(born 1960).U.S. professional football player Eric Dickerson was one of the leaders in rushing yards. He was born on Sept. 2, 1960, in Sealy, Tex. His rookie year in the National Football League (NFL) was 1983, when he won the Bert Bell Memorial trophy for outstanding rookie. He served as running back for the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he signed a four-year, 10.65-million-dollar contract. In 1984 he rushed 2,105 yards for a league record. He led the NFL in rushing in 1988, and in 1989 he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Later he played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Green Bay Packers, for a total of 11 seasons in the NFL. He retired soon after being traded to the Packers in 1993, after a damaged disk in his back made it too risky for him to play. He left second only to Walter Payton as the leading rusher, with more than 13,000 yards.