Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #83: Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson

Teams

Los Angeles Raiders (1987-1990)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (1990)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1990)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 1 (1990)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards per Game - #31

League Leads

Yards per Rush (#2-1990, #3-1989)

Rushing Yards per Game (#4-1989, #7-1990)

Yards per Touch (#9-1990, #10-1989)

Following a senior season at Auburn in which he rushed for 1786 yards and 17 touchdowns and won the Heisman Trophy, Bo Jackson was selected with the #1 overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When he discovered that the Bucs had lied to him about his visit to them being allowed by the NCAA, he declared that he would never play for them, and signed with the Kansas City Royals of MLB instead.

The following year, the Los Angeles Raiders drafted Bo in the 7th round of the draft, and after they made it clear that they would allow him to play out the baseball season before joining the team each year, he decided to join the team.

He played only 7 games in his rookie season due to his time with the Royals, but picked up 554 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, while averaging an amazing 6.8 yards per carry, and he came in second in Rookie of the Year voting despite the severely shortened season.

By his third season, he was definitely one of the top running backs in the game. He rushed for 950 yards in just 11 games and surpassed 1000 scrimmage yards, then followed it up by making the Pro Bowl in his 4th season after averaging 5.6 yards per carry, second-best in the league.

The Raiders made the playoffs for the first and only time in his career that year, but Jackson suffered a hip dislocation after being tackled in a victory over the Bengals during that postseason. The injury caused the tissue in his hip to die, requiring a hip replacement and the end of his football career, though he would play a few more years of pro baseball.

Despite never playing a full football season due to his dual career, Jackson was one of the best running backs in the league whenever he took the field. He is the only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in 2 different pro sports, and is one of only 4 players to have multiple 90-yard runs in his career. Who knows how great he could have been, but there is no doubt that he was one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #84: Calvin Hill

Calvin Hill

Teams

Dallas Cowboys (1969-1974)

Washington Redskins (1976-1977)

Cleveland Browns (1978-1981)

Playoffs

Appearances - 7 (1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1976,1980)

Conf Champ Games - 4 (1970,1971,1972,1973)

Super Bowls - 2 (1970,1971)

Championships - 1 (1971)

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1969

Pro Bowl - 4 (1969,1972,1973,1974)

All-Pro First Team - 1 (1969)

 All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #98

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1969, #3-1973, #7-1972, #8-1974)

Rushing Touchdowns (#3-1969, #5-1971, #8-1974)

Yards per Rush (#3-1969, #7-1974)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1969, #4-1973, #7-1974, #9-1972)

Total Touchdowns (#3-1971)

Scrimmage Yards (#2-1973, #3-1969, #4-1972)

Yards per Touch (#4-1971,1978, #8-1969)

After playing quarterback in high school, Calvin Hill was switched to halfback in college at Yale, where he picked up 680 rushing yards and 532 receiving yards as a senior, leading to his selection as the 24th overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, a rarity for a player from Yale.

Hill had a very impressive rookie campaign, finishing with 942 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, which earned him the Rookie of the Year award, despite missing two games late in the season due to a broken toe, then playing with the broken toe in the final 2 games.

The next two seasons were rough ones for Hill. He missed a month in his second season due to an infection in the foot that had been injured the year before, then hurt his back, which cost him playing time, but not games. In 1971, he tore his ACL and missed 6 games, thinking it was just a sprain, but when he returned for the NFC title game, he injured it again scoring a touchdown. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that year with Hill on the sideline.

He was finally healthy in 1972, and he became the first Cowboy in history to rush for 1000 yards in a season. He was also named to the Pro Bowl for the first time since he was a rookie, and he improved in each of the next two seasons, ending each in the Pro Bowl as well. 

Prior to that 6th season with the Cowboys, he was drafted by the Hawaiians of the World Football League. He signed a contract with them, but still played out the season with Dallas before joining the Hawaiians. He played in 3 games for them in 1975 before tearing his MCL, and the league folded before he could return from the injury. 

He signed with the Washington Redskins, but didn't get many touches, and ended up retiring after 2 seasons. The Cleveland Browns talked him out of retirement, and he joined them to play 4 more seasons as a third-down back before retiring for good in 1981.

Much like his son, NBA star Grant Hill, Calvin struggled through injuries throughout his career, which may have prevented him from reaching his full potential, but he still had several good years with the Cowboys during some of the franchise's best years, and he was an important part of a championship team, even if he missed the Super Bowl due to injury, and he is one of the best to play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #85: Garrison Hearst

Garrison Hearst

Teams

Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1993-1995)

Cincinnati Bengals (1996)

San Francisco 49ers (1997-2003)

Denver Broncos (2004)

Playoffs

Appearances - 5 (1997,1998,2001,2002,2004)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1997)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Comeback Player of the Year - 1 (2001)

Pro Bowl - 2 (1998,2001)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #55

Yards per Rush - #64

Rushing Yards per Game - #73

League Leads

 Rushing Yards (#3-1998, #10-2001)

Yards per Rush (#1-1998, #4-2001, #9-1997)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1998, #10-1997)

Scrimmage Yards (#4-1998, #10-2001)

Yards per Touch (#3-1998)

Garrison Hearst rushed for 1547 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, finishing 3rd in voting for the Heisman Trophy, then decided to leave school at Georgia a year early to enter the NFL Draft, where he was selected 3rd overall by the Phoenix Cardinals.

Hearst struggled with knee injuries in his first two seasons, hardly seeing the field and gaining less than 500 yards combined between those two years. When he was finally healthy enough to play consistently, he had his first 1000 yard season, though he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and the Cardinals decided to release him before the 1996 season.

He signed with the Bengals for that season, and his production was similar to that of his final season with Arizona, and as a result he was not asked to stay around after the season. He was picked up as a free agent by the 49ers, and that is when his career started to take off.

He rushed for over 1000 yards with the 49ers in 1997, but it was the 1998 season that made him a star and put him on this list. He set team records for rushing yards and scrimmage yards, with 1570 and 2105, both of which were broken by Frank Gore in 2006. He also led the entire league by averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and was named to the Pro Bowl.

In that season's playoffs, he rushed for 128 yards in the Wild Card round, but on the very first play of the Divisional Round, his foot got caught in the turf, and he suffered a gruesome ankle injury that was considered to be career-threatening. After surgery, he had circulatory problems that led to avascular necrosis, or the death of his ankle bone due to lack of blood supply. It was the same thing that ended Bo Jackson's career.

He spent 2 years rehabbing, and was miraculously able to return to the 49ers for the 2001 season. He started all 16 games that year, gaining 1206 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns, an being named the Comeback Player of the Year, which was well-deserved. The 49ers had missed the playoffs in the two seasons that he missed, but they went 12-4 and returned to the playoffs with his return to the field.

He remained with the 49ers for 2 more seasons, but saw his usage slowly drop off before he was released after the 2003 season. He signed with the Denver Broncos, where he was used sparingly for one year before his retirement.

Hearst's 1998 season was absolutely great, and it's sad that he nearly lost his career as soon as he began to hit his prime, but his return from the horrific injury, and his high level of play in that comeback season are extremely impressive, and he belongs on the list of the greatest to ever play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #86: Lawrence McCutcheon

Lawrence McCutcheon

Teams

Los Angeles Rams (1972-1979)

Denver Broncos (1980)

Seattle Seahawks (1980)

Buffalo Bills (1981)

Playoffs

Appearances - 8 (1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1981)

Conf Champ Games - 5 (1974,1975,1976,1978,1979)

Super Bowls - 1 (1979)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 5 (1973,1974,1975,1976,1977)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1974)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #75

Yards per Rush - #86

Rushing Yards per Game - #89

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1977, #4-1973,1974, #5-1976)

Rushing Touchdowns (#5-1976,1977)

Yards per Rush (#5-1973,1974)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1973, #3-1977, #6-1974,1976, #9-1975)

Total Touchdowns (#6-1976,1977)

Scrimmage Yards (#2-1974, #4-1973,1977, #6-1976)

Yards per Touch (#4-1973,1974)

Lawrence McCutcheon ran for over 1000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons as a Colorado State Ram, and then he was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft in 1972 by the Los Angeles Rams.

He appeared in 3 games as a rookie, but did not get an opportunity to touch the ball even once all season. That changed the next year, when he started a 5-year run of leading the Rams in rushing, winning their division, and being named to the Pro Bowl each season.

He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his second season, the best he would average in his career. Although he would have higher yardage totals in 3 later seasons, he was never quite as efficient as he was in that first year as a starter.

In the next season he was named to the All-Pro Second Team for the only time in his career, behind a career-high of 1517 scrimmage yards, and the Rams made it to the Conference Championship game for the first of 3 consecutive seasons, each of which ended in a loss one step short of the Super Bowl.

The next year, he set a playoff record with 202 rushing yards in a playoff game against the Cardinals, but the Rams still fell short of the Super Bowl that year. After those 5 straight years of being the team's star runner, injuries started to take effect, as he missed 9 games over the next 2 seasons and moved into a backup role on the team. 

In 1979, his final year in Los Angeles, the Rams finally broke through and reached the Super Bowl, and McCutcheon threw a touchdown pass that gave the Rams the lead in the second half, but they wouldn't score again, and ended up losing to the Steelers 31-19.

He left the Rams after the Super Bowl, recording short stints with the Broncos, Seahawks, and Bills over the next 2 seasons before calling it quits. He never won a championship, and he never led the league in any category, but he was a very good back for 5 straight seasons, and that is enough to put him here among the best to ever play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #87: Roger Craig

Roger Craig

Teams

San Francisco 49ers (1983-1990)

Los Angeles Raiders (1991)

Minnesota Vikings (1992-1993)

Playoffs

Appearances - 11 (1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993)

Conf Champ Games - 5 (1983,1984,1988,1989,1990)

Super Bowls - 3 (1984,1988,1989)

Championships - 3 (1984,1988,1989)

Awards and Honors

Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1988)

Pro Bowl - 4 (1985,1987,1988,1989)

All-Pro First Team - 1 (1988)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1985)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #46

Scrimmage Yards - #47

Rushing Touchdowns - #60

 

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1988, #8-1987, #10-1989)

Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1985, #9-1988)

Yards per Rush (#4-1988, #6-1985)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1988)

Receptions (#1-1985, #3-1987, #5-1986, #7-1988)

Total Touchdowns (#2-1985, #8-1983)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1988, #2-1985, #4-1987, #6-1989, #10-1986)

Yards per Touch (#2-1985, #7-1984, #10-1988)

After 2 stellar seasons at Nebraska where he averaged over 6 yards per carry, Roger Craig was hampered by injuries as a senior, but was still able to catch the eye of the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the second round of the 1983 Draft.

Craig primarily played fullback during his first 4 seasons in the league, and he scored at least 10 touchdowns in each of his first 3 seasons. He capped off his second season in the league by racking up 135 total yards and 3 touchdowns in the Super Bowl, becoming the first player ever to score 3 times in the big game, as the 49ers beat the Dolphins 38-16.

In his third season, Craig became the first player in history to get 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in the same season, a feat that only Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey have since matched. He also led the entire league in receptions that year, snagging 92 passes, an incredible feat for a running back.

He switched from fullback to running back in the middle of the 1987 season, and he exploded in 1988, rushing for a career high 1502 yards and 9 touchdowns while leading the league with 2036 yards from scrimmage. The 49ers finally returned to the Super Bowl that year, where Craig rushed for 71 yards and caught 8 passes for 101 yards, making him the first running back in history to gain more than 100 yards through the air in a Super Bowl as he earned his second ring.

His numbers came back to earth the next season, with his average carry dropping to only 3.9 yards, but he still finished with 1527 total yards, was named to his 4th Pro Bowl, and returned to the Super Bowl yet again. He "only" totaled 103 yards in the Super Bowl, and the Niners won again, dismantling the Broncos 55-10.

Craig finished the next season with only 439 rushing yards, and while the 49ers were still at the top of the league, his fumble late in the NFC championship game ended up leading to them losing to the Giants on a last-second field goal. After that season, he left as a free agent to join the Raiders, where he played for one season before moving on to Minnesota, where he finished out his career in two seasons as a backup.

Craig is the rare NFL player who never missed the playoffs in his career, and had several deep playoff runs, resulting in 3 championships, each of which he made significant contributions to. His 1000/1000 feat is still incredible, and that ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is a big part of what put him here on the list of the greatest backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #88: Warrick Dunn

Warrick Dunn

Teams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2001, 2008)

Atlanta Falcons (2002-2007)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (1997,1999,2000,2001,2002,2004)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1999,2004)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1997

Pro Bowl - 3 (1997,2000,2005)

All-Time Ranks

Scrimmage Yards - #20

Rushing Yards - #23

Rushing Yards per Game - #87

Rushing Touchdowns - #88

League Leads

 Rushing Yards (#8-2005)

Yards per Rush (#2-2003, #5-2005, #7-2000, #9-1997)

Rushing Yards per Game (#10-2005)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-2005)

Yards per Touch (#6-1997,2003)

Warrick Dunn rushed for over 1000 yards in his final 3 college seasons, which led to his jersey being retired by Florida State, and Tampa Bay making him the #12 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.

Dunn had immediate success in the NFL, amassing 1440 scrimmage yards in his rookie season, 978 on the ground and 462 through the air, which led to him being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl.

His second season was slightly down from his first, and he saw a big dropoff in productivity in his third season, but he had a big resurgence in 2000, when he made it back to the Pro Bowl after gaining 1133 rushing yards while scoring 8 touchdowns. Unfortunately, that production did not last, as he averaged only 2.8 yards per carry the next year, leading to his release by the Bucs.

He signed with Atlanta for the 2002 season, and in 2003, while playing mostly as a backup, he had the highest yards per carry of his career, with 5.4 yards. He regained the starting role after that season, and had two more very good years with the Falcons, including his best season in 2005, when he had a career high 1416 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career. 

He played two more seasons in Atlanta, but by that time he was into his 30s and his production began to slip again, and he was let go by the team after the 2007 season. He returned to Tampa Bay for a farewell season as a backup before retiring in 2008.

Dunn is one of the rare players to have his best season at age 30 or higher, and his career had a few peaks and valleys, while many backs seem to have a few good years together before falling off completely. He is in the top 20 for all-time scrimmage yards despite only ranking among the league leaders in that category once, a testament to his durability and longevity, and he deserves mention as one of the best to play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #89: Spec Sanders

Spec Sanders

Teams

New York Yankees (1946-1948)

New York Yanks (1950)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1946,1947)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1946,1947)

Champ Games - 2 (1946,1947)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 1 (1950)

All-Pro First Team - 2 (1946,1947)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1946,1947, #4-1948)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1946,1947, #3-1948)

Yards per Rush (#2-1946,1947, #9-1948)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1946,1947, #5-1948)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1946,1947, #8-1948)

Receiving Touchdowns (#10-1946)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1946,1947, #10-1948)

Yards per Touch (#3-1946, #8-1947)

Spec Sanders only rushed for 365 yards in his junior year at Texas, but it was enough for the Washington Redskins to draft him 6th overall in the 1942 NFL Draft. He instead decided to join the Navy to fight in World War II, then returned to Texas to finish his degree. In 1946, at the age of 28, he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees of the AAFC.

Sanders played nearly every position with the Yankees. He was primarily a tailback, but he also played defensive back, punter, and quarterback. In his first season, he led the league in nearly every rushing category, with 709 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, and 968 scrimmage yards, while leading the Yankees to the championship game, where they fell to the Cleveland Browns 14-9, with Sanders scoring the only touchdown for the losing team.

The next year was one of the greatest seasons ever for a running back. Sanders set league records for rushing yards and touchdowns, with 1432 and 18, neither of which would be surpassed for over a decade. He also set a single-game record with 250 yards in a game, even though he was pulled midway through the third quarter of a blowout. They returned to the championship game, but lost to the Browns again, despite Sanders rushing for 40 yards, passing for 89 and gaining 32 yards on a kick return.

Sanders suffered a knee injury the next season which made him less effective, and he decided to retire after the season. After one season away from the game, he came out of retirement to play for the newly formed New York Yanks of the NFL, but played only safety and punter that year to protect his knees. He set an NFL record that year with 13 interceptions, a number that has only been reached 2 times since. He retired for good after that season.

Sanders had the shortest career of anyone on this list, playing only 4 total seasons, with only 3 as a running back, but he was so great, especially in the 1947 season, that he still made the list of the greatest players of all time anyway.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #90: Delvin Williams

Delvin Williams

Teams

San Francisco 49ers (1974-1977)

Miami Dolphins (1978-1980)

Green Bay Packers (1981)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1978,1979)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 2 (1976,1978)

All-Pro First Team - 1 (1978)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #86

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1976, #4-1978, #10-1977)

Rushing Touchdowns (#5-1977, #9-1976,1978)

Yards per Rush (#2-1975, #4-1976, #8-1978)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1976, #6-1978)

Total Touchdowns (#6-1977)

Scrimmage Yards (#5-1976,1978)

Yards per Touch (#1-1975, #10-1978)

Delvin Williams piled up 1034 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior season at Kansas, which got him drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft. After not seeing much use as a rookie, he had several very good seasons in a row.

In his second season, he led the entire league in yards per touch, with 6.6 yards gained each time he touched the ball. That included 5.4 yards per rush and 10.9 yards per catch, which came to 1001 scrimmage yards.

The next year he nearly doubled his rushing output from the previous year, gaining 1203 yards in 13 games, and getting voted into the Pro Bowl. His 1486 scrimmage yards that season were the most he would gain in his career. 

He kept his role as the 49ers starting back the next year, but his production dropped significantly, dipping from 4.9 yards per carry to 3.5, the lowest of his career. He was released by the team following that 4th season, signing on with the Miami Dolphins for the 1978 season.

He returned to form in his first season in Miami, picking up 4.6 yards per carry, gaining career highs of 1258 yards and 8 touchdowns, and getting named to the All-Pro First Team for the only time in his career. He also appeared in the playoffs for the first time in his career, though he only gained 41 yards in the team's wild card loss.

That first season in Miami was the only good one he had. He held on to the starting role for two more seasons, but his productions dropped off significantly each season. After leaving the Dolphins, he signed on with the Green Bay Packers for the 1981 season, but only appeared in one game and never touched the ball.

Williams was never a big star, but he had 3 very good seasons right in the prime of his career, with two Pro Bowl seasons in which he was in the top 4 in rushing yards, plus that earlier season where he led the league in yards per touch. He was never on the winning side in a playoff game, but he did enough during his time in the league to be remembered as one of the best to play the position.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #91: Terry Metcalf

Terry Metcalf

Teams

Saint Louis Cardinals (1973-1977)

Washington Redskins (1981)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1974,1975)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 3 (1974,1975,1977)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1975)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #35

Yards per Touch - #82

League Leads

Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1975)

Yards per Rush (#2-1977, #3-1975, #5-1974)

Receptions (#9-1974)

Total Touchdowns (#5-1975)

Scrimmage Yards (#10-1974,1975)

Yards per Touch (#2-1977, #3-1975, #7-1974, #9-1976)

Terry Metcalf was a star in his junior season at Long Beach State, rushing for 1673 yards and 28 touchdowns in 12 games, and though his production dropped off as a senior, he was still drafted in the 3rd round by the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Metcalf was officially a running back, but he was also a very good kick returner, though those numbers are not factored into his ranking. In his second season, he averaged 31.2 yards per kick return, best in the league, while also generating 1095 scrimmage yards. He helped lead the Cardinals to a rare playoff appearance that year, and came in #2 in the MVP voting.

He was even better the next year, finishing with 1194 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns, while setting an NFL record for most total yards, with 2462 when adding in his return yards, a record which stood for 10 years. The Cardinals made the playoffs again that year, losing in the divisional round again, and Metcalf finished 3rd in the MVP voting.

The next season was his worst with the Cardinals, with career lows across the board, but he bounced back in 1977, earning a third trip to the Pro Bowl while averaging a career-best 5 yards per carry and finishing with 1142 scrimmage yards. After the season he decided to leave the NFL to play for Toronto in the Canadian Football League, where he spent the next 3 seasons playing at a high level.

He returned to the NFL for one final season in 1981, in a very limited role with the Washington Redskins before retiring for good. Though he only played 6 NFL seasons, he was very good at every aspect of his position, rushing, receiving and returning kicks.

Metcalf was very good at everything he did on the football field, and he is also the father of Eric Metcalf, himself a very good wide receiver and kick returner. He was in the running for 2 straight MVP awards, piled up yards no matter how he got the ball, and led a team that has had very little success in its history to 2 playoff berths, and is one of the best running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #92: Bronko Nagurski

 

Bronko Nagurski

Teams

Chicago Bears (1930-1937, 1943)

Playoffs

Appearances - 5 (1932,1933,1934,1937,1943)

Conf Champ Games - 5 (1932,1933,1934,1937,1943)

Champ Games - 5 (1932,1933,1934,1937,1943)

Championships - 3 (1932,1933,1943)

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 4 (1932,1933,1934,1936)

Hall of Fame - 1963

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1932, #3-1933, #4-1934, #7-1936)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1932, #3-1934, #8-1936)

Yards per Rush (#2-1932, #3-1937, #4-1933, #6-1936, #8-1934)

Rushing Yards per Game (#4-1932, #5-1934, #7-1933,1936)

Total Touchdowns (#4-1934, #5-1932)

Scrimmage Yards (#2-1932, #5-1933, #6-1934, #8-1936)

Yards per Touch (#2-1932, #7-1933,1937, #8-1934,1936)

After 3 seasons at the University of Minnesota, playing both defensive tackle and fullback, Bronko Nagurski signed with the Chicago Bears. At the time, the NFL Draft did not yet exist, it wouldn't start until 6 years later.

Individual yardage was not recorded during his first two seasons, so it's difficult to tell how much of an impact he had during those seasons, and the league also did not hold playoffs in those two seasons, instead awarding the championship to the team with the best record.

In his third season with the Bears, he led the league in rushing touchdowns, and Chicago ended up with the best record. The league decided to play a championship game between the two teams with the best records, and Nagurski threw the lone touchdown after taking a handoff as the Bears beat Portsmouth 9-0. 

Chicago advanced to the championship game again the next season, where Nagurski rushed for 64 yards, while also throwing 2 passes, both of which resulted in touchdowns, leading the Bears to a 23-21 victory over the Giants. 

He set his career high with 7 rushing touchdowns the following season, advancing to the championship for the third straight season, but the Bears lost in a rematch with the Giants, despite Nagurski's 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

After missing most of the next year due to injury, his role started to decrease, and he ended up retiring after the 1937 season. During the 1943 season, the Bears had lost several players to military service, so Nagurski returned to play offensive and defensive tackle, but switched back to fullback for the final game of the season to help the team reach another championship game.

In that title game, 35-year-old Nagurski rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown as the Bears beat the Redskins 41-21, earning him his third championship. His size 19.5 championship ring is the largest ever recorded for a player regardless of position.

Nagurski played in a different era, when there was less specialization, and most players did a bit of everything. He was in the first class ever elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, and the first class elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but since this list only takes his time as a back into account, he ended up a little lower in the all-time rankings than expected, but he is definitely one of the best ever.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #93: Joe Maniaci

Joe Maniaci 

Teams

Brooklyn Dodgers (1936-1938)

Chicago Bears (1938-1941)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1940,1941)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1940,1941)

Championship Games - 2 (1940,1941)

Championships - 2 (1940,1941)

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 2 (1940,1941)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1939, #7-1937, #8-1938,1940)

Rushing Touchdowns (#6-1938,1939, #7-1937)

Yards per Rush (#1-1939, #3-1937, #4-1938,1940)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1939, #8-1937,1940, #10-1938)

Total Touchdowns (#7-1939)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-1938,1939)

Yards per Touch (#1-1939, #3-1938, #7-1937, #8-1940)

Joe Maniaci was the captain of the Fordham University football team in 1935, and was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 6th round of the 1936 NFL Draft to play fullback. 

After a rookie season where he averaged only 2 yards per carry, he had a big rise in production in his second season, gaining 4.7 yards each time he touched the ball, and finishing 7th in the league in rushing yards. Just two games into the next season, he was traded away to the Chicago Bears, where he would make a much bigger impact.

In his first full season with the Bears, he averaged a league-leading 7.1 yards per carry, which is the ninth-best average over a full season in NFL history. He was also 6th in the league in touchdowns, and he did it all without catching a single pass.

The next year, his production was significantly lower, but he still managed to be voted into the Pro Bowl for the first time, and his Bears won their division, earning them a trip to the championship game. In that game, Maniaci rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown, and caught 3 passes for 39 yards and a 2-point conversion, and the Bears destroyed the Redskins 73-0, still the biggest blowout in NFL history.

He returned to the Bears for one final season in a very limited role, and though he only gained 95 rushing yards on the season, he was again voted into the Pro Bowl, probably on the strength of his previous seasons. The Bears again reached the championship game, with Maniaci picking up 11 yards and kicking an extra point in the 37-9 victory. He retired after the game at the age of 27.

Though his career was extremely short, he packed a lot into it. His 1939 rushing average is still one of the best of all time, and he won 2 championships to top off his career. He went on to a career in coaching, where he coached 2 undefeated teams before leaving the game for good in 1949. He may have played before most people you know were born, but he was still one of the best to ever carry a football.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #94: Brandon Jacobs

Brandon Jacobs

Teams

New York Giants (2005-2011, 2013)

San Francisco 49ers (2012)

Playoffs

Appearances - 5 (2005,2006,2007,2008,2011)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (2007,2011)

Super Bowls - 2 (2007,2011)

Championships - 2 (2007,2011)

Awards and Honors

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #49

Rushing Touchdowns - #54

 

League Leads

Rushing Touchdowns (#3-2008, #9-2010, #10-2006)

Yards per Rush (#3-2008,2010, #8-2007)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-2007, #6-2008)

Total Touchdowns (#3-2008)

Yards per Touch (#10-2010)

After 2 years in junior college and one year as a third-string running back at Auburn, Brandon Jacobs transferred to Southern Illinois, where he ran for 992 yards and 19 touchdowns, which put him on the national radar and enabled him to be selected by the New York Giants in the 4th round of the NFL Draft, with the 110th overall pick.

Jacobs served as backup to Tiki Barber in his first two seasons, getting most of his carries near the goal line, which resulted in him scoring 7 touchdowns as a rookie despite logging only 38 carries, and 9 more carries the next year.

With Barber's retirement, Jacobs became the team's starter in 2007, and he racked up 1009 yards on 5.0 yards per carry. He scored the winning touchdown for New York in the divisional round of the playoffs, and was the starting back as the Giants upset the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl.

He was even better the next season, finishing with a few more yards at the same rate per carry, but increasing his touchdown tally from 4 to 15, a major improvement. Though the team won their division that year, they were upset in their first playoff game, ending their bid for a repeat title.

The next year was a down year for Jacobs, as his average carry dropped to only 3.7 yards, and he lost his starting role after the season as a result. He had a very strong season in 2010 out of the backup spot, getting nearly the same number of yards as the season before on 77 fewer carries.

He remained as a backup in 2011, but couldn't duplicate his previous season's production, but he was able to help the Giants reach another Super Bowl, once again facing the Patriots. He picked up 37 yards in a limited role in that game, and came away with a second championship ring.

He was released after that season, signing as a free agent with San Francisco, but he injured his knee in the preseason, and ended up missing the first two months of the season. Once he returned, he was rarely used, getting only 5 carries in 2 games before being suspended by the team for complaining about his role. He was released by the 49ers right before the playoffs.

He returned to the Giants for the 2013 season, playing in 7 games before suffering another injury, which put him out for the season and ended his career. He is the Giants all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, and has the fourth-most rushing yards of any Giant.

His career, like that of many running backs, was cut short by injuries, but he was a very solid running back at his peak, and was a big part of 2 championship teams, and he is ranked here as one of the best to play the position.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #95: Marv Hubbard

 

Marv Hubbard

Teams

Oakland Raiders (1969-76)

Detroit Lions (1977)

Playoffs

Appearances - 7 (1969,1970,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976*)

Conf Champ Games - 6 (1969,1970,1973,1974,1975,1976*)

Super Bowls - 1 (1976*)

Championships - 1 (1976*)

*injured, did not play

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 3 (1971,1972,1973)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #18

Season Leads

Rushing Yards (#5-1972, #7-1971,1974)

Yards per Rush (#4-1971, #5-1972, #7-1973,1974)

Rushing Yards per Game (#6-1972, #8-1971)

Marv Hubbard played college football at Colgate University, and led the team in rushing in his first two seasons, which led to him eventually being drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 11th round with the 277th pick in 1968. He failed to make the team that year, and instead played in the Atlantic Coast Football League, where he led the league in rushing yards, which enticed the Raiders to sign him again in 1969.

He hardly saw the field in his first two seasons as a backup running back, getting only 72 total carries in 27 games. In 1971, he switched positions to fullback, where he made an immediate impact. He rushed for 867 yards and 5 touchdowns that year, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and was named to the Pro Bowl.

He was named to the Pro Bowl twice more in a row, including the 1972 season, when he rushed for 1100 yards, which was the Raiders team record at the time, and then again in 1973, when he scored a career-high 6 touchdowns. He also helped lead the Raiders to the AFC title game that year for the first of 4 straight seasons, though they fell short of reaching the Super bowl in those first 3.

He injured his shoulder midway through the 1975 season, and ended up missing a year and a half with the injury. While he was out, the Raiders finally reached and won the Super Bowl in 1976, and though he didn't play a single down all season, the team still gave him a Super Bowl ring.

After that season, he signed with the Detroit Lions, where he played one final season as a backup running back, and like his first two seasons in Oakland, did not see much playing time, leading to his retirement after the season. 

Hubbard was not a big star, but he was big and tough and racked up yardage every time he touched the ball. His career average of 4.8 yards per rush attempt is #18 among all players ever, and #3 among players who primarily played fullback. He was a very consistent and effective, especially during his 4-year peak, and deserves to be remembered for his greatness still.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #96: Chris Johnson

 

Chris Johnson

Teams

Tennessee Titans (2008-2013)

New York Jets (2014)

Arizona Cardinals (2015-2017)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (2008,2015)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2015)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (2009)

All-Pro First Team - 1 (2009)

Pro Bowl - 3 (2008,2009,2010)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards per Game - #26

Rushing Yards - #35

Yards per Rush - #49

Rushing Touchdowns - #65

Scrimmage Yards - #68

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-2009, #4-2010, #8-2008, #9-2012)

Rushing Touchdowns (#3-2009, #6-2010)

Yards per Rush (#3-2009, #4-2008)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-2009, #6-2015, #7-2010, #8-2008, #9-2012)

Total Touchdowns (#2-2009, #7-2010)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-2009, #10-2008)

Yards per Touch (#10-2009)

After a monster senior season at East Carolina, where he finished with 2960 total yards and 24 touchdowns, then set a new record in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Chris Johnson was picked by the Tennessee Titans with the 24th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, and his impact in the league was immediate.

Despite splitting time in the backfield as a rookie with LenDale White, Johnson racked up 1228 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, which earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl and caused him to finish as runner-up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, behind Matt Ryan. 

The next season he had one of the best seasons of any back in recent memory. He rushed for 2006 yards, making him only the sixth player to eclipse 2000 in a season, and he led the league in rushing yards, scrimmage yards, and yards per game, and was named to the All-Pro First Team and won Offensive Player of the Year. His 2509 scrimmage yards that season is still the record for a season, a record he took from Marshall Faulk.

He was still good enough the next year to earn a third straight trip to the Pro Bowl, finishing the season with 1364 rushing yards, but he was far less efficient than the year before, with his yards per carry dropping from 5.6 to 4.3, and that number would continue to drop for most of the rest of his career.

He continued to pile up yardage for the next few years with Tennessee, gaining at least 1000 on the ground in all 6 seasons he spent with the Titans. After watching his production slip slowly over 5 seasons, the Titans released Johnson after the 2013 season.

He signed with the New York Jets as a free agent for the 2014 season, but after gaining only 663 yards that year, the team decided to let him go as well. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals the following year, and produced 814 yards before breaking his tibia late in the season, and that basically spelled the end of his career. He played only 8 games in his final 2 seasons with the Cardinals before retiring.

Like many running backs, Johnson was great early in his career, then saw his production drop off after wear and tear and injuries slowed him down. Even with a relatively short peak, his 2009 season is still one of the greatest ever, and he should be remembered as one of the best running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Runnings Backs - #97: Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara

Teams

New Orleans Saints (2017-present)

Playoffs

Appearances - 4 (2017,2018,2019,2020)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2018)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 2017

Pro Bowl - 5 (2017,2018,2019,2020,2021)

All-Pro Second Team - 2 (2017,2020)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #64

Rushing Touchdowns - #68

Total Touchdowns - #76

League Leads

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-2018,2020, #6-2017)

Yards per Rush (#1-2017, #9-2020)

Rushing Yards per Game (#8-2021)

Total Touchdowns (#1-2020, #2-2017-2018) 

Scrimmage Yards (#3-2020, #6-2017, #7-2018)

Yards per Touch (#7-2017)

Alvin Kamara played 2 seasons of college football for the Tennessee Volunteers after spending his freshman season at a community college, and he nearly reached 1000 scrimmage yards in each season with the Vols despite sharing the backfield the entire time. He decided to leave school a year early to enter the draft, where he was picked in the 3rd round with the 67th pick by the New Orleans Saints.

As a rookie, Kamara split time at running back with Mark Ingram, but still managed to accumulate 1554 total yards and 13 touchdowns, lead the league with 6.1 yards per carry, and win Offensive Rookie of the Year. It's still the best season of his career.

The following year he became the lead back in New Orleans, and while he gained more total yards and scored more touchdowns, he was less efficient, gaining only 4.6 yards per carry, but still a pretty good average. His yardage remained about the same in his third season, but his scoring production plummeted, as he ended the season with only 6 total touchdowns, down from 18 the year before.

He improved again in his fourth season, setting career highs in rushing yards with 932 and total touchdowns with 21, which led the entire league, earning him his second All-Pro Second Team berth and some votes for Offensive Player of the Year. He also tied the league record that year by scoring 6 rushing touchdowns in a single game.

His last 3 seasons have been a bit quieter. He has still surpassed 1000 total yards each year, but his rushing average has been at 4 yards per carry or less the entire time, and he hasn't reached 10 touchdowns in any of those seasons either. 

He's still young, only 28 years old, but running backs tend to have shorter careers than most pro athletes, and they usually have their best seasons early in their career, so there is a chance that Kamara won't move up this list any more, but he is a skilled enough athlete that he may be able to see a few more good years, and either way, he is still one of the best to ever play the position.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #98: Tommy Wilson

 

Tommy Wilson

Teams

Los Angeles Rams (1956-1961)

Cleveland Browns (1962)

Minnesota Vikings (1963)

Playoffs

Appearances - 0

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 1 (1957)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1957)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#5-1957)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-1958)

Yards per Rush (#2-1957)

Rushing Yards per Game (#4-1957)

Total Touchdowns (#4-1958)

Yards per Touch (#2-1958)

Tommy Wilson is the only player in this countdown who did not play college football, signing with the Rams as a free agent in 1956, when he was 24 years old. He made this list almost completely on the strength of his first 3 seasons, even though he only started about half of his games during those 3 years.

In his rookie season, he averaged 7.3 yards per rush, racking up 470 yards on only 64 rush attempts. He was the team's starting running back for most of his second season, and racked up 711 total yards, which earned him his only trip to the Pro Bowl and a spot on the All-Pro Second Team, also the only time that would happen in his career.

In his third season he was moved to fullback, and he had his best overall season. While he only ended up with 576 total yards, he scored 10 touchdowns on the season, by far the most of his career, and he also had a very impressive 6.5 yards per carry on the season. 

He played a few more years for the Rams, but his role became pretty limited, and he ended up spending one year each with the Browns and Vikings, also mostly as a backup, though he did score 4 touchdowns in his final season. He has largely been forgotten today, but for a few years he was a very good running back, and he deserves to be recognized for that.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #99: John David Crow

John David Crow

Teams

Chicago/Saint Louis Cardinals (1958-1964)

San Francisco 49ers (1965-1968)

Playoffs

Appearances - 0

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 4 (1959,1960,1962,1965)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1960)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Touch - #72

Yards per Rush - #86

Total Touchdowns - #95

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1960, #8-1962, #10-1959,1964)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-1962, #3-1964, #5-1960)

Yards per Rush (#1-1960, #7-1959, #8-1966, #10-1965,1967)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1960, #8-1962, #10-1959,1964)

Receiving Touchdowns (#9-1965)

Yards per Reception (#9-1960, #10-1965)

Total Touchdowns (#3-1962, #9-1965, #10-1960)

Points Scored (#5-1962)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1960, #8-1959, #9-1965)

Yards per Touch (#2-1960, #3-1965, #6-1959,1967, #9-1966)

After a college career at Texas A&M that ended with him winning the 1957 Heisman Trophy, finishing with 6 rushing and 5 passing touchdowns, John David Crow was drafted with the second overall pick in the 1958 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals. 

He scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in his very first NFL game, and was named to the Pro Bowl in just his second season. After those first two seasons in Chicago, the Cardinals moved to Saint Louis, and Crow had his best pro season during that first year in Missouri. He led the league with 5.9 yards per carry, 1533 scrimmage yards, but also with 11 fumbles. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that season and was named to his only All-Pro Team.

He struggled through injuries the next year, but bounced back in 1962, scoring a career-high 17 touchdowns, while also leading the league in fumbles again with 14. He missed all but three games the following season, and struggled when he returned in 1964, leading to his leaving the Cardinals to head west and play for the 49ers.

In his first season with San Francisco, he surpassed 1000 total yards for the second time in his career, and came in 3rd in Comeback Player of the Year voting while being named to the Pro Bowl for the 4th and final time. He played 3 more seasons with the 49ers, and his production dropped each year, and in his final season he switched over to tight end before retiring.

After his playing career ended, Crow joined the coaching ranks, starting out as an assistant to his college coach, Bear Bryant, at Alabama. He also spent time as an assistant in the NFL, then 6 seasons as a head coach at Northeast Louisiana. He passed away in 2015.

His pro career may not have lived up to the hype of a Heisman winner, but he had one very good season, and was a solid player for several other years. He overcame a minor stroke at birth that left his face disfigured, and was still able to become one of the best running backs of all time.