Kevin Long (running back)
| No. 33 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | January 20, 1955 Clinton, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | September 10, 2024 (aged 69) | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 212 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Clinton | ||||||||
| College | South Carolina | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1977: 7th round, 195th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Kevin Fernando Long (January 20, 1955 – September 10, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
College
Long attended the University of South Carolina and was a standout fullback for the Gamecocks. He rushed for 2,372 yards, ranked eighth overall on Carolina's all-time list as of 2006. His average per rush was 5.3 yards and he was the first Gamecock player to compile 1,000 yards in a season (1975). In 2002, Long was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2003, into the State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
NFL/USFL
Long was selected in the 7th round (195th overall) by the New York Jets in the 1977 NFL draft and played five solid seasons for the Jets, until 1981.[1] However, he is probably best remembered as a former USFL player. He played three seasons in the newly formed league, first for the Chicago Blitz in 1983, and then for the Arizona Wranglers in 1984. Due to the full-team trade that occurred during the first off-season between Chicago and Arizona, the 1984 Arizona team was basically the same team that had played in Chicago in 1983. After the 1984 season, Arizona then merged with the Oklahoma Outlaws franchise, and he played for the new Arizona Outlaws team in 1985.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1977 | NYJ | 14 | 4 | 56 | 170 | 3.0 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 7 | 0 |
| 1978 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 214 | 954 | 4.5 | 27 | 10 | 26 | 204 | 7.8 | 17 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYJ | 12 | 6 | 116 | 442 | 3.8 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 115 | 11.5 | 27 | 0 |
| 1980 | NYJ | 15 | 7 | 115 | 355 | 3.1 | 18 | 6 | 20 | 137 | 6.9 | 16 | 0 |
| 1981 | NYJ | 16 | 0 | 73 | 269 | 3.7 | 19 | 2 | 13 | 66 | 5.1 | 18 | 3 |
| 73 | 33 | 574 | 2,190 | 3.8 | 27 | 25 | 74 | 539 | 7.3 | 27 | 3 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1981 | NYJ | 1 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 3.5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 3.5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Personal life and death
Long worked in sales for a vending machine company. He was married and had three daughters. His eldest daughter won a track and field scholarship to the University of Georgia. His second daughter plays volleyball at the College of Charleston. Long died on September 10, 2024, at the age of 69.[2]
References
- ↑ "1977 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- ↑ Gamecocks mourn the Passing of Hall of Fame running back Kevin Long
External links
- 1955 births
- 2024 deaths
- People from Clinton, South Carolina
- Players of American football from South Carolina
- American football running backs
- South Carolina Gamecocks football players
- New York Jets players
- Chicago Blitz players
- Arizona Wranglers players
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American football running back, 1950s birth stubs