Two of the 10 players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have the most NFL kickoff-return yards were active during the 2023 season. But neither Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) nor Denver Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) returned a kickoff last season.
That could be seen as symbolic of the reduction of the kickoff return in the NFL.
No. 1 on the Alabama-roots list of NFL kickoff-return yards, Speedy Duncan (Druid) had his top single-season output in 1971 with 724 yards. That season, the average number of kickoff returns per game was 7.34. In 2023, that average had dropped to 2.16.
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The NFL has approved changes to its kickoff-return rules for the 2024 season intended to make it a bigger factor without the injury-causing high-speed impacts that led to its diminishment.
It remains to be seen, of course, if the rules will have the intended impact, but Chicago Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) could be one of the beneficiaries. Jones’ 435 kickoff-return yards were the most by a player from an Alabama high school or college in the 2023 NFL season.
The single-season record for NFL kickoff-return yards by a player with Alabama football roots is 1,468 by cornerback Leodis McKelvin (Troy) for the Buffalo Bills in 2008.
While Alabama has produced players who are near the top in NFL history in several major statistical categories, kickoff-return yards is not one of the state’s strong suits. Duncan was an all-star returner, but his kickoff-return yardage ranks 49th on the league’s all-time list.
The best kickoff-return average for players with Alabama roots who have had at least 75 returns (the minimum standard for the NFL record book) belongs to McKelvin at 26.0 yards.
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The 10 players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have the most kickoff-return yards include:
Washington Redskins cornerback Speedy Duncan returns a kick during an NFL game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 15, 1972, in St. Louis.Clifton Boutelle/Getty Images
1. Speedy Duncan, Druid High School in Tuscaloosa: 4,539 kickoff-return yards
San Diego Chargers 1964-1970, Washington Redskins 1971-1974: The cornerback averaged 25.2 yards on 180 kickoff returns. Duncan was a Pro Bowler four times, including three years when he was a starting cornerback. While Duncan returned four punts and three interceptions for touchdowns, he never had a kickoff-return TD, even though he had one that he ran back 91 yards.
2. Dwight Stone, Florala High School: 3,927 kickoff-return yards
Pittsburgh Steelers 1987-1994, Carolina Panthers 1995-1998, New York Jets 1999-2000: The wide receiver averaged 21.1 yards on 186 kickoff returns. Stone returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown against the Houston Oilers on Dec. 4, 1988.
3. Ameer Abdullah, Homewood High School: 3,487 kickoff-return yards
Detroit Lions 2015-2018, Minnesota Vikings 2018-2021, Carolina Panthers 2021, Las Vegas Raiders 2022-2023: The running back has averaged 24.6 yards on 142 kickoff returns. As a rookie in 2015, Abdullah led the NFL with 37 kickoff returns and 1,077 kickoff-return yards. He had a 104-yard kickoff return in 2015 that did not result in a touchdown, tying a record for the longest non-scoring play in NFL history.
4. David Palmer, Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Alabama: 3,274 kickoff-return yards
Minnesota Vikings 1994-2000: The wide receiver averaged 22.6 yards on 145 kickoff returns. Palmer returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 13, 1998.
5. James Brooks, Auburn: 2,762 kickoff-return yards
San Diego Chargers 1981-1983, Cincinnati Bengals 1984-1991, Cleveland Browns 1992, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992: The running back averaged 20.9 yards on 132 kickoff returns. Brooks led the NFL with 33 kickoff returns and 749 kickoff-return yards in 1982. Brooks was a four-time Pro Bowler as a running back.
6. Leodis McKelvin, Troy: 2,471 kickoff-return yards
Buffalo Bills 2008-2015, Philadelphia Eagles 2016: The cornerback averaged 26.0 yards on 95 kickoff returns. McKelvin returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 17, 2008.
7. Tremon Smith, Saks High School: 2,323 kickoff-return yards
Kansas City Chiefs 2018-2019, Green Bay Packers 2019, Indianapolis Colts 2020, Houston Texans 2021-2022, Denver Broncos 2023: The cornerback has averaged 24.7 yards on 94 kickoff returns. Smith was the kick returner on the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team in 2018, when he averaged 26.8 yards on 33 returns. The former high school quarterback scored on a 98-yard kickoff return against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 19, 2021.
8. Lionel James, Auburn: 2,278 kickoff-return yards
San Diego Chargers 1984-1988: The running back averaged 21.2 yards on 99 kickoff returns. “Little Train” led the NFL with 43 kickoff returns and 959 kickoff-return yards as a rookie in 1984.
9. Irving Spikes, Alabama: 2,058 kickoff-return yards
Miami Dolphins 1994-1997: The running back averaged 23.1 yards on 89 kickoff returns. The longest kickoff return of his four NFL seasons covered 59 yards.
10. Brian Witherspoon, Choctaw County High School, Stillman: 1,890 kickoff-return yards
Jacksonville Jaguars 2008-2009, Detroit Lions 2009, New York Giants 2010: The cornerback averaged 23.6 yards on 80 kickoff returns. The longest kickoff return of his three NFL seasons covered 51 yards.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter@AMarkG1.