No. 14 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Date of birth: | September 1, 1947 | ||||||||||||
Place of birth: | Atlantic, Iowa | ||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 204 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Atlantic (IA) | ||||||||||||
College: | Iowa | ||||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1969 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Rushing yards: | 4,451 |
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Rush attempts: | 1,157 |
Rushing TDs: | 34 |
Receiving yards: | 2,456 |
Games played: | 104 |
Player stats at NFL.com |
Edward Joseph Podolak (born September 1, 1947) is a former professional American football player, a running back for nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League and National Football League.
Born and raised in Atlantic, Iowa, Podolak played college football at the University of Iowa, where he was a quarterback, running back, and halfback.
Podolak was selected in the second round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft, 48th overall, by the Kansas City Chiefs, and the team won Super Bowl IV in his rookie season.
During a nine-year career from 1969 to 1977, Podolak became the Chiefs' second all-time leading rusher with 4,451 yards and 34 touchdowns on 1,158 carries. He was also known for his work on special teams as a pass receiver and return man, catching 288 passes for 2,456 yards and 6 touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per punt and 20.5 yards per kickoff return. His 8,178 career combined yards are the second-most in the team's history. Podolak led the Chiefs in rushing four times, in receiving three times, and in punt returns three times.
In the Christmas Day playoff loss in 1971 to the Miami Dolphins (still the longest game in NFL history), he had a playoff-record 350 total yards: 85 rushing, 110 receiving, and 155 on returns. Podolak, who wore jersey number 14, was inducted into the Chiefs' Hall of Fame in 1989.