Gerald Antonio Riggs (born November 6, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982 to 1988 and the Washington Redskins from 1989 to 1991.
Early life
Before his NFL career, he attended Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, Nevada
[ Riggs' High School information] and after graduation attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He played sparingly in 1978, running for 410 yards and four touchdowns along with 10 catches for 126 yards. In 1979, he ran for 363 yards with three touchdowns and 14 catches for 120 yards and one touchdown. In 1980, he continued in a backup role and ran for 422 yards with four touchdowns with 15 catches for 165 yards. As a starter in 1981, he ran for 891 yards with six touchdowns and an average of six yards per carry, while also recording 11 catches for 139 yards in 11 games.
He would close out his collegiate career with 2,086 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground and 50 catches for 550 yards. In the 1982 NFL draft, he was selected with the 9th overall pick by Atlanta.
Professional career
Riggs made the
Pro Bowl three times in his career from 1985 to 1987. His best season was in 1985, when he rushed for 1,719 yards and ten touchdowns, while also catching 33 passes for 267 yards. His 1,719 rushing yards is the most for a player on a team that finished with a losing season.
In the three seasons from 1984 to 1986, Riggs amassed a whopping 5,212 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scored 32 touchdowns.
In his seven years with the Falcons, he rushed for 6,631 yards, making him the franchise all-time leading rusher, a mark he still holds as of 2026.
In April 1989, Riggs was traded to the Washington Redskins, who planned to pair him with
Earnest Byner.
In the September 17 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Riggs set a new franchise record for rushing yards in a game with 221 at RFK Stadium. He had a team-leading 834 yards that year.
His 7,465 rushing yards in the 1980s was the fifth most in the decade for all running backs.
In his final year of 1991, Riggs rushed for 248 yards and 11 touchdowns, assisting his team to a 14–2 record.
Riggs finished his ten NFL seasons with 8,188 rushing yards and 69 touchdowns, along with 201 receptions for 1,516 yards. Riggs holds the NFL all-time record for most receptions (201) without a receiving touchdown.
Personal life
He is the father of Gerald Riggs, Jr., former running back at the University of Tennessee, who played for the
Miami Dolphins, and
Cody Riggs, a
cornerback for the
Tennessee Titans.
NFL career statistics
External links
