With the NFL season upon us, what better time than now to look back at some of the greatest players to ever have touched the beloved pigskin? We’ll share with you the records set by those touchdown leaders, many of which are yet to be broken, plus, a brief look at their inspirational NFL careers.
What is the NFL?
The National Football League (NFL) is the top professional American football league and consists of 32 teams. These teams are split between two Conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). These Conferences are further divided into four divisions, North, East, South, and West.
The 2022 NFL season is scheduled to run from September through to early January 2023, and each team will play 17 games, with one bye week. The top seven teams from each Conference will reach the NFL playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that determines the NFL champion. The Super Bowl (championship final) is due to take place in February 2023 and will be the last game of the season.
Betting on the NFL
When it comes to sports betting in the US and Canada, NFL football generates the most interest. Take last season for example, over 31 million Americans placed a bet on the prestigious Super Bowl, this was an astonishing rise of 35% from its previous 2020 season.
Proposition bets are wagers that are based on specific in-game events, e.g. when things will happen and who by. In relation to our article, two of the most common NFL prop bets are:
- First Touchdown Scorer
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer
To make an informed decision on which players are more likely to succeed with the above actions, you need to get NFL touchdown scorers stats. These are up-to-date results from each game and show player trends and team-specific strategies. For instance, some teams will take chances early on in the game to try and catch the defense off guard, whereas others are more likely to come out and establish the run.
What is a Touchdown?
Those new to American football may be a little confused over what is classed as an actual ‘touchdown.’ Some stats can be confusing as they include passing touchdowns, but this is where a player, usually a quarterback, throws a pass to get the ball into, or near, the end zone.
An actual touchdown is when the player advances the ball across their opponent’s goal line into the end zone. The player must be in possession of the ball and it must ‘break the plane’ of the goal line. The attacking team will score six points for each successful touchdown.
NFL Touchdown Career Leaders
Now, let’s take a look at the top five touchdown leaders in NFL history:
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice holds the record, with a total of 208 touchdowns during his 20-season career. Better known for wearing the San Francisco 49ers jersey, this pro football wide receiver won three championships before moving over to the Oakland Raiders, and then finally the Seattle Seahawks.
Nicknamed ‘World’ because of his superb catching ability, his accomplishments and numerous records earned him recognition as one of the greatest players of all time.
Emmitt Smith
Second on the leaderboard is former running back Emmitt James Smith III, who was known for his 15-season stint in the NFL, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He scored a total of 175 touchdowns, and amongst his numerous accolades, he is also known as the league’s all-time leading rusher.
LaDainian Tomlinson
Considered as one of the greatest running backs of all time, LaDainian Tomlinson scored a stunning 162 touchdowns during his NFL career. He spent nine of his eleven seasons at the San Diego Chargers, and his last two seasons with the New York Jets. Amongst his accolades, Tomlinson broke the record for the number of touchdowns in a single season, back in 2006.
Randy Moss
Randy Moss enjoyed 14 seasons in the NFL, with the teams Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. As a wide receiver, he managed to tot up 157 touchdowns and he ranks second in the all-time career touchdown receptions and fourth in career receiving yards.
Terrell Owens
Making fifth place is Terrell Owens, nicknamed T.O. the wide receiver for the Knights of Degen (FCF). His NFL career span for 15 seasons, in which he played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Seattle Seahawks.
Due to his flamboyant touchdown celebrations, T.O. created significant controversy over the scoring of his 153 touchdowns during his NFL career. He completed a brief stint at Allen Wranglers (IFL) in 2012 and returned to professional football in 2022, joining the FCF Zappers.
