PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Dickerson Isn’t Ready to Celebrate

Eric Dickerson was thrilled to get the ball he used to pass Tony Dorsett Sunday on the NFL’s career rushing list, and he was honored to have moved into the No. 2 spot in NFL history with 12,744 yards, behind only Walter Payton.

It’s a moment Dickerson will savor.

Someday, but not now.

“I will look back at my records after I’m finished playing,” he said. “I look back at my (Southern Methodist) records more now than when I played. I think, ‘That’s me. I did that.’ ”

Still, Dickerson does marvel at having picked up nearly 13,000 yards midway through his 10th year.

“I remember when I started playing,” he said. “I thought if I could get 800 yards in one year, it would be great.”

Dickerson, who began his career with the Rams, was asked if he could recall the first yards he ever got in the NFL.

“I think it was five yards against the New York Giants,” he said.

Dickerson still trails Payton by 3,982 yards. Payton’s total is 16,726.

At age 32, that mark may be out of reach for Dickerson, who has become a part-time back with the Raiders this season, getting most of his playing time during the first half. “It’s a long way,” he said. “That’s a lot of yards. If I don’t do it, I can still say I had a good career. If I do it, it will be even better.”