197. Dan Towler

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The respected website, Football Nation, referred to Dan Towler as the “greatest running back you don’t know”, and they may be on to something as despite winning an NFL Championship with the Los Angeles Rams in 1951 when he was their star rusher, he was overshadowed by more prominent names throughout his brief career in professional football.

Towler came to the Rams with no fanfare or even the remotest of expectations as a 25^th Round Pick from Washington & Jefferson, so for him to also make the team had to be considered a win. Towler saw limited action as a rookie, but in his second season, he was a large part of their offense, rushing for 854 Yards and going to the first of four straight Pro Bowls. With Towler’s help, the Rams won the NFL Championship that year (1951), and in 1952, he would lead the league in Rushing Yards (894) and Rushing Touchdowns (10), earning First Team All-Pro honors. The Fullback would again rush for over 800 Yards in 1953, and he led the NFL in Rushing Touchdowns for the second time in 1954. His play rapidly declined due to injury, and he was retired after 1955, but there was no shadow of a doubt that he was an elite player for a few seasons in the early 50s.

The Bullet Points

Country of Origin: Donora, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Eligible Since: Tuesday, 01 January 1963
Position: Fullback
Games Played: 67
Notable Statistics: 672 Rushing Attempts
3,493 Rushing Yards
43 Rushing Touchdowns
62 Receptions
665 Receiving Yards
1 Receiving Touchdown
1 Punt Return
0 Punt Return Yards
7 Kick Returns
66 Kick Return Yards

5 Playoff Games
45 Rushing Attempts
156 Rushing Yards
2 Rushing Touchdowns
3 Receptions
35 Receiving Yards
Played For: Los Angeles Rams
College: Arkansas Tech
Drafted: 25th Round, 324th Overall in 1950
Major Accolades and Awards:
NFL Champion (Los Angeles Rams, 1951)
First Team All-Pro (1952)
Second Team All-Pro (1954)
Pro Bowl (1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
Most Rushing Yards (1952)
Most Rushing Touchdowns (1952 & 1954)
Most Rushing Yards per Game (1952)
Other Points of Note:
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Attempts (4) (1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Yards (4) (1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Touchdowns (5) (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Yards per Rushing Attempt (3) (1951, 1952 & 1953)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Yards per Game (4) (1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Touchdowns (3) (1952, 1953 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Points Scored (2) (1952 & 1954)
Top Ten Finishes: Yards From Scrimmage (3) (1951, 1952 & 1953)
Top Ten Finishes: All-Purpose Yards (2) (1951 & 1952)
Notable All Time Rankings: None.