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Howard Lee "Hokie" Gajan Jr. (September 6, 1959 – April 11, 2016) was an American football running back who played five seasons in the National Football League.

Hokie Gajan

No. 46
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1959-09-06)September 6, 1959 Baker, Louisiana
Died:	April 11, 2016(2016-04-11) (aged 56) New Orleans, Louisiana
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Baker (LA)
College:	LSU
NFL Draft:	1981 / Round: 10 / Pick: 249
Career history
New Orleans Saints (1981–1987)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 1,358 Average: 5.4 Rushing touchdowns: 11
Player stats at PFR

Biography

Gajan played football at Baker High School in Baker, Louisiana, and he received a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University (LSU).[1] He was drafted out of LSU by the New Orleans Saints in the 1981 NFL Draft.[2]

In 1984, the same season Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson set a new NFL single season rushing record, Gajan led all NFL rushers (with 100 or more attempts) in yards gained per attempt (102 carries, 615 yards; a 6.03 ypc average). Through 2015, he remains one of 19 NFL running backs to exceed six yards per carry in a (100 or more attempt) season.

Missing the 1986 season due to a knee injury, Gajan retired after the 1987 season after injuring the opposite knee.[3] During his career, Gajan rushed for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns, and also had 515 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Gajan worked as a scout for the Saints before he entered broadcasting. He was the color commentator alongside Jim Henderson on Saints radio broadcasts. In the fall of 2015, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer known as liposarcoma. Gajan died on April 11, 2016.[4] He was the 2016 recipient of the Joe Gemelli Fleur-De-Lis Award, an annual award honoring a person for contributions to the Saints organization. Gajan's award was voted in March and was announced posthumously.[5]

References

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