Stars On The Notre Dame Sidelines

There are some stars along the sidelines at Notre Dame High School football games this season.

 

Former NFL All-Pro Gerald Riggs Sr. was on hand recently to congratulate his son, Gerald Jr., as the running backs coach. One of Gerald Jr.'s  prized back is Andrew Banks, who ran for 256 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-15 playoff victory over Smith County.

 

Gerald Riggs, Sr. was a running back in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982-1988 and the Washington Redskins from 1989-1991. He attended Arizona State University where he rushed for 2,086 yards and 17 TD with 50 catches for 550 yards.

Riggs made the Pro Bowl three times from 1985-1987. His best season was in 1985, when he rushed for 1,719 yards and ten touchdowns, while also catching 33 passes for 267 yards. In the three seasons from 1984 to 1986, Riggs amassed 5,212 combined rushing and receiving yards, and scored 32 touchdowns. In his seven years with the Falcons, he rushed for 6,631 yards, making him the franchise all-time leading rusher. Prior to the 1989 season, Riggs was traded to the Washington Redskins.

He is the only player to rush for 11 touchdowns in fewer than 80 attempts in a single season. He went on to rush for four touchdowns in Washington's two playoff games, and two touchdowns in Washington's 37–24 win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. His six touchdowns in the postseason tied an NFL record.

 

Riggs finished his 10 NFL seasons with 8,188 rushing yards and 69 touchdowns, along with 201 receptions for 1,516 yards.

His sons include Gerald Jr., former running back at the University of Tennessee, who played for the Miami Dolphins, and Cody Riggs, a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans.