List of NFL annual kickoff return yards leaders

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This list is complete and up to date as of January 2023.

This is a list of National Football League kickoff returners who have led the regular season in kickoff return yards each year.

Kick return yards leaders

According to Pro Football Reference and The Football Database.[1][2]

Set record*
Season Player Kickoff
return yards 		Team
1941 Marshall Goldberg 290* Chicago Cardinals
1942 Marshall Goldberg (2) 393* Chicago Cardinals
1943 Ken Heineman 444* Brooklyn Dodgers
1944 John Grigas 471* Card-Pitt
1945 Frank Seno 408 Chicago Cardinals
1946 Sonny Karnofsky 599* Boston Yanks
1947 Eddie Saenz 797* Washington Redskins
1948 Dan Sandifer 594 Washington Redskins
1949 Don Doll 536 Detroit Lions
1950 Vitamin Smith 742 Los Angeles Rams
1951 George Taliaferro 622 New York Yanks
1952 Buddy Young 643 Dallas Texans
1953 Woodley Lewis 830* Los Angeles Rams
1954 Woodley Lewis (2) 836* Los Angeles Rams
1955 Sid Watson 716 Pittsburgh Steelers
1956 Al Carmichael 927* Green Bay Packers
1957 Al Carmichael (2) 690 Green Bay Packers
1958 Jimmy Sears 756 Chicago Cardinals
1959 Lenny Lyles 565 San Francisco 49ers
1960 Ted Dean 533 Philadelphia Eagles
1961 Timmy Brown 811 Philadelphia Eagles
1962 Abe Woodson 1,157* San Francisco 49ers
1963 Timmy Brown (2) 945 Philadelphia Eagles
1964 Mel Renfro 1,017 Dallas Cowboys
1965 Kermit Alexander 741 San Francisco 49ers
1966 Ron Smith 1,013 Atlanta Falcons
1967 Ron Smith (2) 976 Atlanta Falcons
1968 Chuck Latourette 1,237* St. Louis Cardinals
1969 Bo Scott 722 Cleveland Browns
1970 Alvin Haymond 1,022 Los Angeles Rams
1971 Dave Hampton 1,314* Green Bay Packers
1972 Margene Adkins 1,020 New Orleans Saints
1973 Mack Herron 1,092 New England Patriots
1974 Lou Piccone 961 New York Jets
1975 Larry Jones 1,086 Washington Redskins
1976 Willie Shelby 761 Cincinnati Bengals
1977 Bruce Harper 1,035 New York Jets
1978 Bruce Harper (2) 1,280 New York Jets
1979 Bruce Harper (3) 1,158 New York Jets
1980 Eddie Payton 1,184 Minnesota Vikings
1981 Stump Mitchell 1,292 Los Angeles Rams
1982 James Brooks 749 San Diego Chargers
1983 Zachary Dixon 1,171 Baltimore Colts
Seattle Seahawks
1984 Lionel James 959 San Diego Chargers
1985 Buster Rhymes 1,345* Minnesota Vikings
1986 Tim McGee
Herman Hunter 		1,007 Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
1987 Paul Palmer 923 Kansas City Chiefs
1988 Tim Brown 1,098 Los Angeles Raiders
1989 James Dixon 1,181 Dallas Cowboys
1990 Eric Metcalf 1,052 Cleveland Browns
1991 Mel Gray 929 Detroit Lions
1992 Deion Sanders 1,067 Atlanta Falcons
1993 Clarence Verdin 1,050 Indianapolis Colts
1994 Tyrone Hughes 1,556* New Orleans Saints
1995 Tyrone Hughes (2) 1,617* New Orleans Saints
1996 Tyrone Hughes (3) 1,791* New Orleans Saints
1997 Kevin Williams 1,458 Arizona Cardinals
1998 Glyn Milburn 1,550 Chicago Bears
1999 Brock Marion 1,524 Miami Dolphins
2000 MarTay Jenkins 2,186* Arizona Cardinals
2001 Ronney Jenkins 1,541 San Diego Chargers
2002 Michael Lewis 1,807 New Orleans Saints
2003 Josh Scobey 1,684 Arizona Cardinals
2004 Dante Hall 1,718 Kansas City Chiefs
2005 Chris Carr 1,752 Oakland Raiders
2006 Chris Carr (2) 1,762 Oakland Raiders
2007 Josh Cribbs 1,809 Cleveland Browns
2008 Josh Wilson 1,753 Seattle Seahawks
2009 Danny Amendola 1,618 St. Louis Rams
2010 LaRod Stephens-Howling 1,548 Arizona Cardinals
2011 Brandon Banks 1,174 Washington Redskins
2012 David Wilson 1,533 New York Giants
2013 Devin Hester 1,436 Chicago Bears
2014 Devin Hester (2) 1,128 Atlanta Falcons
2015 Ameer Abdullah 1,077 Detroit Lions
2016 Alex Erickson 810 Cincinnati Bengals
2017 Tyler Lockett 949 Seattle Seahawks
2018 Andre Roberts 1,174 New York Jets
2019 Cordarrelle Patterson 825 Chicago Bears
2020 Cordarrelle Patterson (2) 1,017 Chicago Bears
2021 Andre Roberts (2) 1,010 Houston Texans
Los Angeles Chargers
2022 Keisean Nixon 1,009 Green Bay Packers
2023 Keisean Nixon (2) 782 Green Bay Packers

American Football League (AFL)

Set record*
Season Player Kickoff
return yards 		Team Ref.
1960 Leon Burton 862* New York Titans [3]
1961 Frank Jackson 645 Dallas Texans [4]
1962 Dick Christy 824 New York Titans [5]
1963 Bobby Jancik 1,317* Houston Oilers [6]
1964 Odell Barry 1,245 Denver Broncos [7]
1965 Abner Haynes 901 Denver Broncos [8]
1966 Bobby Jancik (2) 875 Houston Oilers [9]
1967 Noland Smith 1,148 Kansas City Chiefs [10]
1968 Max Anderson 971 Buffalo Bills [11]
1969 Mercury Morris 1,136 Miami Dolphins [12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "NFL Year-by-Year Kick Return Yards Leaders". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ^ "NFL Yearly Leaders – Kickoff Return Yards". footballdb.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  3. ^ "1960 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  4. ^ "1961 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  5. ^ "1962 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  6. ^ "1963 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  7. ^ "1964 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  8. ^ "1965 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  9. ^ "1966 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  10. ^ "1967 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  11. ^ "1968 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. ^ "1969 AFL Kick & Punt Returns". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
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