I have been working for a while on a ranking system for the top running backs of all time in the NFL, and I finally feel that I am ready to share it with the world. One of the difficulties is that there are limited statistics to work with, with carries, yardage, touchdowns, fumbles, and yards per carry the main categories. I also included receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, though they are weighted less than rushing numbers, as rushing is the primary responsibility for these players.
Most players on this list were classified as running backs, though other roughly equivalent positions are also included, such as fullback and halfback. Players were compared to the averages in each category for each individual season in which they played, and were given points based on how much above average they performed in each category, and were not given points for seasons in which they were below average overall. Because of this, longevity is not always a guarantee of a high ranking, because many backs, even many of the greats, were below average at times, especially near the end of their careers. There are actually several players on this list who had very short careers that included short bursts of greatness. Players were also given a bonus for championships won, though this factor was smaller than in other rankings systems, because running backs seem to have a smaller impact on team success than quarterbacks or NBA superstars.
The NFL recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, so there are players from all eras included here, many of which you have probably never heard of, as there were many that I was not familiar with. Also, with the lower emphasis on running in the modern game, there are fewer current running backs that qualified for this countdown than you saw on my lists of quarterbacks or NBA players. There are only 6 active NFL players on this countdown as of 2024.
Here is a breakdown of the primary team, decade, and college team for the players on this list, and I will list the players on this post as I reveal them over the next few months. There are 3 current franchises that do not have a single player on this list, and one defunct franchise (the New York Yankees of the 1940s AAFC) that has a player represented, while the 49ers have 11 players total, by far the most of any team. There are 10 colleges with at least 3 players on the list, dominated by SEC schools, with Georgia's 5 players the most of any school. I hope you enjoy this list, and maybe discover some new favorite players or remember some that may have escaped your memory.
Primary NFL Team
San Francisco 49ers - 11
Saint Louis/Los Angeles Rams - 7
Chicago Bears - 6
Philadelphia Eagles - 5
Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders - 5
Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers - 5
Detroit Lions - 5
Cleveland Browns - 5
Chicago/Saint Louis/Phoenix Cardinals - 4
New York Giants - 4
Dallas Cowboys - 4
Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs - 4
New Orleans Saints - 3
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans - 3
Green Bay Packers - 3
Miami Dolphins - 3
Cincinnati Bengals - 3
Buffalo Bisons/Bills - 3
Atlanta Falcons - 2
Seattle Seahawks - 2
Jacksonville Jaguars - 2
Minnesota Vikings - 2
Denver Broncos - 2
New York Yankees - 1
Houston Texans - 1
Boston Braves/Redskins/Washington Redskins - 1
Carolina Panthers - 1
New York Jets - 1
Pittsburgh Steelers - 1
Baltimore Colts - 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 0
Baltimore Ravens - 0
New England Patriots - 0
College Team
Georgia - 5
Alabama - 4
Tennessee - 4
Texas - 4
Washington - 3
UCLA - 3
Auburn - 3
Oklahoma - 3
USC - 3
Penn State - 3
Nebraska - 2
California - 2
Miami - 2
Stanford - 2
LSU - 2
Kansas - 2
SMU - 2
Pittsburgh - 2
Florida - 2
San Diego State - 2
Oklahoma State - 2
Syracuse - 2
Texas A&M - 1
East Carolina - 1
Colgate - 1
Southern Illinois - 1
Fordham - 1
Minnesota - 1
Long Beach State - 1
Florida State - 1
Colorado State - 1
Yale - 1
Xavier - 1
Grambling - 1
Holy Cross - 1
The Citadel - 1
Ball State - 1
Purdue - 1
Marquette - 1
Iowa - 1
West Virginia Wesleyan - 1
Kansas State - 1
Abilene Christian - 1
Notre Dame - 1
North Texas - 1
Washington State - 1
UTEP - 1
San Francisco - 1
Prairie View - 1
Ohio State - 1
Villanova - 1
Memphis - 1
Colorado College - 1
Oregon State - 1
Washington and Jefferson - 1
TCU - 1
West Texas A&M - 1
Morgan State - 1
Virginia - 1
Jackson State - 1
Compton CC - 1
Nevada - 1
Primary Decade
1930s - 6
1940s - 6
1950s - 9
1960s - 10
1970s - 13
1980s - 15
1990s - 10
2000s - 17
2010s - 11
2020s - 3
All-Time Rankings
100. Tony Nathan - MIA - 1980s
99. John David Crow - STL - 1960s
98. Tommy Wilson - RAM - 1950s
97. Alvin Kamara - NOR - 2010s
96. Chris Johnson - TEN - 2000s
95. Marv Hubbard - OAK - 1970s
94. Brandon Jacobs - NYG - 2000s
93. Joe Maniaci - CHI - 1930s
92. Bronko Nagurski - CHI - 1930s
91. Terry Metcalf - STL - 1970s
90. Delvin Williams - SFO - 1970s
89. Spec Sanders - NYY - 1940s
88. Warrick Dunn- ATL - 2000s
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