While the attention of Chicago sports fans has been squarely focused on the Cubs and their quest for World Series glory, Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard accomplished something on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings that has not been seen in over 50 years.
The rookie running back had an explosive game against the Vikings, rushing for 153 yards and a touchdown while also hauling in four catches for 49 yards in a 20-10 victory that gave Chicago just their second victory of the season.
With 202 total yards from scrimmage, Howard became the first Bears rookie to break that barrier since the great Gale Sayers did so in his rookie season of 1965. In that game, Sayers rushed for 113 yards and had four catches for 89 yards in a 61-20 victory over the San Francisco 49’ers at Wrigley Field.
Howard’s accomplishments aren’t just limited to joining Sayers in that exclusive club either. According to the Bears, Howard is the youngest Bears player to ever hit the 200-yard plateau in a game, making his accomplishment that much more remarkable.
Howard, a fifth round pick of the Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft, has rushed for 505 yards and a pair of touchdowns so far this season, and he has seemingly supplanted Jeremy Langford as the team’s starting running back moving forward as Langford continues to deal with a serious ankle injury.
