Dickerson Runs Into Some Old Friends and Finds Himself Out of Step

Whatever became of Eric Dickerson?

You remember that wonderful, high-stepping back who used to delight us shredding defenses for the L.A. Rams? It was a treat to watch him. You used to like to watch him run for the same reason you liked to see Ted Williams bat, Michael Jordan shoot, Billy Casper putt. It was the way it should be done. How they loved him in Anaheim. When they yelled “Eric!” it was with rapt adoration.

There have been black days in this country’s history--there was Pearl Harbor, there was the day the Spanish blew up the Maine, and there was the day the British burned the White House.

And, in Orange County, there was the day Eric Dickerson went over the wall and headed for Indianapolis. It was shocking. I mean, he wasn’t kidnaped or anything. Nobody put a gun at his head. It was his own idea.

It was the worst day for Orange County since the Democrats won the White House. Eric didn’t even leave a note. He began by suggesting that he probably couldn’t bring himself to play good football at a lousy $936,000 per. I mean, a man is hard put to concentrate at those wages.

So, he left. And, everybody in Anaheim thought, “Well, there goes the Super Bowl.” You see, Eric was the Rams. Or, so he seemed to think. He allowed, in interviews, as how he was “67% of the Ram offense.” Some thought that was modest--although false modesty has never been one of Eric’s long suits. Or, any other kind, either. Eric believes in Eric.

The reports drifting home seemed to indicate he has found work all right back East. At least, he never wrote home for money and stayed out of jail, so far as anyone could tell. Although sometimes it’s hard to get any current information out of Indianapolis.

The author says, You-can’t-go-home-again. But, Eric Dickerson was supposed to try it Sunday. For the first time since he left 23 months ago, Eric was supposed to put in an appearance at Anaheim Stadium Sunday. He never showed up.

Oh, there was a guy wearing glasses and the No. 29 in the Colts backfield but, whoever this guy was, he was a long way from Eric Dickerson.

If this had been Dickerson, let me ask you, wouldn’t they have gotten the ball to him more?

I give you just one example: In the first period, with the Rams leading the Colts, 3-0, the Colts had the ball on the Ram two-yard line, fourth and goal. Now, if they had Eric Dickerson in the backfield, they would have given him the ball right? I mean, what’s two yards to Eric Dickerson. As John McKay once said of another back (O.J. Simpson) “When you have a cannon, you shoot it.”

The Colts went for a field goal from the two. You think a team that had a Red Grange in that situation would have tried a lousy field goal? Or one that had the real Eric Dickerson?

Now, you watched this No. 29 more closely. First of all, he only got the ball 21 times. Punt returners get their hands on the ball more than that.

When he did get it, there were none of those gorgeous patented sweeps, the ones where Dickerson just seems to flow through the secondary like syrup over a pancake. He just kind of dove into the line with the ball like a Jim Taylor or a Matt Suhey on third and one.

The Indianapolis Colts put the ball in the air 33 times. I mean, they come to town with a guy who is, by his own admission, the greatest runner in the game, maybe in history--and they put on an aerial circus?!

I guess what I’m trying to say is, Eric Dickerson--or whoever was wearing his uniform--was no factor in Sunday’s game.

The crowd never caught on. They were beside themselves with rapture every time this No. 29 got wrapped up in Ram tacklers, every time he disappeared in a wall of blue and gold or ran out of bounds to avoid it.

At first, when they were scared he might turn into the real Eric Dickerson, they just booed. As the game went on--and it became clear the Rams were never going to give up the ball long enough for Dickerson to get loose or even warmed up, they got bolder. When the score went to Rams 31, Indianapolis 17, they got positively contemptuous. They took to sneering “Er-ic!” “Er-ic!” like a kid sticking his fingers in his ears and wiggling them and his tongue at you.

They waited maliciously as Eric came trotting off the field after the game. When he got within range, they bared their fangs--and flung clouds of Monopoly money at him--fake $1,000 bills, $5,000 bills. And they hooted derisively.

And what did Eric Dickerson do to them? Left town for more money. Football coaches do it all the time. So does the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. It’s as American as fudge.

If it bothered Eric Dickerson, you’ll never know it. Eric stood in the locker room afterward, wearing a big broad smile and a towel around his neck. He looked like as guy who just won a lottery. Eric always looks like a guy who just won a lottery. Eric doesn’t know how to look sad. The team lost, not Eric. “I’m satisfied I played real well,” he said sunnily.

Could he help it if the team thought they had to resort to the forward pass? “I’m not down, I’m not going to go home and hang my head!” protested Eric. Did the fan animosity get to him? Surprise him? Eric grinned. “They just love to hate me,” he admitted. “I guess they feel like I abandoned them.”

Whatever he did, you have to understand one of the Eric Dickerson’s stated priorities in life is a Super Bowl ring. “I just got to have one,” he insists.

It’s a long season but, on the basis of Sunday’s game, you would have to conclude the Rams may be closer to one of those rings than Dickerson’s team. Of course, if you’ve been paying attention, you are all familiar with Murray’s Law of Diminishing Returns. It is this: Running backs do not put you in the Super Bowl. Quarterbacks do. If Earl Campbell couldn’t put anybody in the Super bowl, nobody running with the football can. O.J. couldn’t do it. Even Bo probably can’t do it.

Obviously, the coaches Sunday understood this very well. They put the ball in the air nearly 70 times.

Eric unwittingly seemed to understand it himself. “I’ve got all the yards, all the trophies, all the averages, all the attempts, I’ve gotten everything along that line but a Super Bowl.”

That probably should tell him something. Eric wasn’t beaten Sunday by the runner who replaced him, Greg Bell had 68 yards in 22 carries, Dickerson had 116 yards in 21 carries. Bell had five receptions for 13 yards, Dickerson had five for 45 yards.

Dickerson and the Colts were beaten by the--a little bullfight music, professor!--ever-lovin’ forward pass. Henry Ellard beat Dickerson’s team Sunday with 12 catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. It should come as no surprise to those who have been paying attention. It was ever thus.

And the author may have had it slightly wrong. It’s not, You Can’t Go Home Again. It’s You Shouldn’t.