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 - #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 - #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.