The 30 greatest Minnesota Vikings players of all-time
By Adam Patrick
RB. (1993-00). Robert Smith. 26. player. 60.
All-time Greatest Minnesota Vikings: No. 26 – Robert Smith
When discussing the greatest running backs ever to play for the Vikings, Robert Smith has to be included in the mix. After being a first-round draft pick of the team in 1993, Smith spent his entire eight-season NFL career in Minnesota.
It’s not enough to point out that he has the second-most rushing yards in franchise history at 6,818 yards, but the former first-round draft selection out of Ohio State in 1993 was named to the Pro Bowl twice and All-Pro Second Team once.
Sneaky out of the backfield, Smith caught 178 passes for 1,292 yards adding six touchdowns, with three of those scores coming in his final year with the Vikings. A dual-threat out of the backfield, he was a big reason the Minnesota offense was as scary as it was during the late 1990s.
A model of consistency, Smith rushed for over 1,000 yards for four consecutive seasons with Minnesota. Adding to that great statistic is the 4.8 yards per carry the running back averaged over the course of his 1,411 rushing attempts with the Vikings and only fumbled a total of nine times.
– AC