Darrin Nelson is a career quality starter — a running back whose body of work places Nelson in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Nelson's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Darrin Nelson
Combined Season Grid
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
4 categories · One row per season · Scroll for all statistics
Career games unavailable for incomplete season coverage. Verified career totals remain shown; career per-game figures require complete coverage.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Defense | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1982 | 23–24 | MIN | 7 | — | 44 | 136 | 0 | 3.1 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 100 | 0 | — | 11.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 24–25 | MIN | 15 | — | 154 | 642 | 1 | 4.2 | 0.6 | — | — | — | — | 51 | 618 | 0 | — | 12.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 25–26 | MIN | 15 | — | 80 | 406 | 3 | 5.1 | 3.8 | — | — | — | — | 27 | 162 | 1 | — | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 26–27 | MIN | 16 | — | 200 | 893 | 5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | — | — | — | — | 43 | 301 | 1 | — | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986 | 27–28 | MIN | 16 | — | 191 | 793 | 4 | 4.2 | 2.1 | — | — | — | — | 53 | 593 | 3 | — | 11.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 28–29 | MIN | 10 | — | 131 | 642 | 2 | 4.9 | 1.5 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 129 | 0 | — | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1988 | 29–30 | MIN | 13 | — | 112 | 380 | 1 | 3.4 | 0.9 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 105 | 0 | — | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 30–31 | MIN / SD | — | — | 67 | 321 | 0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 380 | 0 | — | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 31–32 | SD | 14 | — | 3 | 14 | 0 | 4.7 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 29 | 0 | — | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 32–33 | MIN | 16 | — | 28 | 210 | 2 | 7.5 | 7.1 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 142 | 0 | — | 7.5 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 25 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 45.0 | — | 158.3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 33–34 | MIN | 16 | — | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | — | — | — | 1,020 | 4,442 | 18 | 4.4 | 1.8 | — | — | — | — | 286 | 2,559 | 5 | — | 8.9 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 25 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 45.0 | — | 158.3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
Career Value · VORP
127 career value over replacement — #822 all-time of 4,695. 12.7/season above a replacement-level RB.
Draft OutcomeValue ↑
Pick #7 (Rd 1) · MIN · 1982 · +3.7 vs expected KV-H
67actual
63.3 expected · Δ+3.7
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