# Corey Dillon
**Corey Dillon** (Corey James Dillon) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) running back who played 10 seasons in the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), seven with the [Cincinnati Bengals](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati-bengals) (1997-2003) and three with the New England Patriots (2004-2006), retiring with 11,241 rushing yards and 82 rushing touchdowns.[1](https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/corey-dillon-career-stats) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) He won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots and is a member of the Bengals' Ring of Honor.[3](https://www.patriots.com/press-room/super-bowl-xxxix) • [4](https://www.bengals.com/team/ring-of-honor/coreydillon)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, teams | Running back; Cincinnati Bengals 1997-2003, New England Patriots 2004-2006[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) |
| Draft | 2nd round (43rd overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft, by Cincinnati[5](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DillCo00.htm) |
| Career totals | 150 games, 2,618 carries, 11,241 yards (4.3 per carry), 82 rushing touchdowns, 244 receptions for 1,913 yards and 7 touchdowns[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) |
| Bengals record | 8,061 career rushing yards with Cincinnati (1997-2003), the franchise's career mark[6](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/wlpvln9lfdtvfqc5gu40.pdf) |
| Best season | 2004: 345 carries, 1,635 yards, 12 touchdowns, a Patriots single-season record[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) • [7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171) |
| Longest run | 96 yards, in 2001[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) |
| Championship | Super Bowl XXXIX champion, scoring a touchdown in the game[3](https://www.patriots.com/press-room/super-bowl-xxxix) |
## Bengals career, 1997-2003
Dillon entered the NFL as a second-round pick, 43rd overall, in the 1997 draft.[5](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DillCo00.htm) He was productive immediately, rushing for 1,129 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 1997, and he topped 1,100 yards in each of his first six seasons, including 1,435 yards in 2000 and 1,315 yards in 2001.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) His 2001 season included a 96-yard run, the longest of his career.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career)
By the end of his [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati) tenure he had accumulated 8,061 rushing yards, the Bengals' career rushing record, as listed in the club's own record book.[6](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/wlpvln9lfdtvfqc5gu40.pdf) His final Cincinnati season, 2003, was shortened to 13 games, with 541 yards on 138 carries.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) Decades later the franchise honored him in its [Ring of Honor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ring-of-honor), describing him as the greatest running back the Bengals sifted out of the 1997 draft's second round.[4](https://www.bengals.com/team/ring-of-honor/coreydillon)
## Trade to New England and the 2004 season
Before the 2004 season the Patriots sent a second-round pick in the 2004 draft to Cincinnati to acquire Dillon, a move the team's own retrospective called possibly the most critical of a championship season.[7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171) The addition helped New England produce franchise-best rushing totals in 2004.[7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171)
Dillon responded with the best season of his career: 345 carries for 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games, a 4.7-yard average with eight runs of 20 or more yards.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) [The 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-1),635 yards stood as the Patriots' single-season rushing record.[7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171) New England won its third [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) title in four years that season.[7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171)
## Playoffs and Super Bowl XXXIX
The 2004 postseason was the first of Dillon's career, after seven seasons in Cincinnati without a playoff appearance. In three playoff contests he rushed for 292 yards and two touchdowns.[7](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171)
In [Super Bowl XXXIX](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xxxix) on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, New England beat Philadelphia 24-21. Dillon capped a fourth-quarter possession sparked by Kevin Faulk's screen passes and a 12-yard run with a two-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots a 21-14 lead with 13:44 remaining; [Adam Vinatieri](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-vinatieri)'s 22-yard field goal and late interceptions by [Tedy Bruschi](https://www.edgepedia.org/tedy-bruschi) and Rodney Harrison preserved the win.[3](https://www.patriots.com/press-room/super-bowl-xxxix) The victory made the Patriots, alongside the Dallas Cowboys, one of the only NFL teams to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span.[3](https://www.patriots.com/press-room/super-bowl-xxxix)
## Final seasons and career totals
Dillon played two more seasons in New England. In 2005 injuries limited him to 12 games and 733 yards, though he scored 12 touchdowns; in 2006 he played all 16 games, rushing 199 times for 812 yards and 13 touchdowns.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career)
Across 150 regular-season games he finished with 2,618 carries for 11,241 yards (4.3 per carry) and 82 rushing touchdowns, plus 244 receptions for 1,913 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns, and 7 kick returns for 186 yards.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career) He fumbled 28 times, losing 19.[2](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career)
## College
Dillon played college football at the University of Washington and entered the NFL as a Huskies running back selected by Cincinnati.[8](https://gohuskies.com/documents/download/2025/8/2/2025_UW_Football_Record_Book.pdf)
## References
1. [Corey Dillon Career Stats, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/corey-dillon-career-stats)
2. [Corey Dillon Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/corey-dillon/stats/career)
3. [Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots official website](https://www.patriots.com/press-room/super-bowl-xxxix)
4. [Corey Dillon, Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor](https://www.bengals.com/team/ring-of-honor/coreydillon)
5. [Corey Dillon Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DillCo00.htm)
6. [Cincinnati Bengals Individual Records, 2023 NFL Record & Fact Book](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/wlpvln9lfdtvfqc5gu40.pdf)
7. [Position Breakdown: Running Backs, New England Patriots](https://www.patriots.com/news/position-breakdown-running-backs-130171)
8. [Huskies in the NFL Draft, 2025 UW Football Record Book](https://gohuskies.com/documents/download/2025/8/2/2025_UW_Football_Record_Book.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Running backs › Retired NFL running backs › NFL running backs of the 1990s and 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license