Richard James Kane (November 12, 1954 – December 25, 2009) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1977 to 1983 and 1985 to 1986.[1][2][3] Kane rushed for 1,486 yards during his NFL career.[2]

Rick Kane
No. 32, 40
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1954-11-12)November 12, 1954
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Died:December 25, 2009(2009-12-25) (aged 55)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Amador Valley (CA)
College:Oregon
San Jose St.
NFL draft:1977 / round: 3 / pick: 69
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:409
Rushing yards:1,486
Rushing TDs:12
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Biography

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Kane was born on November 12, 1954, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Gerald James Kane and Orletha Ann (Fiala) Kane.[1][2][4] He had one sister, Diane.[4] The family moved to Pleasanton, California when Kane was 12, and he played football at and graduated from Amador Valley High School.[2][1] He attended University of Oregon for two years and was awarded the Len Casanova Award for Rookie of the year in 1973.[1][2] He transferred to San Jose State University where he became the first player in school history to rush 1,000 yards.[5][2][1]

Kane was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round (69th overall) of the 1977 NFL draft, where he remained for the majority of his career.[2][1][5] He played 12 games with the Washington Redskins during the 1984 season after being placed on waivers by the Lions.[3][6][7][8] The following May, he was again placed on waivers but re-signed with the Lions on a one-year contract.[3][9] He was released in February 1986.[10]

After retiring from football, Kane worked as a car salesman in Reno, Nevada.[1] In 2005, a teenage girl using her cell phone crashed into his motorcycle, resulting in the loss of his leg.[1][5] He and his wife Dianne had three sons and one daughter.[1] He died December 25, 2009, in Reno, Nevada due to complications from pneumonia.[2][1] His funeral was held at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Reno.[1]

College statistics

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Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
G Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD
1975 SJ 11 210 1,144 5.4 7 7 61 8.7 0
1976 SJ 11 161 923 5.1 6 17 254 14.9 3
Career 22 371 1,967 5.3 13 24 315 13.3 3[2]

Professional career statistics

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Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
G GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1977 DET 14 6 124 421 8.9 35 4 18 186 13.3 20 0
1978 DET 15 0 44 153 2.9 19 2 16 161 10.1 26 0
1979 DET 16 6 94 332 5.9 26 4 9 104 11.6 36 1
1980 DET 16 0 31 125 1.9 22 0 5 26 5.2 9 0
1981 DET 16 2 77 332 4.8 20 2 17 181 10.6 40 1
1982 DET 6 0 7 17 2.4 6 0 3 25 8.3 12 0
1983 DET 14 0 4 19 4.8 9 0 2 15 7.5 9 0
1984 WAS 12 0 17 43 2.5 10 0 1 7 7 7 0
1985 DET 16 1 11 44 4 7 0 5 56 11.2 18 0
Career 125 15 409 1,486 3.6 35 12 76 761 10 40 2[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Pelletier, Janet (December 30, 2009). "Remembering Rick Kane". Pleasanton Weekly. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rick Kane". Pro Football Reference. n.d. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Lions sign Rick Kane". The Windsor Star. Windsor, ON. May 30, 1985. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Richard James Kane". Legacy. December 29, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "College football: Former SJSU star Rick Kane dies". The Mercury News. December 29, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  6. ^ Sylvester, Curt (November 11, 1984). "Laster, Kane relishing chance to show up former teams". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, MI. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Lions acquire Meade waive vet Rick Kane". The Windsor Star. Windsor, ON. August 29, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "'Skins return to top". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, WI. October 12, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Sports in brief". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, IO. May 17, 1985. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Lions let Fantetti, Kane go". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, MI. February 8, 1986. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.