Rueben Mayes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rueben Mayes | |
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Position(s): Running back |
Jersey #(s): 36 |
Born: June 6, 1963 North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Career Information | |
Year(s): 1986–1993 | |
NFL Draft: 1986 / Round: 3 / Pick: 57 | |
College: Washington State | |
Professional Teams | |
Career Stats | |
Rushing Yards | 3,484 |
Average | 4.0 |
Touchdowns | 23 |
Stats at NFL.com | |
Career Highlights and Awards | |
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Rueben Mayes (born June 6, 1963 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian who played in the National Football League from 1986 to 1993.
He first gained notoriety as a running back at North Battleford Comprehensive High School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Mayes played for the Washington State University Cougars, where he became All-American and finished tenth in the Heisman Trophy race. Mayes set single-season and career-rushing records (1,632; 3,519 yards) with the Cougars, and established an NCAA record for most rushing yards in one game (357 vs. Oregon in 1984). That record remains the Pacific Ten Conference record.
He was drafted in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He proceeded to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award that year. Although his NFL career was hampered by injuries, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice. Mayes played four seasons with the Saints before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks for the final two years of his career. Mayes, without benefits afforded promising young players in the U.S., excelled in a skill position among the best-trained football players in the world.
In his NFL career, he carried the ball 866 times for 3,484 yards. He scored 23 touchdowns. In 1995, a panel of experts commissioned by The Spokesman-Review named Mayes to the all-time WSU team. The honor was repeated in 1998 by Cougfan.com when it picked its list of the school's all-time greatest players.
May 1st, 2008 was elected to the US College Football Hall of Fame.
After football, Mayes became active in efforts to better educate at-risk youth. He would later earn a master's degree and return to Washington State University as an administrator.
He lives in Pullman with his wife Marie and his two sons Kellen and Logan Mayes
Rueben's sister Lesa Mayes-Stringer, is also into sports and making a name for herself.
He is one of the only three Saskatchewan natives to make it to the NFL, the other two being Arnie Weinmeister and Jon Ryan.
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Preceded by Eddie Brown |
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year 1986 |
Succeeded by Troy Stradford |
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