Many Happy Returns

At his current pace of 15.7 yards per punt return, Eddie Kennison of the Rams is in position to break the Super Bowl-era rookie record (16.9) set by Denver's Floyd Little in 1969. Like former Cowboy Bob Hayes, whose 20.8 average in 1968 is the Super Bowl era's best, Kennison lines up at wide receiver and has a track pedigree. At LSU, where he once returned a punt 100 yards, Kennison also ran the opening leg on the Tigers' NCAA champion 4x100 relay team.

Kennison has two TD returns this season, one a 78-yarder. "He has very good speed, good vision, and he's a big, strong guy [6-feet, 191 pounds] who's not afraid," says Rams special teams coach Nick Aliotti. "You combine all those things, and you probably have the ultimate return man."

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]