Before the current pass-happy era of the NFL, there was once a time when running backs were almost as revered and valued as quarterbacks. In the old days, things were much more about ground and pound football, and having an elite running back could change the trajectory of a franchise almost as much as a quarterback could.
That’s why, when we look back at the list of the greatest running backs of all time, so many of these names are so familiar to football fans. Without further delay, here’s our list of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
Roger Craig
(Otto Greule Jr / Stringer / Getty Images)
Craig belongs on this list for one fact: There is only one other player in league history (he is also listed) who can join him in claiming to be the greatest dual threat running back (running and receiving) of all. time. Roger was the first running back in NFL history to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season; That feat has only been accomplished twice since Craig did it in 1985.
He also surpassed 2,000 combined yards on two separate occasions during his career. He was NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988. The fact that he, one of the most dynamic players of the 1980s and an invaluable piece of the great San Francisco 49ers teams of that era, was not included in the Hall of Fame is a travesty that cannot be excused.
Seasons played: 11Pro Bowl Picks: 3x pickHall of fame: not included
Joe Perry
(Frank Rippon/Getty Images)
Fletcher Joseph Perry, known to most Generation X fans of the NFL as Joe The Jet Perry, was the first player in the NFL to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, and retired in 1963 as the player with the most rushing yards in league history to date. During his thirteen seasons playing for the San Francisco 49ers, he was named to the Pro Bowl three times and named league MVP in 1954.
Perry’s stardom also carried some level of cultural significance, as he was the first African-American to be named the NFL’s MVP, and is considered to be of the NFL’s first African American stars overall. And to this day, almost 50 years later, he still ranks among the top 35 players in all-time rushing yards.
Seasons Played: 16Pro Bowl Selections: 3x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1969
Jim Taylor
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Among a who’s-who of Hall of Famers that played for the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s – coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi – Jim Taylor was easily one of the most important players to the team’s perennial success. Between 1960 and 1964, Taylor ran for 1,0000 yards in each of those five seasons and had a combined 66 rushing touchdowns in that span — leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons in 1961 and 1962.
Running behind Hall of Fame linemen Forest Gregg and Ray Nitschke, Taylor running the football when Green Bay would run the famous Packers’ sweep was one of the most iconic plays of the 1960s. His 81 rushing touchdowns for the Packers is still a franchise record by a wide margin. He also remains second all-time in rushing yards in Packers’ franchise history.
Seasons Played: 10Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1976
John Riggins
(George Rose/Getty Images)
Arguably the team’s most beloved player among the fan base of the Washington Redskins, John Riggins was the workhorse running back for Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs and the Redskins teams that would go to the Super Bowl in both 1982 and 1983. During the 1982-83 postseason, Riggins demanded that Gibbs put the offense on Riggins’ back, and Gibbs obliged; Riggins carried the ball 136 times in 4 playoff games, including 38 carries for a Super Bowl record 166 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XVII. Riggins was named the MVP of said Super Bowl.
The following season, Riggins would go on to set the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a season, running for 24 touchdowns on a Redskins offense that would set the record for the most points scored by an offense in a single season. To this day, Riggins’ 11,352 rushing yards keep him among the top 20 running backs of all time (in rushing yards).
Seasons Played: 14Pro Bowl Selections: 1x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1992
Franco Harris
(Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll had the foresight to see that Franco Harris was much more to offer than simply being a lead blocker, as he was for much of his career at Penn State University. From the moment he arrived in Steeltown, Harris became an integral part of the Steelers’ prolific offense, winning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 1972, and running for more than 1,000 yards in six straight seasons from 1974 onwards.
Harris was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX, after carrying the ball 34 times for 158 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. His Super Bowl career totals of 101 carries for 354 yards are records and his four career rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most in Super Bowl history. He’s still ranked among the 15 running backs with the most career rushing yards.
Seasons Played: 11Pro Bowl Selections: 9x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1990
Earl Campbell
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Earl Campbell will forever be regarded as one of the most physical and hard-charging backs we’ve seen in NFL history. The two-time All-American at the University of Texas became the no. 1 overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and led the NFL in rushing his first three seasons in the league. In said first three seasons, he amassed 45 rushing touchdowns, while running for 1,450 yards each of those three seasons.
But because of the violence, he ran with, people accused Campbell of being washed up at only 28 years old, which is why the Oilers eventually traded him to the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the final two years of his NFL career, before retiring as a result of the pounding he had taken on his body. Despite playing less than a decade in the NFL, Campbell still remains among the top rushers in NFL history.
Seasons Played: 8Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1991
Larry Csonka
(Dick Raphael /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
There was a moment in Larry Csonka’s rookie year where he almost gave up professional football entirely, due to a string of injuries and inconsistent play. But when the great Don Shula tweaked Csonka’s running style, Csonka never missed a game from then on, leading his Miami Dolphins in rushing the next five seasons. Between 1971 and 1973, he ran for more than 1,000 yards each season, and was the engine that powered the Miami offense during the three straight seasons they made it to the Super Bowl (1971 through 1973).
Over his 11-year NFL career, Csonka carried the ball 1,891 times for 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns. He also caught 106 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. He was among the NFL’s top 10 ranked players in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns five times, total touchdowns three times, and yards from the line of scrimmage once.
Seasons Played: 11Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1987
Thurman Thomas
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Everyone will associate the no-huddle K-gun offense of the Buffalo Bills with Jim Kelly, but it was Thurman Thomas that truly made those Bills offenses so formidable. His ability to both run the football and provide an uncoverable pass-catching threat out of the backfield made that offense run. Thomas had four consecutive seasons with more than 50 receptions, which helped him lead the league in total yards from scrimmage in those years as well.
After the 1991 season, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, after becoming the 11th player in NFL history to finish a season with over 2,000 all-purpose yards. He is one of only six running backs to have over 400 receptions and 10,000 yards rushing, and is currently 16th on the NFL all-time list for most rushing yards in a career. During his 11 years with the Buffalo Bills, he went to five Pro Bowls and was named to the All-Pro team five times. He became a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.
Seasons Played: 13Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2007
Frank Gore
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Gore is the Rodney Dangerfield of running backs who are among the top 10 on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. He just doesn’t seem to get the respect he deserves, especially considering the names he can be mentioned amongst. A third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Gore currently ranks third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with exactly 16,000 yards. Only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton are ahead of him.
Gore reached so high on the list because he managed to stay in the league for 16 seasons. Somehow, he only made the Pro Bowl five times and never led the league in rushing or in touchdowns. But thanks to his incredible longevity and his powerful frame, Gore has a place in the record books and should be considered among the best running backs of all time.
Seasons Played: 16Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Not yet eligible, retired in 2022
Curtis Martin
(Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Do you know those people who are so consistently good at something that we eventually take it for granted? That was Curtis Martin. Case in point, how many people realize that Martin ran for over 1,100 yards in nine of his first 10 seasons in the NFL? After three seasons in New England, in which he averaged over 1,260 yards, Bill Parcells traded away first and third-round draft picks to bring Martin with him to the New York Jets. In his first seven seasons with the Jets, Martin missed only one game and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times.
In 2004, Martin became the oldest player, at age 31, in league history to win the rushing title. Nearly two decades after he retired, Martin still ranks among the top 10 rushers of all time.
Seasons Played: 12Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2012
Jerome Bettis
(Mike Ehrmann/NFLPhotoLibrary/Getty Images)
You might remember him as The Battering Ram or The Bus, but you’ll now forever remember Jerome Bettis as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After a 13-year career that ended with Bettis walking away from the game as a Super Bowl champion, Bettis ranks # on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list, ahead of legends like Eric Dickerson and Jim Brown.
After rushing for more than a thousand yards in his first two seasons, the then-Los Angeles Rams decided to trade away Bettis to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons with the Steelers. Over the course of his career, Bettis was selected to the Pro Bowl six times and was a three-time All-Pro (including two First-Team selections).
Seasons Played: 13Pro Bowl Selections: 6x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2015
Terrell Davis
(Brian Bahr/Allsport/Getty Images)
We’ve heard this idea numerous times when it comes to NFL stars, but it’s worth repeating when taking a look back at the career of Terrell Davis: where you’re taken in the NFL Draft doesn’t mean as much as what you do with the opportunity you’re given by just being drafted in the first place. After solidifying his spot on the Denver Broncos because of his efforts on special teams as a rookie, Davis ended up rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his first four years in the NFL and was named the NFL’s Offensive Player in the Year in his second year, and Most Valuable Player in his fourth year.
In 1998 (the aforementioned fourth year), he ran for 2,0008 yards and 21 touchdowns; both totals were the third-highest in NFL history at the time. A year later, Davis ended up tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee, and was never quite the same player after returning. Finally, after 11 years of being eligible to be inducted, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August of 2017.
Seasons Played: 7Pro Bowl Selections: 3x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2017
Marcus Allen
(Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
After completing just his second year in the NFL, it still gives Washington fans incredible heartburn to watch replays of Marcus Allen taking the handoff, going left, stopping on a dime, reversing fields, and take the ball 74 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XVIII. There was really nothing, as a running back, that Allen wasn’t good at. He was the first player in NFL history to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career.
Despite being a tall, gliding runner, he was considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners of his generation. The fact that Allen was able to play for 16 seasons at a high level in the NFL was remarkable in and of itself, let alone the fact that he scored 11 touchdowns in his final year in the league (1997). The six-time Pro Bowl selection led the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice and won the NFL’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year award in 1985.
Seasons Played: 16Pro Bowl Selections: 6x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2003
Adrian Peterson
(Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings selected Adrian Peterson with the 7th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, and it’s safe to say at least four of the six teams that passed on Peterson will be kicking themselves for a long time. Peterson will likely go down as one of the best running backs of the 21st century and is poised to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.
During the prime of his career, Peterson was a perennial Pro-Bowler and All-Pro. He took home Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and later won MVP in 2012 during a truly great season in which he rushed for over 2,000 yards and averaged six yards per carry. He led the league in rushing three times and rushing touchdowns twice. Peterson also showed impressive longevity, playing well into his 30s, which is no small feat for a running back.
Seasons Played: 15Pro Bowl Selections: 7x selectionHall of Fame: Not yet eligible
Bo Jackson
(Mike Powell / Staff / Getty Images)
Bo Jackson wasn’t just a legend as a running back; he was such an incredible athlete that we almost look back at his career in a mythological sense. There’s just no way a human being could be as athletically gifted and dominant at any athletic endeavor he pursued as Vincent Bo Jackson. He was the only player in the history of professional sports to be named an All-Star as a professional baseball and football player. He won the Heisman Trophy as a running back at Auburn University, after turning down a scholarship offer from Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama.
During his four-year NFL career, in which he split time playing baseball and football, he would continually do things that would make both teammates and opponents shake their heads in disbelief and awe. If Jackson hadn’t suffered a freakish hip injury in January of 1991, he could have set countless NFL records.
Seasons Played: 4Pro Bowl Selections: 1x selectionHall of Fame: Not Inducted
Marshall Faulk
(Elsa/Getty Images)
Faulk was the centerpiece of the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf, an offensive unit that will go down in NFL history as one of the best ever. Unquestionably the greatest pass-catching running back of all time, Faulk averaged 63 catches per season throughout his Hall of Fame career.
While his hands made him special, his legs didn’t disappoint either. Faulk tallied seven 1,000-yard seasons and finished the 1999 season with over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. Even with Christian McCaffrey accomplishing the same feat in 2019, Faulk remains just one of three players to ever pull it off.
Seasons Played: 12 Seasons (1994-2006)Pro Bowl Selections: 7x Pro Bowl selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2011
LaDainian Tomlinson
(Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary/Getty Images)
In his final two collegiate seasons at TCU, Tomlinson posted videogame statistics — rushing for over 4,200 yards and scoring 42 touchdowns. Critics suggested his success was a product of TCU’s option system, and claimed he wouldn’t transition well to the pro game. Boy, were they wrong! In his first 8 NFL seasons, Tomlinson posted over 1,500 yards of total offense.
Similar to Faulk, Tomlinson’s excellent receiving skills made him a dual threat, which placed a heavy burden on defensive players and coordinators. As if that wasn’t enough, Tomlinson was also a threat to pass on occasion, throwing seven touchdowns during his years with the Chargers.
Seasons Played: 11Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2017
Tony Dorsett
(George Rose/Getty Image)
Leading up to the 1977 draft, the Dallas Cowboys traded up for the 2nd overall pick which they wisely used to select legendary running back Tony Dorsett. Dorsett topped the 1,000-yard mark in eight of his first nine seasons, finishing his career with 12,739 yards.
Dorsett’s most memorable play as a pro came in 1983 when he ran 99-yards for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings (NFL record). What most people do not know is the Cowboys only had 10 players on the field for that play. The missing player was Dorsett’s fullback, Ron Springs.
Seasons Played: 12Pro Bowl Selections: 4x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1994
Eric Dickerson
(Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
Dickerson was a hard player to miss — besides being physically imposing (6-foot-3 and 220 pounds) — he sported a Jheri curl, signature goggles, and more pads than any player in NFL history. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.
Dickerson still owns the single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards that he set in 1984. Over his 11-year career, Dickerson totaled 13,259 rushing yards, which is still good enough to be on the top-10 all-time rushing list.
Seasons Played: 11Pro Bowl Selections: 6x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1999
Gale Sayers
(John G. Zimmerman /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
After being drafted by the Bears in 1965, Sayers immediately took the NFL by storm. In his rookie season (14 games) Sayers scored 22 touchdowns and totaled 2,272 all-purpose yards (NFL records at the time). In perhaps the most memorable of his career, Sayers scored six touchdowns in a single game against the 49ers.
Unfortunately, multiple knee injuries limited Sayers to just 68 career games. If not for the injuries, NFL experts believe Sayers would have easily finished as one of the top players in League history — regardless of position.
Seasons Played: 7Pro Bowl Selections: 4x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1977
O.J. Simpson
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Simpson was the first back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season — going for 2,003 in 1973 — and he did so when the league played only 14 games per season! The other six backs in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards in a single season all needed 16 games to do so. As a former track star at USC, Simpson was known for his breakaway speed.
As defenders closed in, Simpson always had another gear and exploded away from any would-be tacklers. Unfortunately, Simpson’s individual talent never translated into much team success. Throughout his career, he played in only one playoff game, so we never got to see him much on a big stage.
Seasons Played: 11Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1985
Emmitt Smith
(Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The NFL’s all-time leading rusher certainly wasn’t the flashiest. Smith didn’t overwhelm defenses with speed, size, or power — his best attribute was his excellent vision. Although he didn’t possess the same talent as some of the other backs on this list, Smith made up for any physical shortcomings with his durability and toughness.
Smith seemed to get stronger as the game went on, often punishing tired defenses in the fourth quarter. Smith rarely missed time due to injury. As a result of his durability, he finished his career with more rushing yards (18,355) and touchdowns (164) than any running back in NFL history.
Seasons Played: 15Pro Bowl Selections: 8x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2010
Walter Payton
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
In 1975, exactly 10 years after selecting Gale Sayers with the 4th overall pick in the draft, the Chicago Bears selected another all-time great running back with the 4th pick. For those NFL fans who never had the pleasure of watching Walter Payton, his famous nickname Sweetness described his personality off the field — Payton was anything but sweet on the gridiron.
Payton was a bruising runner who refused to run out of bounds, and punished defenders until the whistle blew. As physical as he played, Payton missed just one game during his 13-year career.
Seasons Played: 13Pro Bowl Selections: 9x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1993
Barry Sanders
(Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
Undoubtedly the most electric player in NFL history, Sanders was a threat to take it to the house every time he touched the ball. Sanders possessed a unique combination of quickness, elusiveness, and strength that may never be seen again.
Despite playing behind a weak offensive line on a struggling team, Sanders still managed to become the first back in history to notch five 1,500-yard seasons. Frustrated with management and their inability to surround him with better players — which often lead to defenses ganging up on him — Sanders shocked the NFL community and retired in 1998 at the age of 30.
Seasons Played: 10Pro Bowl Selections: 10x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 2004
Jim Brown
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At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Jim Brown was a man amongst boys. Brown was bigger, faster, and stronger than the competition. He was too fast to be tackled by linemen and linebackers, and too strong to be taken down by defensive backs. During his nine seasons in the NFL (1957-1965), Brown claimed eight rushing titles and walked away from the league as the owner of every significant record.
Although several backs have surpassed Brown in the record books, fans must remember that when Brown played, the regular season was 12 games long from 1957-1960 and 14 games from 1961-1965. In terms of per-game production, Brown ranks no. 1 in NFL history with an impressive 104.3 yards per game — a record that has stood since he retired in 1965.
Seasons Played: 9Pro Bowl Selections: 9x selectionHall of Fame: Class of 1971
