junior and senior years. Centers was a two-time all-Southland Conference pick and set a school record for rushing yards in his senior season. In 1989, with Centers as their starting running back, the Lumberjacks advanced to the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game where they lost by a field goal to the Georgia Southern Eagles. Professional career Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University, Centers was drafted by the Phoenix Cardinals in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He saw limited playing time in his first two seasons, as head coach Joe Bugel had doubts on his ability to carry the ball and thought of him as a third-down running back. According to his coaches, Centers particularly needed work on his pass protection skills and he spent an entire off-season mastering the capability. His playing time started to increase and by 1992, Centers rushed for 139 yards and caught 50 passes for 417 yards. On October 4, 1992, Centers scored the winning touchdown against the Washington Redskins with less than a minute remaining to break an 11-game Cardinals losing streak. The game-winning touchdown was the first of Centers' NFL career. The role of the fullback as a ball carrier was starting to diminish as the NFL game evolved during the 1990s. Yet, Centers's offensive numbers only increased as the years went by, especially his receptions and his leadership ability. He caught 66 passes in his fourth NFL season. In 1994, Bugel was fired and replaced by Buddy Ryan. Ryan allowed Centers more opportunity to run with the ball, carrying the ball a career-high 115 times while catching 77 receptions. In 1995, Centers had one of the greatest seasons ever of any modern day fullback, recording 101 receptions for 962 yards. He became the first runningback to record 100 receptions. He held the record for most receptions by a running back with 101 until this record was broken by Matt Forte in 2014 with 102. He also rushed for 254 yards, scored four touchdowns, and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Unfortunately, his team was not successful despite his contributions; they finished the 1995 season with a 4-12 record and Ryan was fired at the end of the year and replaced by Vince Tobin. In 1996, Centers recorded 99 receptions for 766 yards and seven touchdowns, while also gaining a career-high