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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Return yards is a gridiron football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the offensive team by advancing the ball from its point of progress at the start of play known as the line of scrimmage or by the defensive team after taking possession of the football via a change of possession (such as punt, kickoff, interception, punt block, blocked kick or fumble). When the defensive team advances the ball during play after a change in possession, yardage is credited from the point of the change of possession. Return specialists are commonly monitored statistically for their totals and averages. However, other types of return yardage such as interception return yards are also measured because the point on the field where a change in possession occurs is marked.
Kick return yards and punt return yards result from voluntary change in possession and most of the others result from involuntary forms of change in possession known as turnovers. Often kick return and punt return statistics are aggregated. and sometimes they are added to yards from scrimmage to yield all-purpose yards. When kick return yards and punt return yards are aggregated they are known as combined return yards or more formally, combined kick return yards.[1]
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Return yards is a gridiron football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the offensive team by advancing the ball from its point of progress at the start of play known as the line of scrimmage or by the defensive team after taking possession of the football via a change of possession (such as punt, kickoff, interception, punt block, blocked kick or fumble). When the defensive team advances the ball during play after a change in possession, yardage is credited from the point of the change of possession. Return specialists are commonly monitored statistically for their totals and averages. However, other types of return yardage such as interception return yards are also measured because the point on the field where a change in possession occurs is marked. Kick return yards and punt return yards result from voluntary change in possession and most of the others result from involuntary forms of change in possession known as turnovers. Often kick return and punt return statistics are aggregated. and sometimes they are added to yards from scrimmage to yield all-purpose yards. When kick return yards and punt return yards are aggregated they are known as combined return yards or more formally, combined kick return yards.
In American football, a kickoff is a method of starting a drive-in gridiron football that occurs at the start of each half or after scoring that can be returned for yards. The number of kickoff return yards a player makes is a recorded statistic in football games. Statistics were not recorded until 1941. The history of the returner generally saw receivers used for the position, most notably with Deion Sanders. Only one return specialist has been inducted into the Hall of Fame with Devin Hester. This is a list of National Football League kickoff returners who have led the regular season in kickoff return yards each year. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) kickoff return yards leaders, league record books recognize the kickoff return yard leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. The NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025. Bruce Harper and Tyrone Hughes have led the NFL in kickoff return yards three times, more than any other kickoff returner. They are also the only players to lead the league three times consecutively, with Harper doing so from 1977 through 1979 and Hughes doing so from 1994 through 1996. The record for kickoff return yards in a season is held by MarTay Jenkins, who had 2,186 kickoff yards in 2000 for the Arizona Cardinals. He is the only player to record a 2,000 kickoff return yards in a season.
This list shows the top National Football League kickoff returners based on their career kickoff return yards within 5,000 yards. Brian Mitchell is the all-time leader with 14,014 kickoff return yards over 14 seasons. He also holds the record for most kickoff returns with 607. For returners with at least 5,000 yards, Cordarrelle Patterson holds the record for most yards per return with 29.0; Gale Sayers holds the all-time record for all kickoff returners with 30.6. Patterson also holds the record for most kickoff return touchdowns with 9. In comparison, no punt returner has ever logged 5,000 yards, with the all-time leader in punt return yards being Mitchell with 4,999 yards.
In American football, a punt can be returned for yards. The number of punt return yards a player makes is a recorded statistic in football games. Statistics were not recorded until 1941. This is a list of National Football League punt returners who have led the regular season in punt return yards each year. Alvin Haymond has led the NFL in punt return yards three times, more than any other punt returner. Emlen Tunnell, Dick Christy, Claude Gibson, Alvin Haymond, Rodger Bird, J. T. Smith, Vai Sikahema, Dave Meggett, and Darren Sproles are the only players to lead the league in punt return yards in consecutive years. The record for punt return yards in a season is currently held by Desmond Howard of the Green Bay Packers who had 875 yards in 1996. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) punt return yards leaders, league record books recognize the punt return yard leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. The NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.