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Roger Craig

Roger Craig

Keynote Speaker: Former NFL Player & Vital Member of the San Francisco Offense During Three Super Bowl Championship Seasons

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Roger Craig Biography

Roger Craig played three seasons for the University of Nebraska, where he rushed for 2,446 yards and 26 touchdowns, with an average of 6 yards per carry. He was an integral running back in Tom Osborne’s I-formation option offense. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

1982 (Senior) Craig finished his career at Nebraska just three yards shy of Rick Berns for No. 3 on the NU career rushing list. Injuries hampered an early-season experiment that saw Craig at fullback and Mike Rozier at I-back. His top rushing game of the season was a 127-yard performance in the regular-season finale against Hawaii.

1981 (Junior) The third-leading rusher in the Big Eight, Craig led NU in rushing yards with 1,060 yards on 173 carries and six touchdowns. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 96.5 per game. He became Nebraska’s seventh single-season 1,000-yard rusher. Craig and Mike Rozier combined for 2,003 yards from Nebraska’s I-back spot. Craig topped 100 yards four times–121 vs. Penn State, 121 vs. Oklahoma, 102 vs. Oklahoma and a career-best 234 vs. Florida State, the third-best single-game performance in Nebraska history. Craig tied the longest run in NU history with a 94-yard touchdown run against the Seminoles. In addition to his rushing exploits, Craig was fourth on the team with 12 receptions (87 yards).

1980 (Sophomore) Even though he was the third-string I-Back, Craig gained 769 yards on 108 carries for a 7.1 average and scored 15 TDs, good for sixth nationally in scoring. He was second in the Big Eight in scoring and seventh in rushing. He was named Big Eight offensive player-of-the-week after rushing 21 times for 176 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado with Jarvis Redwine and Craig Johnson both injured. Against Kansas State, he ran nine times for 183 yards.

1979 (Freshman) For the freshman squad, Craig rushed 48 times for 447 yards and three TDs as the starting I-back. He also played part-time for the varsity.

At Davenport Central HS Craig was an All-American and all-state performer for Coach Jim Fox at Davenport Central High School. Craig was a teammate of NU tight end Jamie Williams.

Personal The son of Ernestine Craig, Roger was born July 10, 1960. His older brother, Curtis, played wingback for NU from 1975-77.

Roger Craig was the 49th overall selection in the 1983 NFL Draft, taken in the second round from Nebraska, where he once held the record for longest run from scrimmage (94 yards, set during a 1981 game against Florida State University).

In his rookie year in 1983, he scored a combined 12 touchdowns rushing and receiving, as the 49ers reached the NFC Championship game. Craig became well known in his rookie year for his distinctive high-knee running technique.

In Super Bowl XIX in January 1985, Craig rushed for 58 yards, caught seven passes for 77 yards, and became the first player ever to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl during the 49ers’ 38–16 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

The following season, Craig became the first in NFL history to run and receive for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. He ran for 1,050 yards on 214 carries and led the NFL with 92 catches for 1,016 yards, and scored a team high 15 touchdowns. With fullback Tom Rathman, also from Nebraska, the two formed the 49ers’ “Cornfield Backfield.”

In 1988, Craig was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. He ran for a career high 1,502 yards and caught an additional 76 passes for 534 yards. A memorable game occurred in week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams. He scored three rushing touchdowns and ran a career high 191 yards. He went on to assist the 49ers to Super Bowl XXIII by amassing 262 combined rushing and receiving yards and two touchdowns in their two playoff games. In the 49ers’ 20-16 win over Cincinnati in that Super Bowl, he rushed for 71 yards and caught eight passes for 101 yards.

In the 1989 season, the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, aided by Craig’s 1,527 combined rushing/receiving yards and seven touchdowns in the season, along with his 240 combined rushing/receiving yards and two touchdowns in their two playoff games. In San Francisco’s 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, Craig rushed for 69 yards, caught five passes for 34 yards, and scored a touchdown.

The 49ers were 14–2 in the following regular season on their quest to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. In the NFC Championship Game (his last as a 49er), Craig fumbled late in the fourth quarter while his team was trying to hold on to a 13–12 lead over the New York Giants. The Giants recovered the ball and scored on a last-second field goal to win 15–13, and went on to win Super Bowl XXV.

Craig played a season with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991 and his final two with the Minnesota Vikings, retiring after the 1993 season. He appeared in the NFL Playoffs every year of his career, and made the Pro Bowl four times (1985, 1987–1989).

He was the first running back to gain more than 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season (1987). Since then, only one other running back has achieved the same feat (Marshall Faulk in 1999). Craig also caught a then-record 92 passes in the 1985 campaign. In 1988, Craig set a then-franchise record 1,502 yards rushing. The 1988 season was the second time Craig broke the 2,000 combined yardage mark in his career.

Craig finished his eleven NFL seasons with 8,189 rushing yards, 566 receptions for 4,911 receiving yards, and three kickoff returns for 43 yards. Overall, he amassed 13,143 total yards and scored 73 touchdowns (56 rushing and 17 receiving).

As of today, Lydell Mitchell, Roger Craig and Chuck Foreman are the only running backs to lead the NFL in receptions for a single season, and Craig is the only back to ever record over 100 receiving yards in a Super Bowl. His prowess as a receiver out of the backfield is a contrast to his college career, where he caught only 16 passes during his three seasons at Nebraska.

In 1993, Peter King (in Inside the Helmet) reported that Craig was the only running back to be elected to the Pro Bowl at both fullback and halfback. On April 21, 2008 Craig was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF).

Craig is married to Vernessia (high school sweetheart) and has five children Damesha, Rometra, Rogdrick, Alexander and Nia- Jai.

Roger currently works in marketing at Tibco Software in Palo Alto, California.

Craig is an avid runner and has participated in numerous marathons. He was the Grand Marshal for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Roger Craig and other top speakers and celebrities.

Roger Craig Speaking Topics

Roger is a dynamic speaker who has talked to many Fortune 100 companies, private companies, and for other various events. "Inside The Huddle" Q and A with Roger is always a huge success - hear a Three-Time Super Bowl Champion shares his thoughts on motivation, game plans, team building, winning, strategy, and success.

Roger Craig Videos

Roger Craig's 49ers Hall of Fame induction speech - YouTube

How do I book Roger Craig to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Roger Craig for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Roger Craig, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Roger Craig or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Roger Craig for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Roger Craig, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Roger Craig, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Roger Craig speak about?

Roger Craig is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Sports Motivation, Athlete, Sports, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Football and Inspirational.

Where does Roger Craig travel from?

Roger Craig generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Roger Craig?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Roger Craig for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Roger Craig for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Roger Craig or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Roger Craig is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Sports Motivation, Athlete and Sports. The estimated speaking fee range to book Roger Craig for live events is $10,000 - $20,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Roger Craig generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jerry Rice, Rudy Ruettiger and Steve Young. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Roger Craig for an upcoming event.

Roger Craig Speaking Topics

  • Roger is a dynamic speaker who has talked to many Fortune 100 companies, private companies, and for other various events. "Inside The Huddle" Q and A with Roger is always a huge success - hear a Three-Time Super Bowl Champion shares his thoughts on motivation, game plans, team building, winning, strategy, and success.

Roger Craig Videos

Roger Craig's 49ers Hall of Fame induction speech - YouTube

Roger Craig Reviews

  • It was such a pleasure having Roger. He was a pro and very personable.
    Hotaling and Co. - Feb 15 2019

  • Hotaling and Co. - Feb 14 2019

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