INSIDE THE NFL
Napoleon Complex
Kaufman runs up some impressive stats
by Peter King
Posted: Wed October 1, 1997
Name one of today's great NFL backs—Terrell Davis, Barry
Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Ricky Watters—and look at his rushing
total over his last 359 carries. None has exceeded 1,700 yards.
In fact, none has approached the yards gained in that number of
carries by the league's most unheralded featured back, the
Raiders' Napoleon Kaufman.
In 2 1/2 seasons as a pro, Kaufman, a part-time player until two
weeks ago, has carried 359 times for 1,908 yards. He was always
told that, at 5'9" and 185 pounds, he was too small to be an
every-down back. But after carrying 53 times in his last two
games (27 for 126 yards on Sept. 21 against the Jets, 26 for a
career-high 162 yards in Sunday's 35-17 rout of the Rams),
Kaufman has dispelled the notion that he can't take the
punishment. "I say as long as he wants, let's give him the
rock," Raiders tackle Lincoln Kennedy said after Sunday's game.
"Undersized?" said Rams cornerback Todd Lyght. "That's
ridiculous. He's so explosive at the line, and he can outrun
secondaries. I think it's an advantage to be a small back, as
long as you're not getting pounded all the time, because you can
get in and out of tight spots and outrun people. He can
definitely do that."
Kaufman, out of Washington, was the 18th pick in the 1995 draft.
Ki-Jana Carter (first to the Bengals) and Tyrone Wheatley (17th
to the Giants) were the only running backs selected ahead of
him. While Carter and Wheatley have been injury-prone and
largely unproductive, Kaufman has averaged 5.3 yards a rush. For
too long he was an unselfish player who never protested when he
was replaced. But after a tough run against the Jets, he
uncharacteristically waved backup Joe Aska off the field. Some
in the Raiders' organization view that as a turning point. He
hasn't come out of the lineup since. "People will have their
questions about my durability," he says. "I've dealt with it
through high school, college and now in the pros. I just want
the ball. I just fight when I get it."
Kaufman maintains, nevertheless, that Sanders, Smith and Davis
"are on a different level. I study those guys. I study all
backs. I saw [former Raiders back] Clem Daniels today, and I
told him, 'I know your stats: 5,100 yards, 30 touchdowns.' But
as far as the guys today, they've done it, game in and game out."
Clearly, Kaufman hasn't. Not yet anyway. He won't say whether he
thinks he should get 20-plus carries every game. "I don't
judge," he says. "I just run."
Issue date: October 6, 1997
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