| January 19, 2004 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 06:53 PM |
Braxton came to Buffalo as a third-round draft pick in 1971 out of West Virginia University. He became the Buffalo’s starting fullback in the second game of the season in 1972, and soon developed a reputation as a powerful blocker capable of handling the league’s biggest offensive linemen. Braxton’s escort service led Simpson to two of the finest rushing seasons in NFL history in 1973 and 1975. Simpson became the NFL’s first 2,000-yard rusher and followed that up two years later with 1,817 yards in 1975. Braxton rushed for 443 yards and five touchdowns in 1973, and added 494 yards and four scores during Simpson’s record-breaking ’73 season.
The Bills would set an NFL record with 3,088 total rushing yards.
His best season came in 1975 when he rushed for 823 yards and scored nine touchdowns to help the Bills to an 8-6 record and a third-place finish in the AFC East. His signature game came on Nov. 27, 1975, when he rushed for a career-high 160 yards on 34 carries against the St. Louis Cardinals on national television. His 13 total touchdowns in 1975 ranked eighth among league leaders. The turning point in Braxton’s professional career came during the season opener in 1976 when he suffered a serious knee injury against Miami that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Although he rehabilitated his knee, Braxton wasn’t the same player after that. Braxton was traded to the Washington Redskins on Oct. 10, 1978, and was immediately swapped hours later to the Miami Dolphins. Braxton finished his career with 2,890 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also caught 144 passes for 1,473 yards and six additional scores. He died on July 28, 1986.
Profile- Jim Braxton-West Virginia Hall of Fame - Career stats
