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By Matthew Davis
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Former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig had a legendary career, and his Hall of Fame reward is coming soon on Aug. 8 when he will become one of the latest members.
How Craig found out was quite the moment, and the NFL social media team re-shared that on Monday via X. Former 49ers greats Charles Haley and Ronnie Lott enthusiastically gave Craig the news in a video, shared by the NFL, which can be watched here.
"Roger Craig couldn't believe it when he answered the knock at the door," the NFL social media team wrote.
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Craig reacted with surprise and excitement as Lott and Haley celebrated with him, similar to the old days. They played for the 49ers together in the 1980s and won two Super Bowls together in 1988 and 1989.
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Craig clearly deserved a Hall of Fame spot for years but had been stuck waiting despite his stellar career between 1983 and 1993. He had 8,189 yards rushing and 56 touchdowns on 1,991 carries for his career in 165 games, and he had 566 receptions for 4,911 yards and 17 touchdowns.
In the postseason, Craig stepped up and helped the 49ers win three Super Bowls overall, with the first coming in 1984. Craig had 841 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 208 attempts in 18 career playoff games, and he had 63 receptions for two touchdowns on 63 carries.
Amid his success, he became the first great pass-catching back to accrue 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in one season in 1985. He made four Pro Bowls, one first-team All-Pro and NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988.
An Iowa native, Craig's career took off at Central High in Davenport, and he had a successful collegiate career at Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. Craig played for the 49ers from 1983 to 1990 after the team took him with a second-round pick, and he also played for the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1991 and the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 1993.
Besides Craig, this year's Hall of Fame class includes Adam Vinatieri, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly.
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