John Riggins

Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks. Riggins was known for his "bell cow" running style and productivity well into the later years of his career. In the 1983 season, at age 34, he rushed for a then-NFL record of 24 touchdowns, a record which stood for almost 20 seasons. Riggins again led the league in rushing touchdowns during the 1984 season at age 35. Although he earned only one Pro Bowl appearance in his career, Riggins had his greatest success in the postseason and was named MVP of Super Bowl XVII where he scored one touchdown and rushed for 166 yards in a 27–17 win for the Redskins over the Miami Dolphins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

4 August 1949

Born on the same birth day (4 August): Bethan Benwell • Bret Baier • Clarence Passailaigue • Crystal Bowersox • Dean Malenko • Dennis Lehane • Joe Tate (footballer) • Johnny Grubb • Jon Knott • Marreese Speights • N. Rangaswamy • Nicolas-Jacques Conté • Percy Bysshe Shelley • Silvan Shalom • Thomas Blackwell (scholar) • Vicente Álvarez Areces • William Holman

Born in the same month (August 1949): Ann Murray • Bertalan Farkas • Bettina Arndt • Diana Nyad • James Fallows • Jeff Cook • Jim Carroll • Jonathan Kellerman • Julian Fellowes • Lou Martin • Mark Knopfler • Michael Nazir-Ali • Nigel Griggs • Paul Pasqualoni • Ricardo Londoño • Rick Roberts (musician) • Rijkman Groenink • Scott Asheton • Vicky Leandros • War (band)