Larry Eugene Centers (born June 1, 1968) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
fullback in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for 14 seasons, mostly the
Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals (1990–1998). Centers then played for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
(1999–2000), the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
(2001–2002), and finally was a member of the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, with whom he won a Super Bowl.
Centers played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. One of the most prolific pass catching
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
s in NFL history, he topped 100
receptions in 1995 and had 99 receptions in 1996. He owns the NFL record for most passes caught by a running back during a career.
He was selected to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
in 1995, 1996, and 2001.
Early life
Centers was born in
Tatum, Texas
Tatum is a city in Rusk and Panola counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 1,342 at the 2020 census.
History
Tatum was settled in the 1840s by Albert Tatum and his second wife, Mary C. (Rippetoe) Tatum. In 1848, they built a large ...
and grew up in
Longview.
He began playing little league football for the Bramlette Bears as a running back and quarterback during his
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
years and went on to play in middle school for the Forest Park Eagles and high school for the Longview Lobos until his junior year. He played on both sides of the ball as a defensive back and runnningback and wide receiver. Centers did not play football at all his junior year of high school. After his family moved to nearby
Tatum, where his mother was an administrator in education, Centers decided to play football again after being urged to do so by his elder brother. After a solid season in Tatum, he earned a scholarship to nearby
Stephen F. Austin State University. He was also recruited by Baylor, Texas Tech, and several junior colleges. His brother, Donnie, played for the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...
and coach
Lou Holtz as a
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
.
College career
After being recruited as a running back, wide receiver, and a defensive back, Centers began his
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
career with the
Division I-AA Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks as a wide receiver.
As a freshman, he broke his pinky finger on his left hand and was then assigned to play scout team running back and special teams. In his sophomore season against
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, an injury to the team's starting running back allowed Centers a chance to play. In the win, Centers rushed nine times for 96 yards and finished the season with 100-plus rushing yards in each of the remaining six games. He also led the Lumberjacks in receptions, rushing yards and yards from scrimmage during his junior and senior years. Centers was a two-time all-
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
pick and set a school record for rushing yards in his senior season.
In 1989, with Centers as their starting running back, the Lumberjacks advanced to the
1989 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game where they lost by a
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
to the
Georgia Southern Eagles.
Professional career
Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals
After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University, Centers was selected by the Phoenix Cardinals in the fifth round of the
1990 NFL draft.
He saw limited playing time in his first two seasons, as head coach
Joe Bugel had doubts on his ability to carry the ball and thought of him as a third-down running back.
According to his coaches, Centers particularly needed work on his pass protection skills and he spent an entire off-season mastering the capability.
His playing time started to increase and by 1992, Centers rushed for 139 yards and caught 50 passes for 417 yards.
On October 4, 1992, Centers scored the winning touchdown against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
with less than a minute remaining to break an 11-game Cardinals losing streak.
The game-winning touchdown was the first of Centers' NFL career.
The role of the fullback as a ball carrier was starting to diminish as the NFL game evolved during the 1990s. Yet, Centers's offensive numbers only increased as the years went by, especially his receptions and his leadership ability.
He caught 66 passes in his fourth NFL season.
In 1994, Bugel was fired and replaced by Buddy Ryan. Ryan allowed Centers more opportunity to run with the ball, carrying the ball a career-high 115 times while catching 77 receptions.
In 1995, Centers had one of the greatest seasons ever of any modern day fullback, recording 101 receptions for 962 yards.
He became the first runningback to record 100 receptions. He held the record for most receptions by a running back with 101 until this record was broken by
Matt Forte in 2014 with 102.
He also rushed for 254 yards, scored four touchdowns, and was selected to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
for the first time. Unfortunately, his team was not successful despite his contributions; they finished the 1995 season with a 4–12 record and Ryan was fired at the end of the year and replaced by
Vince Tobin.
In 1996, Centers recorded 99 receptions for 766 yards and seven touchdowns, while also gaining a career-high 425 yards on 116 carries, and he scored two touchdowns on the ground.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row, but once again his team had a disappointing season, finishing with a 7–9 record. Centers became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
after the season. Both the Washington Redskins and the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
were interested in his services, but ultimately he signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract to stay with the Cardinals after switching
agents, becoming the fifth highest paid running back in the league.
After previously leading the team in receptions the last four seasons, the Cardinals started to try Centers in different offensive formations at
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
.
Centers continued to be a major contributor to the Cardinals, recording 123 receptions and 386 rushing yards over the next two seasons.
In his final year with Arizona (1998), the team recorded a 9–7 record and made the playoffs as a wild card. The Cardinals made it all the way to the divisional playoffs before being eliminated in a 41–21 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Centers finished his Cardinals career as the team's all-time leading pass catcher.
Washington Redskins
Citing durability and
salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...
concerns, the Cardinals released Centers on June 19, 1999.
At the time of his release, Centers was considered "the heart and soul" of the Cardinals offense.
He signed with the Washington Redskins and quickly became a team leader, recording 69 receptions in his first season with the team.
During a crucial game against the 49ers, Centers caught a 33-yard touchdown pass in overtime, which made the Redskins the NFC Eastern division champs for the first time since 1991 and gave the team a playoff berth. The Redskins finished the regular season with a 10–6 record but were eliminated in the divisional playoffs by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
, 14–13.
The following year, he caught 81 passes for 600 yards, rushed for 103 yards, and used his blocking to help running back
Stephen Davis achieve star numbers, 1,318 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He passed
Keith Byars for most receptions by a running back.
However, the Redskins recorded only an 8–8 record that year and did not make the playoffs.
Buffalo Bills
In 2001, Centers signed with the Buffalo Bills and made it to his third
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
appearance, catching 80 passes, this time for a total of 620 yards, with 160 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
In the fourth quarter of a 23–20 loss against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, he surpassed
Ronnie Harmon's record for most receiving yards by an NFL running back with a two-yard reception.
He also surpassed Hall of Famers
Charlie Joiner and
Michael Irvin to reach the top ten in all-time receptions by a player.
New England Patriots
After spending another year with Buffalo, Centers joined the Patriots in 2003.
By this time, 35-year-old Centers' role as a receiver (along with ball carrier) had diminished. He was released after the sixth game of the season due to a knee injury, before re-signing with the Patriots in December.
He recorded 19 receptions for 106 yards and rushed for 82 yards.
Still, his blocking contributions as part of the Patriots offense allowed him to earn a Super Bowl ring; New England finished the season with a 14–2 record and went on to defeat the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
32–29 in
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2003 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2003 New England Patriots season, New E ...
.
Centers retired from professional football before the beginning of the 2004 season.
Career achievements
In his 14 NFL seasons, Centers rushed for 2,188 yards, caught 827 passes for 6,797 yards, returned five punts for 30 yards, returned 33 kickoffs for 617 yards and scored 42 touchdowns (14 rushing/28 receiving).
Centers' 827 receptions are currently the most by any running back and were the most by any non-wide receiver in NFL history, until tight end
Tony Gonzalez surpassed this mark in 2008.
He caught passes in 128 consecutive games, at one point the third longest streak in the NFL.
When Centers retired, he was seventh in passes caught in league history.
Because NFL fullbacks are now almost exclusively used as blockers, Centers is widely recognized as one of the greatest pass receiving fullbacks.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Centers, Larry
1968 births
Living people
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football fullbacks
Arizona Cardinals players
Buffalo Bills players
New England Patriots players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Phoenix Cardinals players
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football players
Washington Redskins players
People from Tatum, Texas