What Is The NFL Record For Interceptions In A Season?
Contents
The NFL record for interceptions in a season is held by Hall of Fame cornerback Paul Krause, who had 12 picks in 14 games for the Minnesota Vikings in 1968.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is America’s most popular sport, generating $9.5 billion in revenue per year.
What is the NFL record for interceptions in a season?
The NFL record for interceptions in a season is held by Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, who had 12 in the 1993 season while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Who holds the record?
The NFL record for interceptions in a season is held by Hall of Fame cornerback Dick “Night Train” Lane, who picked off 14 passes for the Los Angeles Rams in 1952.
Why is this record so difficult to break?
The NFL record for interceptions in a season is 21, set by Dick “Night Train” Lane of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952. Why is this record so difficult to break?
For one thing, Lane was an exceptional athlete. He was 6’1″ and 190 pounds, with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash. He was also a terrific leaper, which helped him snag many of his interceptions.
Lane played in an era when passing was not as common as it is today. In 1952, NFL teams averaged only 19 passing attempts per game. Compare that to the 38 passing attempts per game that teams averaged in 2018, and you can see why it’s so much harder to intercept passes nowadays.
In addition, Lane benefited from playing on a very good Rams team that included Hall of Fame defensive end Les Richter and future Hall of Fame linebacker Del Shofner. The Rams had one of the best defenses in the league, which put opponents in situations where they had to throw more often than they would have liked.
Finally, Lane was just plain lucky. Some of his interceptions were tip drills that he happened to be in the right place at the right time to snag. Others were “Hail Mary” passes that were intended to be desperation heaves and had no real chance of being caught.
breaking Night Train Lane’s record is a tall task for any interception-hungry defensive back today.
Conclusion
However, the record for most interceptions in a season still belongs to Dick “Night Train” Lane, who set the mark way back in 1952 with 14.
Lane was a cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, and he had an incredible season that year. In addition to his 14 interceptions, he also recorded an incredible 290 interception return yards and 4 touchdown returns.
In today’s game, it’s very rare to see a cornerback record more than 7 or 8 interceptions in a season, so it’s safe to say that Lane’s record is one that will never be broken.