Top 10 Running Backs of All Time

Answering the question of, “Who is the best NFL running back ever?” is extremely difficult. Statistics tell part of the story, but not the entire story. Some running backs were also great receivers. Other running backs possessed excellent blocking skills on top of their running abilities. Some great running backs in NFL history played fullback, while others played halfback. Fullbacks tend to own more blocking responsibilities than halfbacks.

Jim Brown is a superb choice to start a list of top running backs of all time. Many football historians believe Jim Brown to be the greatest running back ever. While Brown only played nine NFL seasons, he led the league in rushing eight times and retired as the NFL’s all-time rushing leader. He scored 21 touchdowns in his final season of 1965. Jim Brown played fullback and running over defenders was a trademark piece of his game. Naming the greatest running back ever is a virtually impossible task, but based on overall dominance throughout a playing career, Jim Brown would make a respectable choice for that title.  

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Walter Payton was a rare combination of speed, power, and grace. Although he led the NFL in rushing yards only once during his brilliant career, he belongs near the top of the list of greatest running backs of all time because he retired as the leading rusher in NFL history. Payton still ranks second in that category. He was nicknamed “Sweetness,” and his signature moves included high kicking into the end zone as well as leaping over the pile near the goal line.  

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Marion Motley’s pro football career started in 1946 in the All-American Conference as a member of the Cleveland Browns. He and teammate Bill Willis helped break football’s color line. Motley also broke through defensive lines throughout his career. His astounding career average of 5.7 yards per carry places him as the top running back of all time in that category. Motley also played linebacker early in his career.

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No list of top 10 running backs of all time would be complete with the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith. Smith surpassed Walter Payton’s yardage record and holds the record for most career touchdowns by a running back. Although some wonder if Smith would have set those records without the Cowboys outstanding defensive line, the facts stand. Furthermore, Smith turned in courageous performances. In Week 16 of the 1994 season, he rushed for 168 yards with a separated shoulder against the New York Giants. The win gave Dallas home field advantage throughout the playoffs, a large factor in their road to a second straight Super Bowl victory. 

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Earl Campbell won a Heisman Trophy at Texas and was the first pick in the 1978 NFL Draft. His four touchdowns and 199 yards rushing against the powerful Miami Dolphins defense on Monday Night Football in 1978 made him a breakout NFL star. Campbell led the NFL in rushing and yards per game in his first three seasons as a pro, and helped guide the Houston Oilers to two straight AFC Championship Games. A bruising back, Campbell’s hits on defense players became legendary. His 19 rushing touchdowns in 1979 tied the NFL record and the 6,457 yards gained in his first four seasons smashed the record previously held by Walter Payton by over 1,000 yards. 

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Steve Van Buren might not be the most famous name on this list of top running backs of all time, but the Philadelphia Eagles icon dominated his era like few others have. He led the league in rushing yards per game for five consecutive seasons and led the NFL in rushing yards for out of those five years. To top it all off, he scored the most rushing touchdowns in four out of those five seasons, including 15 touchdowns in a ten-game schedule in 1945. Van Buren came through in the big moments as well, scoring the lone touchdown in the 1948 NFL Championship Game to lift the Eagles to their first of back-to-back championships. Although an injury shortened his career, Van Buren retired with the most rushing yards and most rushing touchdowns in history.

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You didn’t think we’d leave Barry Sanders off this list, did you? Of course not. Unquestionably one of the best running backs ever, Barry Sanders electrified the NFL during his playing days. The Oklahoma State product led the NFL in rushing four times, including in 1997 when he eclipsed the single-season 2,000 yard plateau. Incredibly, Sanders rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his ten seasons, all for the Detroit Lions. He surprised many when he retired after another stellar season of gaining over 1,400 rushing yards. His career total topped the 15,000 mark and many wonder if he would hold the career rushing record had he not retired in his prime.

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Known as “The Kansas Comet,” Gale Sayers was a tremendous offensive threat. He remains one of only a handful of players in NFL history to score six touchdowns in a single game. Sayers performed that feat against the San Francisco 49ers during his rookie season of 1965. He scored four touchdowns in a game earlier that year against the Minnesota Vikings and scored a remarkable 22 touchdowns over that 14-game schedule. Sayers owned a varied skill set which made him so dangerous. He made elusive cuts, had reliable hands for receiving, and also a special teams threat on punt and kickoff returns. His brilliant career was shortened by two devasting knee injuries, but his still remains one of the all-time great running backs in NFL history.

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You might remember that Jim Brown led the NFL in rushing for eight of his nine seasons in the league. The player who outrushed Jim Brown for one season was Jim Taylor of the Green Bay Packers. Like Brown, Taylor was a powerful back who crashed through defenders. He scored at least ten touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. His 19 rushing touchdowns in 1962 stood alone as an NFL record until Earl Campbell tied it in 1979. Taylor’s record still stands for the most in a 14-game regular season. The bruising fullback gained over 1,000 yards on the ground in five straight seasons, particularly impressive considering he shared the backfield with Hall of Fame halfback Paul Hornung. While Jim Brown dominated the NFL’s rushing leaderboard with eight rushing titles in nine seasons, Taylor finished second in four of those seasons and first in 1962.

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Not even the great Jim Brown could touch a statistic that Baltimore Colts legend Lenny Moore dominated for the first six years of his career. Moore topped all NFL players in yards per touch from scrimmage from his rookie year in 1956 through 1961. Those six consecutive seasons of yards per touch dominance doubled the previous record co-held by receiver Don Hutson and wingback Eddie Caddell. Since Moore’s accomplishment, no NFL player has led the league in that department for more than two straight seasons. Only two running backs, Preston Pearson and Kelvin Bryant were able to repeat as the NFL leader in yards per touch. Moore was an outstanding rusher who averaged over 7 yards per carry for three seasons and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 1964. He also proved to be a sensational receiver, collecting over 900 yards receiving in 1958. He scored receiving touchdowns in each of the Colts’ back-to-back NFL Championship Game victories in 1958 and 1959. Not only that, his tremendous block paved the way for Alan Ameche to score the game-winning touchdown during overtime in the 1958 NFL Championship, often called “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

The term, “greatness” is subjective. These ten men were selected for this list because there can be little debate that their careers clearly rank them amongst the greatest running backs in pro football history. There are others worth mentioning that may not have dominated statistical categories but were exceptional players who impacted the game. Hugh McElhenny, “The King of the Halfbacks” who thrilled crowds with his long runs, might be considered one of the greatest open-field runners. Marcus Allen was another great open-field runner who made history with his famous run in Super Bowl 18. Others, such as Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski, could be considered among the greatest of all-time running backs due to their impact on the history of the game.  Players such as Charley Trippi and George Taliaferro could be recognized for their great versatility in an early era of football.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Top Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.