It’s time to ascertain the race.
If you acquired the ball to begin the sport and will solely select one operating again to do it, who would you select?
Well, there’s in all probability no place in NFL historical past that has a extra storied historical past than operating again. For a lot of the NFL’s early seasons, the tailback was the focus of a staff’s offense.
As the sport has developed, the significance of the operating again has been redefined in more moderen seasons. But there are nonetheless a number of operating backs who’ve emerged as all-time greats in current many years.
So, which operating again would you decide to ship the ball on first-and-10? Here are the ten biggest operating backs of all time.
1. Emmit Smith
Smith was arguably a very powerful member of the Cowboys dynasty within the Nineties. He shortly grew to become one of many league’s finest operating backs, speeding for 937 yards and 11 touchdowns en path to profitable Offensive Rookie of the Year and incomes the primary of eight Pro Bowl nominations in 1990. He ran for 1,563 yards the next season, profitable the his first of 4 speeding titles. He rushed for much more yards in 1992, racking up 1,713 yards en path to the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning season.
Smith helped the Cowboys win back-to-back titles in 1993, speeding for 1,418 yards to win the MVP earlier than speeding for 132 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVIII to win the sport’s MVP. He additionally helped the Cowboys win their third Super Bowl title in 1995 earlier than boosting his stats from the late Nineties by means of 2004, enjoying two seasons with the Cardinals.
Smith completed because the NFL’s all-time chief in speeding yards (18,335) and all-time chief in speeding touchdowns (164).
2. Walter Payton
Before Smith, Payton held the all-time speeding yards file. The Bears legend rushed for 16,726 profession yards, dominating the sector from the late Nineteen Seventies by means of the mid-Eighties. He was named All-Pro eight occasions and Pro Bowler 9 occasions in his profession. In 1977 he ran for 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns, profitable MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. Eight years later, he completed second in MVP voting by speeding for 1,551 yards and 9 touchdowns. That 12 months additionally ended with Payton profitable his first and solely Super Bowl, along with his presence serving to the Bears’ offense thrive within the postseason.
3. Adrian Peterson
In an period dominated by quarterbacks and the passing recreation, Peterson had such a particular season that he broke by means of and received MVP. He ran for two,097 yards (second-most speeding ever in a season) and 12 touchdowns in 2012, making him the newest operating again to win MVP. Five years earlier, Peterson had received Offensive Rookie of the Year by speeding for 1,341 yards in 14 video games. In one recreation that 12 months, he ran for 296 yards, essentially the most ever in an NFL recreation. Peterson completed his profession fifth in speeding yards (14,918) and fourth in speeding touchdowns (120) whereas incomes seven Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations.
4. Barry Sanders
In each single season that Sanders performed, he was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. The 10-time Pro Bowler dominated the NFL from 1989 to 1998, profitable MVP in 1997 and two Offensive Player of the Year awards. He led the league 4 occasions in speeding (1990, 1994, 1996, 1997) and as soon as in 1991 in speeding touchdowns. Sanders’ sudden retirement earlier than the 1999 season damage his rating within the all-time statistics, however he’s nonetheless fourth all-time in speeding yards (15,269) and eleventh in profession speeding touchdowns (99) due of his dominion.
5.Jim Brown
Similar to Sanders, Brown had a dominant however comparatively brief profession for a person who grew to become an all-time nice. He was additionally named a Pro Bowler in all 9 seasons he performed (1957-65). He received MVP thrice (1957, 1958, 1965) and led the league in speeding in all however one among his 9 seasons. He additionally helped the Browns win their final NFL championship in 1964. When he retired earlier than the 1966 season, Brown had the all-time speeding yards file (12,312) and the NFL whole touchdowns file (126), sustaining each data for many years. .
6. LaDainian Tomlinson
Tomlinson’s 2006 season could also be one of the best ever for any participant. The Chargers huge dominated at operating again and had a powerful 12 months at receiver as nicely. He rushed for 1,815 yards and 28 touchdowns to complete with 508 receiving yards and three receiving scores, giving him the file for many touchdowns ever in a season (31) whereas profitable MVP. Tomlinson was sturdy outdoors of that season too. The six-time All-Pro led the NFL in speeding twice and touchdowns thrice. The Hall of Famer completed his profession seventh in speeding (13,684) and third in whole touchdowns (162).
7. Marshall Faulk
Before Tomlinson, Faulk placed on one of many biggest dual-threat operating again performances in NFL historical past. In the season he received MVP in 2000, Faulk rushed for 1,359 yards and 18 touchdowns on his option to 830 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. His efficiency that season was integrated right into a pair of Super Bowl appearances for the Rams, profitable all of it in 1999. He really had 1,359 speeding yards and 1,048 receiving yards within the Super Bowl-winning season. Faulk completed with 19,190 all-purpose yards (eighth all-time) and 136 whole touchdowns (seventh all-time).
8. Eric Dickerson
No one has ever rushed for extra yards in a single season than Eric Dickerson. When he was with the Rams in 1984, the second-year operating again took off for an NFL file 2,104 speeding yards and 14 speeding touchdowns. This really got here after a standout rookie marketing campaign by which he rushed for a league-leading 1,808 yards together with 18 touchdowns, ending second in MVP voting each seasons. Dickerson remained among the finest operating backs within the recreation all through the Eighties, even after his commerce to the Colts. He completed his profession as a six-time Pro Bowler with 13,259 (ninth all-time) and 90 profession speeding touchdowns (14th all-time).
9. Curtis Martin
Not many operating backs have been as constant as Martin. The 11-year professional rushed for at the least 1,000 yards in every of his first 10 seasons, scoring 32 whole touchdowns in his first two seasons within the league with the Patriots and serving to them attain the Super Bowl in 1996. He continued that sturdy play with the Jets, serving to the group’s turnaround within the late Nineties as he rushed for over 2,700 yards in his first two years in New York. He really had his finest season within the penultimate 12 months of his profession, speeding for 1,697 yards in 2004. This consistency helped Martin earn 5 Pro Bowl nominations and rush for 14,101 yards in his profession, which is the sixth-most ever .
10. Frank Gore
While Martin was constant from the mid-Nineties by means of the mid-2000s, Gore seemingly introduced that consistency with him. The longtime 49ers operating again rushed for at the least 1,000 yards in all however three seasons from 2006 to 2016, serving to the 49ers emerge as among the finest groups in soccer sooner or later throughout that span. His consistency helped him earn 5 Pro Bowl nominations, incomes him an All-Pro honor when he rushed for a career-high 1,695 yards in 2006. Gore’s longevity (16 seasons) and consistency have helped end third all-time in speeding yards with precisely 16,000 yards. .
Honorable Mentions:
Tony Dorset
Marco Allen
Thuman Thomas
Franco Harris
Edgerrin James
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