Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #9: Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith

Teams

Dallas Cowboys (1990-2002)

Arizona Cardinals (2003-2004)

Playoffs

Appearances - 8 (1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1998,1999)

Conf Champ Games - 4 (1992,1993,1994,1995)

Super Bowls - 3 (1992,1993,1995)

Championships - 3 (1992,1993,1995)

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1990

MVP - 1 (1993)

Super Bowl MVP - 1 (1993)

All-Pro First Team - 4 (1992,1993,1994,1995)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1991)

Pro Bowl - 8 (1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1998,1999)

Hall of Fame - 2010

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #1

Rushing Touchdowns - #1

Total Touchdowns - #2

Scrimmage Yards - #2

Rushing Yards per Game - #15

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1991,1992,1993,1995, #3-1994, #4-1999, #5-1998, #8-1996, #10-1990)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1992,1994,1995, #2-1991, #3-1993, #4-1998,1999, #5-1990,1996, #10-2000)

Yards per Rush (#1-1993, #4-1995, #6-1992, #9-1994,1999, #10-1991)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1992,1993,1995, #2-1991,1994, #4-1999, #8-1996,1998)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1992,1994,1995, #3-1991,1996,1999, #5-1998, #6-1993, #9-1990)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1993,1995, #2-1992, #3-1991,1994, #9-1996, #10-1998)

Yards per Touch (#10-1993)

As a junior at Florida, Emmitt Smith rushed for 1599 yards and 14 touchdowns and finished 7th in voting for the Heisman, then decided to skip his senior season to enter the 1990 NFL Draft, where he was taken #17 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.

Smith rushed for 937 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie, which was good enough to earn him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and it would be the last time for over a decade that he would fail to reach 1000 yards, starting with his first rushing title in 1991, when he finished with 1563 yards.

1992 is when he really took off. He led the league with 1713 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, and he led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, where he had 108 yards and a touchdown in a blowout 52-17 win over Buffalo. That year he became the first rushing leader in history to win a Super Bowl in the same season.

He held out for the first 2 games of the 1993 season, but after the Cowboys lost both games, they gave in to his contract demands, and he responded with the best season of his career. He led the league in rushing for the third year in a row, with 1486 yards, while also leading in yards per carry for the only time in his career, with 5.3, by far the best of his career. He was also the leader in scrimmage yards for the first time.

He was named the MVP that season, and he wasn't done yet. He took the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl for a rematch with Buffalo, and this time he had 132 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 30-13 victory, and was named the game's MVP. He is the only player ever to win MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and the rushing title in the same season.

He failed to win the rushing title in 1994, breaking his streak at 3, and the Cowboys fell a game short of the Super Bowl, losing to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. He had another great season in 1995, leading the league with career highs of 1773 rushing yards and 2148 scrimmage yards, and setting a new record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 25.

He helped get Dallas back to the Super Bowl after a year's absence, and though he only had 49 rushing yards in the win, he scored 2 touchdowns, and the Cowboys won 27-17, giving him his 3rd championship in 4 years.

After that legendary run to start his career, Smith settled into a role as a good running back who rarely missed games and piled up stats. After 5 straight seasons over 1400 yards, he never reached that mark again, but had 6 more seasons of 1000 yards in a row, and in 1998 he broke Marcus Allen's record for most career touchdowns and Tony Dorsett's franchise rushing yard record.

In 2001, he became the first player ever to reach 1000 yards eleven times, and in 2002, he broke Walter Payton's career rushing yard record, a mark that he still holds today. After 13 seasons with Dallas, he was released, and he signed with the Arizona Cardinals for 2 years.

Smith broke his shoulder blade early in his first season with Arizona, ending a disappointing season early. He returned to play in 2004, and gained 937 yards, but was not resigned by the team, and decided to retire from the game at age 35.

Smith is the all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and is #2 in all-time scrimmage yards, behind Jerry Rice. He won an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP in the same season, and used to hold the record for most touchdowns in a season. What holds him back a little is the fact that he is not near the top 100 in yards per carry, and only had one season where he gained more than 5 yards per rush, but even with that one small deficiency in his game, there is no doubt that he is one of the greatest of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #10: Joe Perry

Joe Perry

Teams

San Francisco 49ers (1948-1960,1963)

Baltimore Colts (1961-1962)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1949,1957)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1949)

Champ Games - 1 (1949)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

MVP - 1 (1954)

All-Pro First Team - 2 (1953,1954)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1949)

Pro Bowl - 3 (1952,1953,1954)

Hall of Fame - 1969

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #10

Rushing Touchdowns - #32

Rushing Yards - #34

Total Touchdowns - #59

Scrimmage Yards - #72

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1949,1953,1954, #3-1952,1958, #5-1950,1951,1955, #9-1961, #10-1948)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1948,1949,1953, #2-1952, #3-1954, #8-1950)

Yards per Rush (#1-1949, #2-1954, #3-1952,1958, #4-1953,1957, #5-1950, #7-1951, #8-1955, #10-1956)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1949,1953,1954, #3-1952,1958, #5-1951,1955, #7-1950, #8-1961, #9-1957)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1953, #2-1949, #4-1948, #8-1952,1954)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1953,1954, #3-1949, #6-1958, #8-1951)

Yards per Touch (#3-1949, #5-1958, #9-1954)

Joe Perry played one year at Compton Junior College, scoring 22 touchdowns during the season, then left school to join the Navy during World War II, remaining enlisted for 4 years. After leaving the military, he signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming the first African-American player in the team's history.

As a rookie, Perry led the AAFC in rushing touchdowns, then repeated the feat in 1949, while also leading the league in rushing yards and yards per carry, with an amazing 6.8 per rush on the season. After that season, the AAFC folded, and the 49ers joined the NFL.

Perry was good in his first few NFL seasons, finishing in the top 5 in rushing yards each season, then in 1953 he led the league with 1018 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, and his 1209 scrimmage yards was also best in the NFL. He finished #3 in MVP voting that year, and made the All-Pro First Team for the first time.

He was even better in 1954, posting his best season as a pro. He led the league again with 1049 rushing yards, becoming the first player ever to exceed 1000 in consecutive seasons, and also had the most scrimmage yards again, with 1252. He gained 6.1 yards per carry on the season, and was named the league MVP, despite his team not making the playoffs.

His yardage decreased over the next few seasons, but in 1957, he was finally able to see the NFL playoffs, but the 49ers lost to the Lions, and Perry never saw a playoff win in his career. In 1958, he became the NFL's all-time rushing leader, passing Steve Van Buren. 

His usage declined in 1959, then was practically nonexistent in 1960, and he was traded after that season to the Baltimore Colts. He led the Colts in rushing that year with 675 yards, but was not the player he once was, and after a second season with Baltimore, he was traded back to the 49ers, where he played one final season.

He was the all-time leader in rushing yards when he retired, though Jim Brown broke his record the next season, and he led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns 3 times each. He is #10 in league history in yards per carry, and was named the MVP while on a team that missed the playoffs. Though most of his records were broken long ago, he was the best running back of his time, and one of the best of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #11: Walter Payton

Walter Payton

Teams

Chicago Bears (1975-1987)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (1977,1979,1984,1985,1986,1987)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1984,1985)

Super Bowls - 1 (1985)

Championships - 1 (1985)

Awards and Honors

MVP - 1 (1977)

Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1977)

All-Pro First Team - 5 (1976,1977,1980,1984,1985)

All-Pro Second Team - 3 (1978,1979,1986)

Pro Bowl - 9 (1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1983,1984,1985,1986)

Hall of Fame - 1993

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #2

Scrimmage Yards - #3

Rushing Touchdowns - #5

Rushing Yards per Game - #5

Total Touchdowns - #12

Yards per Rush - #64

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1977, #2-1976,1978,1979,1980,1984, #3-1985, #4-1983, #5-1986, #8-1981, #10-1982)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1977, #2-1976,1979, #3-1978, #7-1984, #8-1985, #10-1986)

Yards per Rush (#1-1977, #7-1980, #8-1985, #10-1976,1984)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1977, #2-1976,1978,1979,1980,1984, #3-1985, #5-1986, #6-1983, #8-1981)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1977, #2-1979, #3-1976, #5-1978, #9-1985,1986, #10-1984)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1977,1978, #2-1979, #3-1980,1983,1984,1985, #4-1976, #5-1986, #9-1981,1982)

Yards per Touch (#4-1977)

After rushing for 1029 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior season at Jackson State, Walter Payton was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the #4 overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.

Payton rushed for only 679 yards as a rookie, but that would be one of the few seasons where he wasn't one of the best backs in the league. He gained 1390 yards on the ground in 1976 and scored 13 touchdowns, earning a spot on the All-Pro First Team in just his second season, but that was just a preview for what would happen the next year.

In 1977, Payton left no doubt that he was the best running back in the NFL. He led the league in carries (339), rushing yards (1852), rushing touchdowns (14), yards per carry (5.5), yards per game (132.3), scrimmage yards (2121), and total touchdowns (16). He broke OJ Simpson's record for most yards in a game, with 275, and that record stood for 23 years. He was easily named both the Offensive Player of the Year and the league MVP after one of the best seasons by any player in history.

He never got close to that level again, but he remained a very good running back for a long time after. He led the league in scrimmage yards again in 1978, gaining 1875, but had only 1395 rushing. He gained 1610 yards in 1979, the third time that he finished as runner-up in rushing yards.

He continued to pick up a lot of rushing yards on bad teams, but the Bears finally turned around in 1984. Payton rushed for 1684 yards that year, the second-highest total of his career, and the Bears reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time in his career. He also passed Jim Brown for #1 in all-time rushing yards that year, a mark he held until 2002.

The next season, the Bears were historically great. Payton was very good as well, rushing for 1551 yards and 9 touchdowns, and the team lost only once all season. They went all the way to the Super Bowl, not giving up a single point in the NFC playoffs, then beat the Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl, with Payton rushing for 61 yards in the win.

He played 2 more seasons with the Bears before retiring after the 1987 season, and when he left, he was the all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, both of which have been surpassed now. Though he only led the league in rushing yards once, he was runner-up 5 times, and he never missed time due to injury in his career. He was definitely one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #12: Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson

Teams

Minnesota Vikings (2007-2016)

New Orleans Saints (2017)

Arizona Cardinals (2017)

Washington Redskins (2018-2019)

Detroit Lions (2020)

Tennessee Titans (2021)

Seattle Seahawks (2021)

Playoffs

Appearances - 4 (2008,2009,2012,2015)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2009)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 2007

Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (2012)

MVP - 1 (2012)

All-Pro First Team - 4 (2008,2009,2012,2015)

All-Pro Second Team - 3 (2007,2010,2013)

Pro Bowl - 7 (2007,2008,2009,2010,2012,2013,2015)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Touchdowns - #4

Rushing Yards - #5

Total Touchdowns - #10

Scrimmage Yards - #11

Rushing Yards per Game - #16

Yards per Rush - #35

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-2008,2012,2015, #2-2007, #5-2009,2013, #6-2010, #8-2018)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-2009,2015, #2-2007, #3-2011,2012, #4-2010,2013, #8-2008)

Yards per Rush (#2-2007,2012, #5-2008, #10-2010)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-2007,2008,2012,2015, #2-2013, #5-2010, #6-2009, #8-2011)

Total Touchdowns (#1-2009, #3-2010,2012, #6-2007, #7-2011, #10-2015)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-2008,2012, #3-2009,2015, #4-2007, #8-2010)

Yards per Touch (#8-2007)

As a freshman at Oklahoma, Adrian Peterson rushed for 1925 yards and 15 touchdowns, and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He had shoulder surgery after that season, then had foot, ankle, and collarbone injuries over the next 2 seasons, and he decided to skip his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL Draft, where he was taken #7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.

As a rookie, Peterson rushed for 1341 and 12 touchdowns, despite missing 2 weeks with a knee injury, and finished #2 in the league in rushing yards while winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He also set the all-time record for most rushing yards in a game, when he ran for 296 yards against San Diego, a record that is still standing today.

Peterson remained great in his second season, rushing for 1760 yards, which led the league, and also finished with 1885 scrimmage yards, also the most of any player. He also got the Vikings into the playoffs that year, but his 2 touchdowns weren't enough for them to advance past the wild card round.

Peterson led the league in rushing touchdowns in his third season, scoring 18 times during the season, and finishing with 1383 yards. He had his deepest playoff run that season, taking the Vikings to the NFL Championship Game, but his 122 yards and 3 touchdowns weren't enough to get them past New Orleans and into the Super Bowl.

Peterson was solid in 2010, finishing with 1298 yards and 12 touchdowns and reaching his 4th straight Pro Bowl to start his career, and he had 970 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011 before going down with a torn MCL and ACL near the end of the season. 

Even though he had been injured the previous December, Peterson returned for week 1 of the 2012 season, and he was better than ever. He averaged an amazing 6.0 yards per carry on the season, finishing with 2097 rushing yards, the second-highest total ever, and he also led the league with 2314 scrimmage yards. His efforts earned him the Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP awards for the season.

He was solid again in 2013, rushing for 1266 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he became the 3rd-fastest player to reach 10000 career rushing yards. He started the 2014 season with 75 yards in the first game, but he was deactivated before week 2 when he was indicted for child abuse, and the league ended up suspending him for the entire season.

He was reinstated prior to the 2015 season, and he responded by having his last good season, leading the league with 1485 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and being named to the All-Pro First Team for the 4th time in his career. He injured his knee in the first game of 2016, and didn't play again until December, and he ended up with only 72 yards on the season.

Peterson left Minnesota as a free agent in 2017, signing with New Orleans, but he was traded just a month into the season to Arizona. After 6 games as a Cardinal, he was place on IR with a neck injury and missed the rest of the season, then was released after the season ended.

He signed with Washington for 2018, and had his final 1000-yard season that year, finishing with 1042 yards. He remained with the Redskins in 2019, finishing with only 898 yards, his lowest total for a healthy season, before being released after the season. After that, he played one year with Detroit, then played 3 games with Tennessee in 2021 to fill in while Derrick Henry was injured, then a single game for Seattle. He was unable to find a team to sign him in 2022 or 2023, and is now retired from the NFL.

Peterson was great during his decade with the Vikings, leading the league in rushing yards 3 times, scrimmage yards twice, and touchdowns twice, and even though he was not the same player after leaving the team, he still racked up quite a few yards in his last 5 seasons, which got him up to #5 in all-time rushing yards and #4 in all-time rushing touchdowns. He won a Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP award in his career, and is easily one of the best to have ever played the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #13: James Brooks

James Brooks

Teams

San Diego Chargers (1981-1983)

Cincinnati Bengals (1984-1991)

Cleveland Browns (1992)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992)

Playoffs

Appearances - 4 (1981,1982,1988,1990)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1981,1988)

Super Bowls - 1 (1988)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 4 (1986,1988,1989,1990)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #24

Rushing Yards - #56

Total Touchdowns - #72

Scrimmage Yards - #76

Rushing Touchdowns - #88

Yards per Touch - #96

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#7-1989, #8-1986,1990)

Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1982, #10-1989)

Yards per Rush (#1-1986, #2-1988,1989, #3-1982,1990, #5-1981, #8-1985)

Rushing Yards per Game (#8-1989, #10-1986,1990)

Total Touchdowns (#4-1988, #7-1985)

Scrimmage Yards (#3-1986, #5-1989, #10-1990)

Yards per Touch (#2-1986, #3-1988, #5-1985,1989, #9-1981,1990)

As a junior at Auburn, James Brooks averaged 7.4 yards per carry, then piled up 1314 rushing yards as a senior, after which he was drafted #24 overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

He played his first 3 seasons in San Diego, serving mostly as a backup to Chuck Muncie on offense, but making a name for himself returning kicks. In both 1981 and 1982, he led the league in all-purpose yards, and in 1982 he also had the most kick return yards of any player. After his third season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would have a chance to start.

His breakthrough started in 1985, when he gained 929 yards and scored 7 touchdowns on the ground, while also picking up 576 yards receiving with another 5 touchdowns. He had his best season in 1986, when he had 1087 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground, led the league with 5.3 yards per carry, and had a career-high 686 yards receiving, putting him at 1773 scrimmage yards, good for 3rd place in the league.

He missed half of the 1987 season with injuries, and was obviously hampered when he did play, but he was back at full health in 1988, scoring a career-high 8 touchdowns while gaining 5.1 yards per carry, and earning a second Pro Bowl berth. He also helped the Bengals reach the Super Bowl, gaining 56 yards in the contest, but Cincinnati lost to San Francisco 20-16.

In 1989, he topped his previous career highs when he gained 1239 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per rush, and he had 1545 scrimmage yards, #5 in the league for the year. His 1990 season was nearly as good, with 1004 yards on 5.1 yards per carry, but in 1991 he began to be used less and less as the season wore on, and at the end of the year, he was traded to the Browns.

He played in only 4 games for the Browns and gained only 38 yards before being traded to Tampa Bay, then was injured in his second game with the Bucs, and decided to retire rather than attempt a return from the injury at 34 years of age.

Brooks was not recognized as a great back during his career, and still is forgotten my most fans. He is #24 all-time in yards per carry, led the league once in that category and finishing in the top 5 six different times. He is #41 in all-purpose yards, including 2 seasons leading the league. He may not be a household name, but he was one of the greatest of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #14: Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber

Teams

New York Giants (1997-2006)

Playoffs

Appearances - 5 (1997,2000,2002,2005,2006)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2000)

Super Bowls - 1 (2000)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 1 (2005)

Pro Bowl - 3 (2004,2005,2006)

All-Time Ranks

Scrimmage Yards - #15

Yards per Rush - #24

Rushing Yards - #27

Rushing Yards per Game - #53

Rushing Touchdowns - #65

Yards per Touch - #96

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-2005, #4-2006, #5-2004, #7-2002)

Rushing Touchdowns (#4-2004, #9-2002, #10-2005)

Yards per Rush (#2-2001, #3-2005, #5-2000,2006, #7-2004, #9-2002)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-2005, #4-2006, #8-2002,2004)

Total Touchdowns (#4-2004)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-2004,2005, #4-2002, #5-2006, #8-2000)

Yards per Touch (#4-1999, #6-2004, #7-2005, #9-2006, #10-2000)

After back-to-back 1300-yard rushing seasons at Virginia, and an ACC Player of the Year award, Tiki Barber was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft.

In his first 3 seasons, Barber was used mostly as a punt returner, gaining less than 1000 yards rushing combined in those three years, but he was used to catch passes out of the backfield, with over 1200 yards receiving over that same time.

He became the starter in 2000, and he gained 1006 yards on the ground and a career-high 719 receiving that year, showing that he had the ability to be an every-down running back. He helped lead the Giants to the Super Bowl that year, where they were blown out by the Ravens 34-7.

After being slowed a little by injuries in 2001, he came back strong in 2002, gaining 1387 yards rushing and scoring 11 touchdowns on the ground, while amassing 1984 scrimmage yards, 4th-best in the NFL. After a slightly down 2003 season, he really hit his stride in 2004.

That year, he rushed for 1518 yards and 13 touchdowns, the best of his career, and he led the league with 2096 yards from scrimmage. In the final game of the season, he broke the Giants' single-season and career rushing records, both of which he still holds.

He had his best season in 2005, when he rushed for 1860 yards on 5.2 yards per carry, and finished with 2390 scrimmage yards, enough to lead the league again, and currently the 4th-highest total in history. His great season earned him his first All-Pro First Team nod, and also got him 4th place in the MVP race.

Early in the 2006 season, he announced that it would be his last. He had another great season, gaining 1662 yards on the ground, and 2127 total from scrimmage, giving him the highest total in both categories for a player in his final season. He is also one of 4 players ever to have 3 straight 2000-yard scrimmage seasons. True to his word, he retired at the end of the season, his 10th in the NFL.

Barber is one of the few running backs ever to retire at his peak. He is currently ranked #15 all-time in scrimmage yards and #24 in yards per carry, and is one of only 4 players ever to have over 5000 yards both rushing and receiving. He finished his career with 2 of the top 50 rushing yard seasons in history, and 3 of the top 50 scrimmage yard seasons ever, and though he probably had several more good seasons in the tank when he retired, there is no doubt that he is one of the best to ever play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #15: Fred Taylor

Fred Taylor

Teams

Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2008)

New England Patriots (2009-2010)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (1998,1999,2005,2007,2009,2010)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1999)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (2007)

Pro Bowl - 1 (2007)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #17

Rushing Yards per Game - #23

Yards per Rush - #35

Scrimmage Yards - #35

Rushing Touchdowns - #42

Total Touchdowns - #95

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#6-2000,2003, #9-2002,2007, #10-1998,2004)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-1998, #6-2000)

Yards per Rush (#3-2007, #4-2000, #5-1998, #6-1999, #7-2004,2006, #9-2002, #10-2003)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-2000, #7-2003, #10-1998,2002,2007)

Total Touchdowns (#2-1998, #7-2000)

Scrimmage Yards (#6-2003, #7-1998, #8-2004)

Yards per Touch (#6-1998, #9-2006, #10-2004)

As a junior at Florida, Fred Taylor won a national championship, then rushed for 1292 yards and 13 touchdowns on 6 yards per carry as a senior, which helped get him drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the #9 overall pick in the 1998 Draft.

Taylor had his best NFL season as a rookie. He rushed for 1223 yards and 14 touchdowns, which was the most of his career, and had 421 receiving yards, also his career-best, and came in #3 in voting for Rookie of the Year.

He missed 6 games due to a hamstring injury in his second season, which limited him to only 732 yards, but he was healthy in the playoffs, gaining over 100 yards twice as the Jaguars made it to the AFC Championship game for the first time.

In the 2000 season, he gained 1399 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, and since he missed 3 games due to injury, he led the league with over 107 yards per game. A groin injury early the next season limited him to only 2 games, and he suddenly had a reputation for always being injured.

He shook off that reputation over the next two seasons, as he didn't miss a single game, rushing for 1314 yards in 2002 and a career-high 1572 in 2003. That total, and his 1942 scrimmage yards that year, were both #6 in the league for the season.

After he missed 7 games over the next 2 seasons, the Jaguars drafted Maurice Jones-Drew to be his eventual replacement. He still managed to rush for over 1000 yards 2 more times, giving him seven 1000-yard seasons in his career, but then started splitting carries in 2008 before missing the end of the season with a thumb injury.

He was released by the Jaguars after 11 seasons, and signed a 2-year deal with the Patriots. He ended up playing only 13 games over those two years, with ankle and toe injuries costing him long stretches. After the 2010 season, he decided to retire.

Taylor was never the best back in the league, but he was regularly among the league leaders in rushing yards and yards per carry for a full decade. He is currently #17 all-time in rushing yards, and #35 in yards per carry, and is the all-time rushing leader for Jacksonville still. He had a reputation for missing games, but he played at least 10 games in all but one season with the Jaguars, and he is one of the best running backs to have played the game.