He was affectionately referred to as "the Human Bowling Ball" because of his short but robust frame.
He spent two full years in Baltimore before being traded midway through the 1973 NFL season to the Don Shula-led Miami Dolphins.
"[2] Nottingham was part of the Dolphins team that won Super Bowl VIII over the Minnesota Vikings 24–7.
He gained the starting role after Larry Csonka left for the World Football League in 1975 and finished in the top ten of all running backs for rushing touchdowns during the 1974 and 1975 NFL seasons.
Nottingham broke his left shoulder blade in August 1978[3] and sat out the entire 1978 season on injured reserve, then retired in March 1979 to sell insurance.