American football player
No. 32, 40 | |||||||||
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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 | |||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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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. Kane rushed for 1,486 yards during his NFL career.
Biography
Kane was born on November 12, 1954, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Gerald James Kane and Orletha Ann (Fiala) Kane. He had one sister, Diane. The family moved to Pleasanton, California when Kane was 12, and he played football at and graduated from Amador Valley High School. He attended University of Oregon for two years and was awarded the Len Casanova Award for Rookie of the year in 1973. He transferred to San Jose State University where he became the first player in school history to rush 1,000 yards.
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. He played 12 games with the Washington Redskins during the 1984 season after being placed on waivers by the Lions. The following May, he was again placed on waivers but re-signed with the Lions on a one-year contract. He was released in February 1986.
After retiring from football, Kane worked as a car salesman in Reno, Nevada. In 2005, a teenage girl using her cell phone crashed into his motorcycle, resulting in the loss of his leg. He and his wife Dianne had three sons and one daughter. He died December 25, 2009, in Reno, Nevada due to complications from pneumonia. His funeral was held at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Reno.
College statistics
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
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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 |
Professional career statistics
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 |
References
- ^ Pelletier, Janet (December 30, 2009). "Remembering Rick Kane". Pleasanton Weekly. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Rick Kane". Pro Football Reference. n.d. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Lions sign Rick Kane". The Windsor Star. Windsor, ON. May 30, 1985. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Richard James Kane". Legacy. December 29, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "College football: Former SJSU star Rick Kane dies". The Mercury News. December 29, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- 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.
- "Lions acquire Meade waive vet Rick Kane". The Windsor Star. Windsor, ON. August 29, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- "'Skins return to top". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, WI. October 12, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- "Sports in brief". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, IO. May 17, 1985. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- "Lions let Fantetti, Kane go". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, MI. February 8, 1986. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
Detroit Lions 1977 NFL draft selections | |
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- 1954 births
- 2009 deaths
- Players of American football from Lincoln, Nebraska
- American football running backs
- Oregon Ducks football players
- San Jose State Spartans football players
- Detroit Lions players
- Washington Redskins players
- American amputees
- Deaths from pneumonia in Nevada
- Sportspeople from Pleasanton, California
- Amador Valley High School alumni
- Players of American football from Alameda County, California