Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #71: Marshawn Lynch

Marshawn Lynch

Teams

Buffalo Bills (2007-2010)

Seattle Seahawks (2010-2015, 2019)

Oakland Raiders (2017-2018)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (2010,2012,2013,2014,2015,2019)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (2013,2014)

Super Bowls - 2 (2013,2014)

Championships - 1 (2013)

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 1 (2012)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (2014)

Pro Bowl - 5 (2008,2011,2012,2013,2014)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Touchdowns - #17

Rushing Yards - #29

Total Touchdowns - #29

Rushing Yards per Game - #43

 Scrimmage Yards - #54

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-2012, #4-2014, #6-2013, #7-2011)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-2013,2014, #3-2011, #5-2012)

Yards per Rush (#6-2012, #10-2014)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-2012, #5-2014, #7-2007,2013, #9-2011)

Total Touchdowns (#1-2014, #3-2013, #6-2012, #7-2011)

Scrimmage Yards (#4-2012, #5-2014, #6-2013)

After rushing for 1356 yards as a junior at Cal, Marshawn Lynch decided to leave school early to enter the NFL Draft where he was taken with the 12th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2007.

As a rookie, Lynch rushed for 1115 yards and 7 touchdowns, a very solid showing for a rookie, but his usage went down from there with Buffalo. In his third season, he only got 450 rushing yards, and just 4 games into the 2010 season, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, a move that saved his career.

His first four seasons in Seattle are what put him on this list. He made the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons, and scored at least 11 touchdowns in each year as well. He rushed for over 1200 yards in each of those 4 years, and was the league leader in rushing touchdowns in both 2013 and 2014. 

In 2012 he had a career high with 1590 rushing yards and made his only appearance on the All-Pro First Team, and in 2013, while leading the league in touchdowns, helped the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl for only the second time in their history, and he had 39 yards and a touchdown in their 43-8 victory over the Broncos.

2014 was his best overall season. He had 1306 rushing yards, a career high with 13 rushing touchdowns, best in the league, and had 4 receiving touchdowns, also the best in his career. He helped the Seahawks return to the Super Bowl, where he had 102 yards and a touchdown, but came up just short in the final minute, getting stopped at the 1-yard line as the Seahawks lost 28-24 to New England.

Halfway through the next season, Lynch had to undergo hernia surgery, which sidelined him until the playoffs. He gained only 20 yards in his return during the playoffs, then retired on the day of the Super Bowl.

After a season away, Lynch decided to return to play for the Oakland Raiders, his hometown team, so the Seahawks traded him away. He gained 891 yards in his first season back, but suffered a groin injury in 2018 which limited him to only 6 games, and he decided to retire again.

He remained retired through the 2019 season, until the Seahawks lost their top 3 running backs to injury in quick succession late in the season. They convinced him to return to help them finish out the season, and he played the final game of the regular season, along with 2 playoff games, each with small contributions, before retiring for good.

Lynch was one of the top running backs in the game for a few years with the Seahawks, leading the league in touchdowns twice, making a big contribution to a championship, and reaching another Super Bowl as well. Outside of that great stretch, he was a pretty average back, but he was so good during his time in Seattle that he is one of the top running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #72: Skeet Quinlan

Skeet Quinlan

Teams

Los Angeles Rams (1952-1956)

Cleveland Browns (1956)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1952,1955)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1952,1955)

Championship Games - 1 (1955)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 1 (1954)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#3-1953)

Yards per Rush (#1-1953, #3-1954)

Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1953, #9-1954)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-1953)

Yards per Touch (#3-1953,1954)

After completing his college career at San Diego State, Volney Quinlan, known professionally as Skeet or Skeets Quinlan, was drafted in the 4th round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

As a rookie for the Rams, Quinlan gained only 224 yards during the season, mostly from a backup role, but when the Rams made the playoffs, Quinlan was their leading rusher with 60 yards as they fell just short of making the championship game.

In 1953, he was inserted into the starting lineup, where he thrived, finishing 3rd in the league in rushing yards and leading all players in yards per carry, with 7.3 yards each time he was handed the ball, a mark which is still the 6th best mark in history for a full season. 

During the next season, he fell back to "only" 6.0 yards per carry, third-best in the league, but still good enough for him to earn his only trip to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, that would be as good as it got for Skeet. 

He struggled with injuries during the next season, only gaining 70 yards on the ground in 6 games played, though he did gain another 245 through the air. 2 games into the next season, he was sent to the Cleveland Browns, where he finished out another season without much time on the field before retiring from the game.

His career was very short, but he was the best running back in the league in 1953, putting up one of the best seasons the league had seen up to that point, and still performed at a star level the next year as well. He disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared on the scene, but for a brief moment, he was one of the best in the game, and one of the best of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #73: Herschel Walker

Herschel Walker

Teams

Dallas Cowboys (1986-1989, 1996-1997)

Minnesota Vikings (1989-1991)

Philadelphia Eagles (1992-1994)

New York Giants (1995)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (1989,1992,1996)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro Second Team - 2 (1987,1988)

Pro Bowl - 2 (1987,1988)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards - #45

Scrimmage Yards - #48

Rushing Touchdowns - #51

Total Touchdowns - #59

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1988, #6-1987)

Rushing Touchdowns (#4-1986, #5-1991, #6-1987, #9-1992, #10-1989)

Yards per Rush (#2-1986,1994, #9-1987,1993)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1988, #6-1987)

Receptions (#5-1987, #9-1986)

Total Touchdowns (#4-1986, #8-1987)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1987, #3-1988, #7-1986,1993)

Yards per Touch (#1-1986, #5-1987,1994)

After rushing for 1616 yards and winning a national title as a freshman in 1980, then 1752 yards, 16 touchdowns, and winning the Heisman as a junior, Herschel Walker left Georgia to sign with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. He played for the Generals for 3 seasons, punctuated with an MVP in the league's final season, before joining the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in the 5th round of the 1985 Draft.

As an NFL rookie, Walker shared the backfield with Tony Dorsett, and he rushed for 737 and 12 touchdowns that year, while catching 76 passes for 837 yards on top of that. He led the entire league in yards per touch, and in one game against the Eagles, he had both an 84-yard rush and an 84-yard catch, both for touchdowns.

In his second season, he led the league in scrimmage yards, picking up 891 on the ground and 715 through the air, and was named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Second Team. His increased role led Tony Dorsett to demand a trade, which he would get after the season, leaving the backfield to Walker.

The next season, he had the most rushing yards of his career by far, amassing 1514 while starting every game, but scoring only 5 touchdowns along the way. His 2019 scrimmage yards were also the best of his career, and earned him another All-Pro Second Team selection.

Walker struggled to open the 1989 season, averaging only 3 yards per carry through the first 5 games, following which he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for 5 players and 6 draft picks, a trade that set the Cowboys up as a great team for years. 

He played 2 full seasons in Minnesota, never reaching his previous heights, but he was still a good back. He had 825 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 1991, but after not living up to the hype in Minnesota, he was not resigned, instead leaving for Philadelphia for the 1992 season. 

Walker had 1070 rushing yards in his first season as an Eagle, the second and last time he would eclipse 1000 in his career. Over the next couple of years his role changed, and he played more often as a kick returner than running back. In 1994 he had the distinction of being the first player ever to have a 90 yard rush, a 90 yard reception, and a 90 yard kick return in the same season.

He signed with the New York Giants for the 1995 season, mostly returning kicks again, then left to return to Dallas, where he spent his final 2 seasons in that same role. After 12 seasons in the NFL, and 15 total as a pro, he retired after the 1997 season.

Walker's career got off to a fast start, but went downhill quickly after being traded away from Dallas. He was still at least productive through the rest of his career, but he never made it back to the superstar level he reached early on. He never made it past the divisional round of the playoffs in his career, but he rarely missed a game and played for a long time, and he is definitely one of the best to have played the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #74: Bill Osmanski

 

Bill Osmanski

Teams

Chicago Bears (1939-1947)

Playoffs

Appearances - 5 (1940,1941,1942,1943,1946)

Conf Champ Games - 5 (1940,1941,1942,1943,1946)

Championship Games - 5 (1940,1941,1942,1943,1946)

Championships - 4 (1940,1941,1943,1946)

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 3 (1939,1940,1941)

All-Pro First Team - 1 (1939)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1939, #8-1941)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-1939, #3-1946, #6-1941, #9-1940)

Yards per Rush (#1-1941, #2-1939, #5-1946)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1939, #6-1941, #9-1946)

Total Touchdowns (#3-1939, #8-1946, #9-1941)

Scrimmage Yards (#3-1939, #10-1941)

Yards per Touch (#3-1941, #4-1939, #9-1946)

Following 3 seasons at Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to a record of 23-3-3, Bill Osmanski was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the #6 overall pick of the 1939 NFL Draft.

As a rookie, Osmanski led the league in rushing yards with 699 in the 10-game season, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry, which was second-best among all players. After just one season as a pro, he was already the best running back in football.

The next season, his production dropped noticeable, as he gained only 192 yards on the season, but he was still selected to the Pro Bowl, and the Bears reached the league championship game, where he ran for 109 yards and a touchdown in Chicago's 73-0 beatdown of Washington.

In 1941, he led the league with an average of 5.3 yards per carry, and the Bears repeated as champions, even though Osmanski finished with only 15 yards in the title game. He missed most of the 1942 season due to injury, but returned in time for the championship game, which ended in defeat for the Bears.

Midway through the 1943 season, Osmanski left the Bears to join the Navy to fight in World War II. The Bears won that season's championship, but missed out on the playoffs during the two full seasons without him. 

He returned to the Bears for the 1946 season, and had a decent season despite hardly playing for 5 years. The Bears returned to the championship game, where Bill ran for 23 yards and his younger brother Joe ran for 20 as the Bears beat the Giants 24-14 for their 4th title of the decade. He played one more season with the Bears, but only touched the ball 10 times all season, and he retired once the 1947 season ended.

He played in only 7 seasons as a pro, reaching the championship game 5 times and winning 4 championships. His career total of only 1753 rushing yards is extremely low by today's standards, but he was one of the top backs in the game during his time, a league leader in multiple categories, and one of the best to have played the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #75: Arian Foster

Arian Foster 

Teams

Houston Texans (2009-2015)

Miami Dolphins (2016)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (2011,2012,2015)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 1 (2010)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (2011)

Pro Bowl - 4 (2010,2011,2012,2014)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards per Game - #14

Yards per Rush - #64

Rushing Touchdowns - #68

Rushing Yards - #80

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-2010, #5-2011, #6-2012,2014)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-2010,2012, #8-2011,2014)

Yards per Rush (#8-2010,2014)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-2010, #2-2011,2014, #6-2012)

Total Touchdowns (#1-2010,2012, #5-2014, #9-2011)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-2010, #3-2011, #8-2012,2014)

After a strong junior season at Tennessee where he rushed for 1193 yards and 12 touchdowns, Arian Foster was projected to be a second round draft pick, but he decided to stay in school, and he ended up not being drafted after sharing the backfield as a senior and only gaining 570 yards. 

He was signed as a free agent to the practice squad by the Houston Texans in the preseason of 2009. He did not play much as a rookie, but got to start in the last game of the season, where he gained 119 yards and scored 2 touchdowns, which was a sign of what was coming.

In the very first game of the next season, Foster ran for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns, the second most ever for an opening game. He continued that level of play throughout the season, and finished the year leading the league in rushing yards (1616), rushing touchdowns (16), and scrimmage yards (2220). He was named to the All-Pro First Team and finished 3rd in voting for Offensive Player of the Year.

He missed a few games at the beginning of the next season due to a hamstring injury, but was his usual self when he returned, gaining 1224 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns as he made the All-Pro Second Team and a second straight Pro Bowl. He also made his first playoff appearance that year, gaining 336 total yards and scoring 3 touchdowns in two games.

He signed a big contract before the 2012 season, and he played up to it. He gained 1424 yards on the ground that year, and led the league with 15 rushing touchdowns while reaching his 3rd straight Pro Bowl. He was once again magnificent in the playoffs, gaining 327 yards with 3 touchdowns in two games.

He suffered a back injury before the 2013 season started, but still played in the season opener and performed well at first, but his performance started to drop off as the season wore on, until he ruptured a disk in his back during week 9, ending his season early.

He came back healthy in 2014, and had another strong season, rushing for 1246 yards and 8 touchdowns, earning him votes for Comeback Player of the Year and getting him into his 4th Pro Bowl in 5 seasons. 

He missed the first 3 games of the next season due to injury, and after his return he wasn't performing as well as expected. He played in only 4 games before he tore his Achilles tendon, which ended his season, as well as his time with the Texans, who released him after the season.

He signed with the Miami Dolphins for the 2016 season, but still wasn't the runner he had been a couple of years earlier, and after suffering another injury in just his 4th game with the team, he abruptly retired right in the middle of the season.

Foster had a few truly great seasons for the Texans, and is still the franchise leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, but like many others on this list, injuries stopped him in his prime. He is #14 on the all-time list for rushing yards gained per game, and led the league in most rushing categories in 2010, and he deserves to be remembered as one of the best to play the game.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #76: William Andrews

William Andrews

Teams

Atlanta Falcons (1979-1986)

Playoffs

 Appearances - 2 (1980,1982)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro Second Team - 2 (1981,1982)

Pro Bowl - 4 (1980,1981,1982,1983)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #35

Rushing Yards per Game - #47

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1983, #4-1980, #7-1981)

Rushing Touchdowns (#7-1981, #10-1982)

Yards per Rush (#3-1980, #8-1983)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1983, #4-1980, #7-1981)

Receptions (#4-1981, #8-1982)

Total Touchdowns (#9-1981,1982)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1981, #2-1982,1983, #4-1980)

Yards per Touch (#3-1982, #7-1983, #8-1980, #9-1981)

After a college career at Auburn where he was used mostly as a blocker, gaining only 414 total yards as a senior without scoring a touchdown, William Andrews was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1979 Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

As a rookie, Andrews had an immediate impact. He rushed for 1023 rushing yards and was named to the All-Rookie Team. In his second season, he was named to his first Pro Bowl after gaining 1308 rushing yards, and 1764 total yards from scrimmage.

In 1981, he led the entire league with 2036 yards from scrimmage, 1301 from rushing yards, along with 10 rushing touchdowns, and he also finished 4th in the league in receptions, showing again that he was an all-around player.

The 1982 season was shortened due to a strike, but he still finished with 1076 scrimmage yards, which was #2 in the league that year, and he came in second again the next year, with a career-high 2176 yards. It was the 4th year in a row that he finished in the top 4 in scrimmage yards and was named to the Pro Bowl.

He was clearly at his peak and that point, and was the best running back in the league going into the 1984 season, when he suffered a severe knee injury in the preseason. The injury caused him to miss 2 full seasons, and when he returned for the 1986 season, he was no longer the same player. He split time between running back and tight end, gaining only 214 rushing yards before retiring at the end of 1986.

Andrews was a powerful runner who was unstoppable in his prime, and never missed a game in his 4 Pro Bowl seasons, but his career was derailed by a serious knee injury that stopped us from seeing how long he could dominate the game. Even though his career was cut short, he was so good at his peak that he deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time greats.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #77: Doak Walker

 

Doak Walker

Teams

Detroit Lions (1950-1955)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (1952,1953,1954)

Conf Champ Games - 3 (1952,1953,1954)

Champ Games - 3 (1952,1953,1954)

Championships - 2 (1952,1953)

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 4 (1950,1951,1953,1954)

Pro Bowl - 5 (1950,1951,1953,1954,1955)

Hall of Fame - 1986

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1950)

Yards per Rush (#7-1950)

Receiving Touchdowns (#6-1950)

Yards per Reception (#10-1953)

Total Touchdowns (#2-1950, #10-1955)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-1950)

Yards per Touch (#2-1950,1953, #4-1951)

After three straight seasons as an All-American at SMU, including a Heisman Trophy win as a junior, Doak Walker was drafted #3 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1949 Draft. During his Heisman season, he had 532 rushing yards, 304 passing yards with 6 touchdowns, 279 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns, 3 passes intercepted on defense, a 42.1 yard punting average, and 22 points scored as a placekicker.

He actually finished out his senior season after being drafted, so he didn't debut in the NFL until 1950, and he was an immediate success. He gained 920 scrimmage yards, finished second in the league with 11 total touchdowns, and served as the team's kicker and punter, earning a berth in the Pro Bowl and a spot on the All-Pro First Team.

His numbers were down slightly the next year, but he still made the Pro Bowl and All-Pro First Team. He struggled through several leg injuries the next year, which limited him to only 7 games, which resulted in his only season without a Pro Bowl appearance. However, he was healthy in time for the postseason, and he had 97 rushing yards and a touchdown in the championship game as the Lions defeated the powerhouse Browns 17-7.

He was fully healthy the next season, and led the Lions back to the championship game, where they faced a rematch with the Browns. Walker scored a touchdown on the ground, kicked a field goal, and 2 extra points, including the game winner as Detroit beat Cleveland 17-16.

In 1954, he led the Lions to their 3rd straight title game, and led the league with a perfect 43 for 43 record on extra points. The Browns got their revenge that year, destroying the Lions 56-10, while Walker gained only 52 total yards, and only scored as a kicker.

He decided that the 1955 season, his sixth in the league, would be his last, signing a special contract for one more season as a player, followed by 2 years as a scout. He led the league in scoring that season despite the team finishing with only 3 wins, with most of his work coming from kicking and receiving, as he gained only 95 yards on the ground.

Walker gained only 1520 rushing yards in his short career, but he was an all-around player, gaining over 2500 yards as a receiver, serving as a full-time punter for one season and part-time for two others, and playing kicker as well throughout his career. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, but since this ranking only takes his work rushing and catching the ball into account, he winds up a little lower in the ranking of the top running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #78: Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson

Teams

Kansas City Chiefs (2003-2009)

Cincinnati Bengals (2009)

Washington Redskins (2010)

Miami Dolphins (2011)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (2003,2006,2009)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 1 (2006)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (2005)

Pro Bowl - 2 (2005,2006)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Yards per Game - #31

Yards per Rush - #64

Rushing Touchdowns - #65

Rushing Yards - #87

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-2006, #3-2005)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-2005,2006)

Yards per Rush (#3-2005, #5-2004, #9-2008)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-2006, #3-2005)

Total Touchdowns (#2-2005,2006)

Scrimmage Yards (#2-2005, #3-2006)

Yards per Touch (#4-2004, #9-2005)

Larry Johnson did not see the field much during his first 3 seasons at Penn State, but as a senior, he rushed for 2087 yards and 20 touchdowns, while averaging 7.7 yards per carry, and it resulted in his being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the #27 pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Johnson did not play much as a rookie, tallying only 20 carries, and he publicly feuded with his head coach as well. The next season was more of the same, but he got to start a couple of games late in the season due to injuries to other backs, and he shows flashes of brilliance.

Midway through the 2005 season, starting back Priest Holmes went down with a neck injury, and Johnson moved into the starting role, and he eclipsed 100 yards in each of the 9 games he started, including a team record 211 yards against Houston. He finished the season with 1750 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, both #2 in the league, and was named to the All-Pro Second Team, despite spending half of the year as a backup.

He took the starting job full-time the next year, and set a league record that still stands with 416 carries, finishing with 1789 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns as he climbed onto the All-Pro First Team. After 2 amazing seasons, Johnson held out through training camp for a new contract, and the team ended up making him the highest-paid running back in the league.

His performance dropped of significantly after signing the new contract, with a season average of only 3.5 yards per carry, and a season-ending foot injury in week 9 bringing a premature end to a disappointing year of only 559 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Personal problems plagued him throughout the next season, as he was suspended for 4 separate games for different violations, including one game for spitting in a woman's face. He retained his starting job into the 2009 season, but after 8 games and only 358 yards on the ground, the team suspended him for multiple comments made on social media that were critical of his coach and used gay slurs. When his suspension ended, the team waived him rather than let him return to the team.

He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals for the remainder of the season, serving as a backup to Cedric Benson. After the season, he signed a 3-year contract with the Washington Redskins, but he was released after only 2 games and did not play again that season. He signed with the Dolphins for 2011, but was released after only 1 game, and never returned to the league.

Johnson was incredibly talented, and was the best running back in the league at his peak, but he let off-the-field issues tank his career, and he may not have shown us his full potential. In his two peak seasons, he had over 4200 scrimmage yards and 40 touchdowns, but in his other 7 seasons he had only 3300 yards and 21 touchdowns. Even though he may have wasted his incredible talent, he is still one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #79: Napoleon Kaufman

Napoleon Kaufman

Teams

Oakland Raiders (1995-2000)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (2000)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2000)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #16

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#6-1997)

Yards per Rush (#1-1996, #2-1999, #4-1997, #7-1995)

Rushing Yards per Game (#8-1997)

Scrimmage Yards (#5-1997)

Yards per Touch (#5-1996, #8-1997,1999)

After rushing for over 1000 yards in 3 straight seasons as Washington, and averaging at least 5.5 yards per carry for that entire time as well, Napoleon Kaufman was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 18th pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

After backing up Harvey Williams as a rookie, Kaufman took over the starting job halfway through the 1996 season, and he finished that season by leading the league at 5.8 yards per carry, and ended up with 1017 scrimmage yards. 

He was the full-time starter in 1997, and he broke Bo Jackson's single-game franchise record by racking up 227 yards against Denver that year, and his record stood for 25 years until Josh Jacobs broke it. He rushed for 1294 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, both career highs, as well as 1697 scrimmage yards.

His production dipped slightly in 1998, and he spent the next couple of seasons as a backup again, but was still very efficient when given the ball. His lowest yards per carry in his career was 4.2 in 1998, and he averaged over 5 yards per carry 3 times.

In the 2000 season, Kaufman saw the playoffs for the first and only time in his career, but in their two playoff games he was only given 1 total carry for 4 yards, and he retired after the season ended to become a minister, which is what he is still doing today.

Kaufman had a short career, but unlike many others on this list, it wasn't due to injuries. His career average of 4.9 yards per carry ranks #16 out of all players in history, and every running back ahead of him on that list shows up much higher on this list. He probably had more left in the tank, but he found what he wanted to do in life, and he is still one of the best to have ever run the ball.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #80: Essex Johnson

Essex Johnson

Teams

Cincinnati Bengals (1968-1975)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (1970,1973,1975)

Conf Champ Games - 0

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Touch - #90

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#6-1973)

Yards per Rush (#6-1973)

Rushing Yards per Game (#9-1973)

Scrimmage Yards (#5-1973, #8-1972)

Yards per Touch (#1-1971, #2-1973)

After leading Grambling State to 3 consecutive SWAC titles as a defensive back, Essex Johnson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 6th round of the 1968 combined AFL/NFL Draft, then was converted to halfback as a pro.

In his rookie season, he didn't play much, but he was very efficient when he did, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and scoring 3 touchdowns on only 26 attempts. His playing time and efficiency both dropped in his second season, but his usage started to rise in his third season, and continued for the next several years.

He averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 1971, and led the league with 7.9 yards per touch, including an 86 yard rush, the longest in the league that season. His play that season finally earned him the starting position in 1972, his 5th season in the league.

In his first season as a starter, he amassed 1245 scrimmage yards, then improved upon that in 1973, gaining 997 on the ground and 356 through the air for 1353 total yards. He also finished second in the league that year with 6.1 yards per touch in what would end up being his best season, and his final effective season.

He played in only 5 games the next season due to a knee injury, and it ended up requiring 2 surgeries. Upon his return, he was not the efficient runner he had been before, never averaging over 3.5 yards per carry again. He was released by the Bengals after the 1975 season, then picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1976 Expansion Draft, but after one mediocre and winless season, he retired from football.

Johnson was never selected to the Pro Bowl, and was never a household name, but for a few seasons in Cincinnati, he was a machine known as the Essex Express. His 7.9 yards per touch were by far the most in the league in 1971, and he was the Bengals all-time leader rusher until 1981, and is an underappreciated all-time great.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #81: Chet Mutryn

Chet Mutryn

Teams

Buffalo Bisons/Bills (1946-1949)

Baltimore Colts (1950)

Playoffs

Appearances - 2 (1948,1949)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1948,1949)

Champ Games - 1 (1948)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-Pro First Team - 1 (1949)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1948)

All-Time Ranks

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#2-1949, #3-1948, #4-1947)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1948, #2-1947, #3-1949)

Yards per Rush (#2-1947, #3-1949, #5-1948)

Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1949, #4-1947,1948)

Receptions (#7-1948, #9-1949)

Receiving Yards (#4-1948)

Receiving Touchdowns (#10-1946,1948)

Yards per Reception (#1-1948)

Receiving Yards per Game (#5-1948)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1948, #2-1947)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1948,1949, #5-1947)

Yards per Touch (#2-1948, #5-1947,1949)

After 3 years at Xavier where he was the team's leading scorer, Chet Mutryn was drafted in the 20th round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia/Pittsburgh Steagles, which had combined teams temporarily due to World War II causing player shortages. Mutryn decided instead to join the Navy and fight in World War II.

After the war, he signed with the Buffalo Bisons of the AAFC, where he played sparingly as a rookie in 1946. In 1947, he really started to show signs of stardom. He rushed for 868 yards and 9 touchdowns that year, finishing in the top 5 of every rushing category.

The recognition finally came in 1948, when he led the league with 10 rushing touchdowns, 1617 scrimmage yards, and 20.4 yards per reception, and he was named to the All-Pro Second Team as a result. He and the Bills also advanced to the AAFC Championship Game that season, but Mutryn gained only 13 total yards in that game as the Browns demolished them 49-7.

He led the league in scrimmage yards again the next season, though his other stats dipped a bit, but he was still named to the All-Pro First Team. They had a rematch with Cleveland with a trip to the championship on the line, and he performed better this time, with 105 total yards and 2 touchdowns, but they still fell 31-21.

The Bills folded after that season, and Mutryn was transferred to the Baltimore Colts. His performance there was far below his previous standard, with only 3.3 yards per carry one year after averaging 5.3. The Colts folded after that season, and Mutryn was drafted in the first round by Philadelphia in the offseason, but decided to retire instead.

Mutryn only played 5 seasons of pro football, but in 3 of those seasons, he was in the top 5 in every rushing category. He twice led the league in scrimmage yards, and scored 15 total touchdowns in 14 games in 1948. His is just another example of a short but sweet career for an all-time great.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #82: Mark Ingram

Mark Ingram

Teams

New Orleans Saints (2011-2018, 2021-2022)

Baltimore Ravens (2019-2020)

Houston Texans (2021)

Playoffs

Appearances - 6 (2011,2013,2017,2018,2019,2020)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (2018)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 3 (2014,2017,2019)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Touchdowns - #45

Yards per Rush - #49

Rushing Yards - #50

Total Touchdowns - #92

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#5-2017)

Rushing Touchdowns (#2-2017, #3-2014, #7-2019)

Yards per Rush (#4-2017, #5-2016, #8-2019)

Rushing Yards per Game (#7-2014,2017)

Total Touchdowns (#4-2017,2019)

Scrimmage Yards (#7-2017)

After becoming the youngest Heisman Trophy ever as a sophomore at Alabama, behind 1658 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, a season in which he also led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship, Mark Ingram left school after his junior season and was drafted by New Orleans with the 28th pick in the 2011 Draft.

Ingram missed 6 games during his rookie season due to heel and toe injuries, and in his second season was part of a committee backfield where carries were split pretty evenly among 4 different backs. He was hampered by a toe injury again during his third season, leading many to write him off as a bust.

In his 4th season, he finally started to show some promise, rushing for 964 yards and 9 touchdowns, and it was enough for him to be named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He continued to improve over the next few seasons, finishing the 2017 season with 1124 yards and 12 touchdowns and his second trip to the Pro Bowl.

He was suspended for the first 4 games of the following season due to performance-enhancing drugs, and once he returned he was splitting carries with Alvin Kamara, which led to much lower overall production. He decided to leave after the season to sign as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was able to become a starter again.

His first season in Baltimore was the best of his career, with 1018 rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry, along with 10 touchdowns. He also scored 5 touchdowns through the air, the most of his career, and was named to his third Pro Bowl.

In 2020, he again had to split carries among 4 running back with the Ravens, and he finished the season with only 299 yards, and was not even on the active roster for a couple of late-season games. He was released by the team after the season, and signed with the Houston Texans for 2021.

He started for the Texans in the first 7 games of the following season, but only gained 294 yards on 3.2 yards per carry, and was traded at midseason back to New Orleans for a 7th round draft pick. He became the Saints' all-time rushing leader just a couple of games later, but didn't get much playing time in his final season and a half with the Saints before retiring in 2023.

His career had a slow start, along with a sudden drop off at the end, but for 7 years he was one of the better backs in the league. He is among the all-time top 50 in yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry, and his 12 seasons is quite long for a running back, all of which makes him one of the best to play the game.

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.