In today's specialized NFL, the only game action premier return men participate in on is special teams. This, however, was not always the case. Back in the earlier days of the league, the job of returning kickoffs and punts was usually reserved for the fastest or most agile athlete on the team. For this reason, Ollie Matson is in the record books for most career return touchdowns with 9. However, Matson was much more than simply an exceptional return man.

Over his brilliant 14-season career, Matson rushed for 5,173 yards, caught 222 passes, and scored 73 touchdowns. All told, he gained 12,884 yards on rushing, receptions, and returns, over 7 miles combined. All this against defenses that were geared to stop him. And it wasn't as if Matson was running behind a bunch of Hall-of-Famers either. In his 14 seasons, Matson's teams (Chicago Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles) finished above .500 a grand total of 2 times.

Unfortunately, it is easy to judge player's greatness simply by the number of championship rings he possesses. In this solitary category, Matson falls short.

What Matson could and should be remembered for is being one of the most versatile and talented offensive players to ever participate in the NFL. His 1972 induction into the Hall of Fame proves this to be true.

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