Upon entering the league in 1973, he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first five seasons of his career.

Nicknamed "The Spin Doctor" for his elusive running abilities, Foreman held the Vikings franchise record for rushing yards from scrimmage upon his retirement.

[4] As a member of the Miami Hurricanes football team, Foreman played multiple positions in his college career.

[4] He was limited on offense during his 1970 sophomore campaign due to injuries in the team's defensive backfield, which necessitated that he change his position to cornerback.

[7] Foreman had a noted issue with fumbling during his college career, which he attributed to holding the ball too loosely, resulting in it being knocked out of his hands by his knees while running.

Foreman was instructed on proper ball-carrying technique by New York Jets coach Weeb Ewbank during the 1973 Senior Bowl, which helped to alleviate the issue in preparation for his professional career.

He learned that he was drafted while sitting in his apartment at the University of Miami and at first felt consternation toward playing in Minnesota due to the cold, recalling a time in which flamethrowers were used to thaw the field of Metropolitan Stadium before a game.

[5][9] After rushing for 801 yards on 182 carries and catching 37 passes for 362 yards during the regular season, Foreman won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and was voted to the Pro Bowl,[10] helping the Vikings improve from a 7–7 record in 1972 to a 12–2 record and a NFC Central division championship in 1973.

[1][11] In the playoffs, the Vikings defeated the Washington Redskins in the divisional round and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game en route to a Super Bowl appearance against the Miami Dolphins.

Although the Vikings' record worsened to 10–4, they repeated as NFC Central champions and reached the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year, where they lost 16–6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Foreman and Bills star running back O. J. Simpson were also competing to break Gale Sayers's NFL record for combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in a season.

After scoring his third touchdown of the game, Foreman was struck in the eye by a snowball thrown by a Bills fan and suffered from blurred vision as a result.