Hugh McElhenny is a Hall of Fame running back whose career earned a solid career value score of 65 in the Knox value model. McElhenny's enshrinement reflects a career that consistently placed him among the elite of his generation.
Career Value · VORP
96 career value over replacement — #1212 all-time of 4,695. 7.4/season above a replacement-level RB.
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Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
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 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | |||||
| 1952 | 23–24 | SF | 12 | — | 98 | 684 | 6 | 7.0 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 367 | 3 | — | 14.1 | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 24–25 | SF | 12 | — | 112 | 503 | 3 | 4.5 | 2.7 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 474 | 2 | — | 15.8 | — | — | — |
| 1954 | 25–26 | SF | 6 | — | 64 | 515 | 6 | 8.0 | 9.4 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 162 | 0 | — | 20.3 | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 26–27 | SF | 12 | — | 90 | 327 | 4 | 3.6 | 4.4 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 203 | 2 | — | 18.5 | — | — | — |
| 1956 | 27–28 | SF | 12 | — | 185 | 916 | 8 | 5.0 | 4.3 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 193 | 0 | — | 12.1 | — | — | — |
| 1957 | 28–29 | SF | 12 | — | 102 | 478 | 1 | 4.7 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 458 | 2 | — | 12.4 | — | — | — |
| 1958 | 29–30 | SF | 12 | — | 113 | 451 | 6 | 4.0 | 5.3 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 366 | 2 | — | 11.8 | — | — | — |
| 1959 | 30–31 | SF | 10 | — | 18 | 67 | 1 | 3.7 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 329 | 3 | — | 15.0 | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 31–32 | SF | 11 | — | 95 | 347 | 0 | 3.7 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 114 | 1 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — |
| 1961 | 32–33 | MIN | 13 | — | 120 | 570 | 3 | 4.8 | 2.5 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 283 | 3 | — | 7.6 | — | — | — |
| 1962 | 33–34 | MIN | 11 | — | 50 | 200 | 0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 191 | 0 | — | 11.9 | — | — | — |
| 1963 | 34–35 | NYG | 14 | — | 55 | 175 | 0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 91 | 2 | — | 8.3 | — | — | — |
| 1964 | 35–36 | DET | 8 | — | 22 | 48 | 0 | 2.2 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 16 | 0 | — | 3.2 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | — | — | 1,124 | 5,281 | 38 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 264 | 3,247 | 20 | — | 12.3 | — | — | 0 | |
13 seasons · peak 33.3 in 1952
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
8.9 career wins over 13 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1952 · +2.5 wins
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 23–24 | SF | 12 | — | 98 | 684 | 6 | 7.0 | 6.1 | — | — | — | 33.3 |
| 1953 | 24–25 | SF | 12 | — | 112 | 503 | 3 | 4.5 | 2.7 | — | — | — | 8.5 |
| 1954 | 25–26 | SF | 6 | — | 64 | 515 | 6 | 8.0 | 9.4 | — | — | — | 15.3 |
| 1955 | 26–27 | SF | 12 | — | 90 | 327 | 4 | 3.6 | 4.4 | — | — | — | 12.2 |
| 1956 | 27–28 | SF | 12 | — | 185 | 916 | 8 | 5.0 | 4.3 | — | — | — | 11.5 |
| 1957 | 28–29 | SF | 12 | — | 102 | 478 | 1 | 4.7 | 1.0 | — | — | — | 10 |
| 1958 | 29–30 | SF | 12 | — | 113 | 451 | 6 | 4.0 | 5.3 | — | — | — | 6.9 |
| 1959 | 30–31 | SF | 10 | — | 18 | 67 | 1 | 3.7 | 5.6 | — | — | — | 7.4 |
| 1960 | 31–32 | SF | 11 | — | 95 | 347 | 0 | 3.7 | 0.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 1961 | 32–33 | MIN | 13 | — | 120 | 570 | 3 | 4.8 | 2.5 | — | — | — | 9.2 |
| 1962 | 33–34 | MIN | 11 | — | 50 | 200 | 0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | 2.4 |
| 1963 | 34–35 | NYG | 14 | — | 55 | 175 | 0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 1964 | 35–36 | DET | 8 | — | 22 | 48 | 0 | 2.2 | 0.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Career | — | 1,124 | 5,281 | 38 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 116.7 |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 23–24 | SF | 12 | — | — | 26 | 367 | 3 | — | 14.1 | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 24–25 | SF | 12 | — | — | 30 | 474 | 2 | — | 15.8 | — | — | — |
| 1954 | 25–26 | SF | 6 | — | — | 8 | 162 | 0 | — | 20.3 | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 26–27 | SF | 12 | — | — | 11 | 203 | 2 | — | 18.5 | — | — | — |
| 1956 | 27–28 | SF | 12 | — | — | 16 | 193 | 0 | — | 12.1 | — | — | — |
| 1957 | 28–29 | SF | 12 | — | — | 37 | 458 | 2 | — | 12.4 | — | — | — |
| 1958 | 29–30 | SF | 12 | — | — | 31 | 366 | 2 | — | 11.8 | — | — | — |
| 1959 | 30–31 | SF | 10 | — | — | 22 | 329 | 3 | — | 15.0 | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 31–32 | SF | 11 | — | — | 14 | 114 | 1 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — |
| 1961 | 32–33 | MIN | 13 | — | — | 37 | 283 | 3 | — | 7.6 | — | — | — |
| 1962 | 33–34 | MIN | 11 | — | — | 16 | 191 | 0 | — | 11.9 | — | — | — |
| 1963 | 34–35 | NYG | 14 | — | — | 11 | 91 | 2 | — | 8.3 | — | — | — |
| 1964 | 35–36 | DET | 8 | — | — | 5 | 16 | 0 | — | 3.2 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 0 | 264 | 3,247 | 20 | — | 12.3 | — | — | 0 |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
A strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 65 of 100, era-normalized against rush yds/g peers across 13 scored seasons.
Blend 63.6 × longevity 1 = KV-H 65· confidence 98%
Kerryon Johnson
RB
92% match
Latest season · 1964 · −0.2 wins
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#197 of 1,228 all-time RBs by KV-H
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rush yds/g)