The Greatest NFL Running Backs Of All Time
Team: New York Giants
Notable Stats: Yards Per Rushing Attempt: 4.7; Total Yards From Scrimmage: 15,632
A three-time Pro Bowler, Tiki Barber finished his career in 2006 as the all-time leading rusher in New York Giants history. Barber is one of only a few 10,000-yard rushers who is not in the Hall of Fame. His rushing touchdown numbers aren’t too impressive and neither is his yards-per-game mark but his career mark of 4.7 yards per rushing attempt is very solid. Barber was a better receiver option than many others on this list, finishing his career with 15,632 total yards from scrimmage — which ranks him in the top 15 across all positions.
Teams: Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals
Notable Stats: Rushing Yards Per Attempt: 4.5; Rushing Yards Per Game: 74.2
Freakish speed made Chris Johnson a must-see player when he ran the ball for the Titans for six seasons. By the time he finished his career, he was just under the 10,000-yard mark but when you consider how short his career was that’s pretty impressive. Johnson really stands out in the numbers of rushing yards per attempt and per game, finishing with 4.5 and 74.2, respectively.
Unfortunately for him, he played on some pretty dismal teams and only got to play in a single playoff game. If he was part of a good offense, Johnson could have probably been a Hall of Famer.
Teams: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns
Notable Stats: Career Rushing Yards: 10,607; Rushing Yards Per Game: 81
Another guy who had a short but memorable career was Jamal Lewis, who played his entire tenure in the physically punishing AFC North. As a rookie, Lewis won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and went on to have a borderline Hall-of-Fame career. He finished with 10,607 career rushing yards on an outstanding average of 81 yards per game. His most incredible year came in 2003 when he rushed for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Nearly 15 years since he last played for them, Lewis is still the all-time leading rusher in Ravens history.
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks
Notable Stats: Rushing Touchdowns: 78; Total Yards From Scrimmage: 14,891
Ricky “Running” Watters dazzled fans during his 10-season NFL career by proving himself as a dynamic rusher and pass catcher. He won his only Super Bowl with the 49ers and was voted to five Pro Bowls but somehow was never selected as an All-Pro. Watters finished his career with Hall of Fame-level numbers, including 10,643 rushing yards, 78 rushing touchdowns and 14,891 total yards from scrimmage. His career averages of 4.1 yards per carry and 73.9 rushing yards per game are nothing to sneeze at either.
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Colts
Notable Stats: Rushing Yards Per Attempt: 5.0
Another 49ers icon, Joe “The Jet” Perry was the first black player to ever be named NFL MVP. The Hall of Famer finished his career as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 9,723 career yards. He was a two-time All-Pro who took the position of running back to new heights. His 5.0 yards per rushing attempt is still among the league’s all-time best marks and is equal to that of the legendary Gale Sayers.
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants
Notable Stats: Career Rushing Yards: 10,273; Rushing Touchdowns: 81
Giants legend O.J. Anderson was a two-time Super Bowl champ and made an impact right from start. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 1979 season while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals. With his 81 career rushing touchdowns and 10,273 career rushing yards playing mostly in the nation’s top media market, it’s a wonder Anderson never made it to Canton.
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders
Notable Stats: Rushing Touchdowns: 85; Rushing Yards Per Attempt: 4.2
They don’t call him “Beast Mode” for nothing. Marshawn Lynch put together one of the best rushing careers in recent history, being named to five Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl. His 85 career rushing touchdowns put him among the all-time greats and coupled with his career average of 4.2 yards per carry and 10,413 career rushing yards, he makes a great case for the Hall of Fame.
His legendary 67-yard run against the New Orleans Saints in the 2011 playoffs might go down as the best single rushing play in NFL history.
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
Notable Stats: Career Rushing Yards: 12,074; Total Yards From Scrimmage: 16,532
A major part of the Buffalo Bills making it to four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s, Thurman Thomas was elected to the Hall of Fame for his outstanding career as a dual-threat offensive player. Thomas’ touchdown numbers and yards-per-game average are middling compared with others on this list but he managed to distinguish himself on an offense that was loaded with talent. Thomas was a former NFL MVP, five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He still stands at third all-time in career playoff rushing yards and racked up nearly 17,000 total yards from scrimmage.
Teams: New York Jets, Washington Football Team
Notable Stats: Career Rushing Yards: 11,352; Rushing Touchdowns: 104
A touchdown machine who especially turned it on in big games, John Riggins finished his career with 104 rushing touchdowns and 11,352 rushing yards. He also won a Super Bowl as part of the Washington Football Team in 1983, being named MVP of the game. Perhaps the most stunning number in Riggins’ Hall-of-Fame career is that he was only voted to the Pro Bowl once, making him one of the more underappreciated star backs in history.
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