Bubba Bean

Who is Bubba Bean?

Earnest Ray "Bubba" Bean is a former American football running back with the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League. He was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft. Bubba played three seasons for the Falcons, 1976 through 1979. In spite of being sidelined for the entire 1977 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, he came back in 1978 to enjoy his best season, rushing for 707 yards on 193 attempts and catching 31 passes for another 209 yards. His yards per carry increased each year finishing with 4.5 in his last year on 88 attempts. He completed his only career pass attempt for 49 yards

Coming on the heels of a spectacular college career at Texas A & M where he rushed for over 2,800 yards, his NFL career was a disappointment to some. 1979 marked the spectacular arrival of William Andrews who beat out Bean for the starting position. Andrews went on to rush for over 1,000 yards that year and was selected to the pro bowl each of the following four years.

Bean retired from the NFL in 1982 to the Texas A & M career planning and placement office. Twelve years later he formed Bean Construction which he operated for a number of years in College Station, Texas. Bean was inducted in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in May of 2009.