Las Vegas Raiders fandom should not overlook Justin Fargas when it comes to Silver and Black running backs.
The first running back who comes to mind when people think of the Raiders is Marcus Allen. Who can forget his Super Bowl run against Washington?
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Also, they likely picture Bo Jackson running through the tunnel. However, other than those two, not many turn up at the Raiders top echelon. Hardcore fans may remember Tyrone Wheatley running through Kansas City and refusing to go down back in 1999. Others might look back at Napoleon Kauffman doing his thing against Denver in 1997. In 2008, Darren McFadden went against the Chiefs and Latavius Murray did the same in 2014. Nevertheless, none of them would be confused with All-Time legends. While Marcus Allen leads the Raiders all-time rushing list with 8,545 yards, Fargas takes the tenth place with 3,369 yards.
The Raiders 10th Place Leader in Rushing Yards in a Blink
The Raiders selected Fargas in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft and seemed good in preseason action. Nonetheless, he didn’t get many carries and didn’t flash too much in the regular season. He had more time to showcase his prowess in 2006 and displayed a lot more. He ended up starting six games and finished the season with 659 rushing yards. His numbers were not mind-blowing but pulling those number in in spite of being a backup was noteworthy. He showed he was skilled, serviceable and could fill in when needed.
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With Lamont Jordan out due to injuries, Fargas enjoyed his best year in 2007. All in all, he rushed for 1,009 yards, four touchdowns, and had 23 catches for 188 yards. Moreover, he went over 100 yards four times that season in seven starts, In those four games Fargas reached the 100-yard mark, the Raiders went 3-1. His biggest game came against the Miami Dolphins, in which he rushed for 179 yards on 22 carries. Had receiver Mike Williams not prematurely celebrated Fargas would’ve run in for a score, but that drive still led to score.
The following season, Fargas split time with Darren McFadden, the Raiders 2008 first round pick, and Michael Bush. Fargas was still able to run for 853, but only managed one total touchdown. His best performance that year was against the Denver Broncos. He finished the game with 24 carries and 107 yards on the ground.
The following season, the continued emergence of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush made Fargas’ numbers and his place on the depth chart fall. 2009 was his last season with the Raiders as was released in 2010. He would not play another game even though he signed with the Broncos for a few weeks.
Fargas Did Leave a Mark for the Raiders
Many people overlook Fargas when they think of Raider running backs. His all-time numbers are not out of this world, but he was solid serviceable when Lamont Jordan didn’t pan out. He was there before McFadden’s rise. Fargas was a hard-nose back that gave it all and never gave in. You knew what you were getting with him and, defenses were aware they needed their hard hat to bring him down.
Justin Fargas was a bright spot through a very dark time with the Raiders and should be looked upon fondly for his time.
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