Eric Ball (American football)

Eric Ball
No. 42
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1966-07-01) July 1, 1966 (age 58)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Ypsilanti (Ypsilanti Township, Michigan)
College:UCLA
NFL draft:1989 / round: 2 / pick: 35
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:586
Rushing average:3.7
Rushing touchdowns:8
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Eric Clinton Ball (born July 1, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was running back for seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins.

College career

Ball played at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1985 through 1988. He tied a Rose Bowl record in the 1986 Rose Bowl by scoring four touchdowns for the Bruins against the Iowa Hawkeyes, rushed for 227 yards, and was voted the game's MVP. He was named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996.

While at UCLA, Ball had two notable fumbles in very important games. In the November 23, 1985 USC vs UCLA game, with the Rose Bowl on the line for the Bruins, Ball lost the ball on the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter as he dived for the end zone with what would have been the winning touchdown. Marcus Cotton grabbed the fumble for USC and the Trojans would win 17–13.[1] Ball also had a crucial fumble in the UCLA vs Washington State game in 1988, when the #1 ranked Bruins were upset at home by the Cougars 34–30.[2]

Ball helped the Bruins go 4-0 in Bowl Games during his college career - 1986 Rose Bowl, 1986 Freedom Bowl, 1987 Aloha Bowl, 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic, including two Pac-10 Championships (1985, 1987).

Professional career

Ball was selected in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Bengals.[3] Ball played mostly as a kick returner for the Bengals, returning 115 kicks over 97 games for a total of 2,474 return yards. In 1995, he was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft but did not make the roster.[4] He signed with the Oakland Raiders and played one season with them.

Post playing career

Ball currently serves as the Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel. https://theorg.com/org/cincinnati-bengals/org-chart/eric-ball

References

  1. ^ Dodds, Tracy - Wildcats Find the Way to Lift Bruins' Spirits. Los Angeles Times, November 24, 1985
  2. ^ JAY HOVDEY. Unbeaten U.C.L.A. Is Upset. New York Times. October 30. 1988 Quote:U.C.L.A.'s best running play ended when the tailback Eric Ball fumbled at the Bruin 37 after a gain of 17 yards. The fumble occurred midway through the third quarter, when U.C.L.A. led, 27-13. Five plays later, Washington State scored the second of four successive touchdowns. The fumble was typical of the seesaw nature of the game.
  3. ^ "1989 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "NFL Expansion Draft". Tampa Bay Times. February 16, 1995. Retrieved November 2, 2023.