take notice of him as he was the best rusher, pass receiver and return man in St. Louis and he ranked #3 in the league with 2058 All-Purpose yards.
In 1975 he set an new NFL record with 2462 All-Purpose Yards. That record stood until 1985, but it took Lionel James 16 games to break the record. It took Terry Metcalf only 14 games to set the mark.
In 1978 he jumped to the CFL but couldn’t put up the same stats. In 1981 he returned to the NFL for one final season with the Washington Redskins.
His son, Eric Metcalf, was a 2-time All Pro that played 13 seasons in the NFL.
Image Gallery of Terry Metcalf, Running Back 1973-1977
| Rushing Numbers | Receiving Numbers | Totals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Team | Games | Carries | Yards | Y/A | Long | TD | Catches | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD | Touches | Y/Touch | YScm | Total TD | ||||||||||
| 1973 | 22 | STL | 12 | 148 | 628 | 4.2 | 50 | 2 | 37 | 316 | 8.5 | 35 | 0 | 185 | 5.1 | 944 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 1974* | 23 | STL | 14 | 152 | 718 | 4.7 | 75 | 6 | 50 | 377 | 7.5 | 22 | 1 | 202 | 5.4 | 1095 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 1975* | 24 | STL | 13 | 165 | 816 | 4.9 | 52 | 9 | 43 | 378 | 8.8 | 30 | 2 | 208 | 5.7 | 1194 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 1976 | 25 | STL | 12 | 134 | 537 | 4.0 | 36 | 3 | 33 | 388 | 11.8 | 48 | 4 | 167 | 5.5 | 925 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 1977* | 26 | STL | 14 | 149 | 739 | 5.0 | 62 | 4 | 34 | 403 | 11.9 | 68 | 2 | 183 | 6.2 | 1142 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 1978 | Missed season – joined the Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | 30 | WAS | 16 | 18 | 60 | 3.3 | 12 | 0 | 48 | 595 | 12.4 | 52 | 0 | 66 | 9.9 | 655 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 5 seasons Cardinals | 65 | 748 | 3438 | 4.6 | 75 | 24 | 197 | 1862 | 9.5 | 68 | 9 | 945 | 5.6 | 5300 | 33 | ||||||||||||
| 1 season Redskins | 16 | 18 | 60 | 3.3 | 12 | 0 | 48 | 595 | 12.4 | 52 | 0 | 66 | 9.9 | 655 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 6-year NFL Career | 81 | 766 | 3498 | 4.6 | 75 | 24 | 245 | 2457 | 10.0 | 68 | 9 | 1011 | 5.9 | 5955 | 33 | ||||||||||||
| Year | Age | Team | Att | Comp | Cmp% | Y/A | Yards | Long | TD | Int | Rate | Sacked | Yards Lost | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974* | 23 | STL | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 1975* | 24 | STL | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | 25.5 | 51 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 135.4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 1976 | 25 | STL | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 1977* | 26 | STL | 5 | 3 | 60.0 | 5.4 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 74.6 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Missed season joined the Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career | 10 | 4 | 40.0 | 7.8 | 78 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 67.9 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Team | Games | Returns | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD | Rt | Yards | Y/Rt | Long | TD | All-Purpose Yards | ||||
| 1973 | 22 | STL | 12 | 4 | 124 | 31.0 | 48 | 0 | 1068 | |||||||||
| 1974* | 23 | STL | 14 | 26 | 340 | 13.1 | 43 | 0 | 20 | 623 | 31.2 | 94 | 1 | 2058 | ||||
| 1975* | 24 | STL | 13 | 23 | 285 | 12.4 | 69 | 1 | 35 | 960 | 27.4 | 93 | 1 | 2462 | ||||
| 1976 | 25 | STL | 12 | 17 | 188 | 11.1 | 39 | 0 | 16 | 325 | 20.3 | 33 | 0 | 1438 | ||||
| 1977* | 26 | STL | 14 | 14 | 108 | 7.7 | 23 | 0 | 32 | 772 | 24.1 | 51 | 0 | 2022 | ||||
| 1981 | 30 | WAS | 16 | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 283 | 20.2 | 36 | 0 | 953 | ||||
| 5 seaons Cardinals | 65 | 80 | 921 | 11.5 | 69 | 1 | 107 | 2804 | 26.2 | 94 | 2 | 9048 | ||||||
| 1 season Redskins | 16 | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 283 | 20.2 | 36 | 0 | 953 | ||||||
| 6-year NFL Career | 81 | 84 | 936 | 11.1 | 69 | 1 | 121 | 3087 | 25.5 | 94 | 2 | 10001 | ||||||
