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Top Ten Running Backs of all Time

Barry Sanders​
Barry Sanders​

Barry Sanders was the best player to ever touch a football. He was unarguably the best college running back. If he would of played 1 more year of NFL he would of beaten Walter Payton's all time rushing yards. If Barry Sanders had the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, he easily would've beaten Walter Payton's rush yards record.

Jim Brown​
Jim Brown​

Jim Brown is the best running back of all time. Honestly he played 12 game seasons and still has more rushing yards then most backs. 110 yards per game! He was faster then everyone and stronger then everyone he was unstoppable. Barry Sanders was just fast. Brown Had the whole package.

Walter Payton​
Walter Payton​

Payton retired as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. I always felt the most impressive thing about his career was the fact that he led the NFC in rushing every year from 1976 to 1980, despite the Bears being thoroughly mediocre.

source: nfl.com
Emmitt Smith​
Emmitt Smith​

Emmitt James Smith III is a former college and professional American football running back who became the National Football League's all-time leading rusher during his fifteen seasons in the league during the 1990s and 2000s.

image: axs.com
O. J. Simpson​
O. J. Simpson​

O.J. simpson IS one of the TOP 3 running backs of all time along with Jim Brown and Walter Payton. That is not debatable. The rationale behind this is very clear and straight forward if you have an understanding of the evolution of the game and what it meant to run the football in the era of the 60's and 70's.

Eric ​Dickerson​
Eric ​Dickerson​

This is the sixth installment of a 10-part series that breaks down the Top 10 running backs in NFL history. The fifth-best NFL RB of all time is Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams. Dickerson was drafted second overall out of Southern Methodist.

LaDainian ​Tomlinson​
LaDainian ​Tomlinson​

Tomlinson eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in his first eight seasons, but he was also a huge threat catching (and even throwing) the football. He really rang in a new era of running backs who can do it all. Tomlinson's most notable attribute was his extremely strong legs. He was the first player I can ever remember making a pronounced jump cut.

source: nfl.com
Earl Campbell​
Earl Campbell​

Campbell is widely acknowledged as one of the best power running backs in NFL history, and was highly regarded by his peers. "Every time you hit him you lower your own IQ," said Redskins linebacker Pete Wysocki. Cornerback Lester Hayes of the Raiders said "Earl Campbell was put on this earth to play football.".

Marshall ​Faulk​
Marshall ​Faulk​

Official website of former NFL Running back and hall of famer Marshall Faulk. Find the latest Marshall Faulk gear, news, pictures and more.

Marcus Allen​
Marcus Allen​

A six-time Pro Bowl selection and two time All Pro, Marcus Allen was the first player ever to gain more than 10,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving during his career. Spending time with both the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, he was regarded as not only an explosive threat out of the backfield but one of the best short-yardage and goal-line runners ever.

source: thoughtco.com
Tony Dorsett​
Tony Dorsett​

Dorsett was the first Pitt player to have his jersey retired, after being a …

Gale Sayers​
Gale Sayers​

Sayers was one of the best all around football players of all time where he was not only an elite running back, but also a solid pass catching receiver, and arguably the best kick returner ever (Devin Hester may disagree).

source: complex.com
Adrian ​Peterson​
Adrian ​Peterson​

According to Curtis Martin (the No. 4 rushing leader), speaking to Pro Football Weekly, Peterson is already one of the best running backs of all time: To me, as far as God-given ability, Adrian Peterson has more than anyone I've ever seen play running back.

Bo Jackson​
Bo Jackson​

This is the third part in a 10-part series which breaks down in detail the top 10 running backs in NFL history. The eighth-best NFL RB of all time is Bo Jackson of the Los Angeles Raiders. Jackson was originally drafted first overall out of Auburn by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Curtis Martin​
Curtis Martin​

Curtis Martin Curtis Martin (L) can handle the pressure | Henny Ray Abrams/AFP/Getty Images Taken in the third round (No. 74 overall) in the 1995 draft, Curtis Martin accomplished plenty during his time as a member of both the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

Jerome Bettis​
Jerome Bettis​

Gore currently ranks No. 7 All-Time in most rushing yards for a single career (13,574). Assuming he plays the entire 2017 season, Gore will likely leapfrog past both Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson to crack the top-five.

source: newarena.com
Terrell Davis​
Terrell Davis​

sports The Best Denver Broncos Running Backs of All ... include Terrell Davis, ... of All Time The Best NFL Running Backs of All Time The Dirtiest NFL ...

source: ranker.com
John Riggins​
John Riggins​

Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "The Diesel" and "Riggo", is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins.

Larry Csonka​
Larry Csonka​

Lawrence Richard Csonka is a former professional American football fullback and was inducted to both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. With the Miami Dolphins he was a member of their perfect season in 1972 and won Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973.

Edgerrin ​James​
Edgerrin ​James​

The player we ranked as the second greatest Colts running back of all-time is actually the franchise leader in yards gained for the Colts. Edgerrin James was a player whose selection was roundly questioned in 1999 when the Colts used the fourth overall pick on the former Miami Hurricanes star, rather than choosing Texas' star Ricky Williams.

source: 247sports.com
Marshawn ​Lynch​
Marshawn ​Lynch​

Marshawn Lynch should be in the Hall of Fame because he had a great career. He was instrumental in leading Seattle to back-to-back Super Bowls, and he was one of the league's best running backs for a short amount of time during his nine seasons in the league.

source: nfl.com
Ricky ​Williams​
Ricky ​Williams​

Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams Jr. (born May 21, 1977) is a retired American football running back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, where he was a two-time All-American and won the Heisman Trophy.

Jim Taylor​
Jim Taylor​

Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, and Walter Payton made basically every top 5 list, while no other back made that cut-off on even half of the ballots. The next tier is probably 7 deep, giving us something of a consensus for the top ten running backs in history.

Herschel ​Walker​
Herschel ​Walker​

Herschel Walker: The greatest running back I never saw ... As crazy as it sounds, the three greatest running backs possibly of all time played in a 5 year, ...

Shaun ​Alexander​
Shaun ​Alexander​

Alexander is just one of eight running backs in the history of the NFL with at least 100 rushing touchdowns. The 2005 NFL MVP scored 112 total TDs in just 96 starts. Alexander’s 27 rushing touchdowns in 2005 tied for the second most in a single season.

Red Grange​
Red Grange​

The definition of elusive may lead you to think about certain NFL running backs such as ... The 25 Most Elusive Running Backs of All-Time ... Red Grange ...

Frank Gore​
Frank Gore​

All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos.

Fred Taylor​
Fred Taylor​

Taylor’s resume is impressive enough to land him in Bryce Olin’s article of the top 30 running backs of all-time. 21. Fred Taylor. Often overlooked because he played almost all of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor is another one of the games best dual-threat running backs.

Bronko ​Nagurski​
Bronko ​Nagurski​

#1 Jim Brown, #2 Jim Taylor, #3 Bronko Nagurski, ... NFL Sports- Greatest NFL Fullbacks of All Time . ... #3 on The Best NFL Running Backs of All Time

source: ranker.com
image: axs.com
Steven ​Jackson​
Steven ​Jackson​

Steven Rashad Jackson is a former American football running back. He played college football for Oregon State and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. Jackson holds the Rams franchise record for most rushing yards, and is a member of the 10,000 yard rushing club.

Marion Motley​
Marion Motley​

Motley was the AAFC’s all-time leading rusher (3,024 yards), but there was much for Motley and his team to prove when they joined the NFL. Motley and the Browns proved it immediately by Motley winning the NFL rushing title and the Browns winning the championship by beating the Rams.

Reggie Bush​
Reggie Bush​

sports The Best New Orleans Saints Running Backs of All ... Featuring some of the greatest NFL running backs of all time, the best Saints RBs include Reggie Bush, ...

source: ranker.com
Roger Craig​
Roger Craig​

... high knee running form. Craig's time of 14.43 ... was an All-Big 8 Player in 1977. Roger Craig played ... Craig was the only running back to be ...

Priest Holmes​
Priest Holmes​

Holmes is considered the complete package when it comes to running backs. He is valued for his abilities to catch, block and keep the ball secure. Holmes is the only Chiefs player in franchise history to ever win the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.

image: si.com
Corey Dillon​
Corey Dillon​

It includes every starting running back from throughout Cincinnati Bengals history, including current running backs and past ones. Featuring some of the greatest NFL running backs of all time, the best Bengals RBs include James Brooks, Corey Dillon, Cedric Benson, and Harold Green.

source: ranker.com
Eddie George​
Eddie George​

George attended Ohio State University, where he majored in landscape architecture and played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. As a freshman running back, George scored three rushing touchdowns in a win over Syracuse University. However, he suffered a major setback in a game against the University of Illinois.

Jamaal ​Charles​
Jamaal ​Charles​

Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles (born December 27, 1986) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the University of Texas, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Ricky Watters​
Ricky Watters​

Ricky Watters also has appeared in the movie Any Given Sunday. He was the running back for the fictional team the Dallas Knights, featured in the final game of the movie. Watters is listed in the credits, and is clearly shown on the back of his Knights jersey #32.

image: ranker.com
Tiki Barber​
Tiki Barber​

A phenomenal combination of size, speed and athleticism, the Vikings’ all-time leading rusher is the ideal running back. Peterson holds the NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single game (296).

image: ranker.com
LeSean ​McCoy​
LeSean ​McCoy​

LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), also known as "Shady", is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh.

Archie Griffin​
Archie Griffin​

Archie Mason Griffin (born August 21, 1954) is a former American football running back. Griffin played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.

DeMarco ​Murray​
DeMarco ​Murray​

First running back to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season (2013) since 2006; First player to score 3 TDs in a Thanksgiving game; Personal life. On June 20, 2013, actress Heidi Mueller gave birth to DeMarco Murray's first child, a daughter, Savanna June. The couple announced their engagement on January 19, 2015.

Warrick Dunn​
Warrick Dunn​

Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State.

Steve Van ​Buren​
Steve Van ​Buren​

Steve Van Buren, the Honduras-born son of an American fruit inspector who took up the unfamiliar game of football in high school and went on to stardom with the Philadelphia Eagles, becoming a Hall of Fame running back and, many said, one of the greatest to play the game, died on Thursday in Lancaster, Pa.

source: nytimes.com
Doak Walker​
Doak Walker​

The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, is presented annually to the best running back in college football. In 2007, Walker was ranked No. 4 on ESPN's list of the top 25 players in college football history.

image: si.com
Chris ​Johnson​
Chris ​Johnson​

Chris Johnson (running back) Chris Johnson; Johnson with the ... at the combine he registered a time of 4.24 seconds and broke the all-time mark set by Rondel ...

Joe Perry​
Joe Perry​

NFL: 5 of the Greatest Undrafted Running Backs of All Time. Jimmie Kaylor Twitter; More Articles; February 10, 2016. Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images . There are multiple scenarios that can cause a player to slip through the cracks and go undrafted. At the running back position, it can be anything from a lack of college game film, to fumbling issues, or even size concerns. It is also not uncommon ...

image: newarena.com
Matt Forte​
Matt Forte​

Matt Forte 2008-2015 Second only to Payton on the Bears' all-time rushing list, Forte is also second to Payton in total yards and receptions. Durable and versatile, he is the first Bear with at least 900 rushing yards in each of his first seven seasons and missed by only two yards in his eighth.

Christian ​Okoye​
Christian ​Okoye​

Christian Emeka Okoye (/ oʊ ˈ k ɔɪ eɪ /; born August 16, 1961), is a Nigerian-American former American football fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. Nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare," Okoye was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles.

Cedric ​Benson​
Cedric ​Benson​

From Jamaal Charles to Cedric Benson to Steve Worster, running back, ... career receptions and was a three-time All-SWC running back. ... All-time Top 10: Running Backs;

source: 247sports.com
image: espn.com