It’s a bit mind-boggling how many elite playmakers the Colts had to rely on during their success in the pro football’s early days. Before the sport had truly caught fire the way it has in the last few decades, Baltimore found a way to uncover unusual amounts of sensational talent.
Lenny Moore was just the beginning of that. A multi-dimensional running back who could strike fear as a runner or receiver, he played an integral role in Baltimore’s two championship runs in 1958 and 1959.
Here’s one stat that really stands out to me: as of today, Moore still sits in the fifth spot on the Colts’ all-time receiving yards list. As a running back. That’s quite the impressive stat, seeing as it was a completely different game back in those days. Suffice it to say, Moore was well ahead of his time as a dynamic NFL running back.
Put simply, Moore was the complete package — he’d be one of the league’s highest-paid runners in today’s NFL. Not only was he an excellent receiver, but he had the power to make potential tacklers buckle at the knees and the speed to pull away from the rest.
Moore is only fifth on the Colts’ all-time rushing yards list, but did more than enough to merit the seven Pro Bowl appearances and seven All-Pro selections he earned during his career.