Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #25: Marcus Allen

Marcus Allen

Teams

Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1992)

Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1997)

Playoffs

Appearances - 10 (1982,1983,1984,1985,1990,1991,1993,1994,1995,1997)

Conf Champ Games - 3 (1983,1990,1993)

Super Bowls - 1 (1983)

Championships - 1 (1983)

Awards and Honors

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1982

Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1985)

MVP - 1 (1985)

Super Bowl MVP - 1 (1983)

All-Pro First Team - 2 (1982,1985)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1984)

Pro Bowl - 6 (1982,1984,1985,1986,1987,1993)

Hall of Fame - 2003

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Touchdowns - #3

Total Touchdowns - #6

Scrimmage Yards - #8

Rushing Yards - #14

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1985, #4-1982, #10-1984,1987)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1982,1993, #3-1984,1985,1997, #4-1990, #8-1994, #9-1996, #10-1983)

Yards per Rush (#7-1982, #10-1995)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1985, #6-1982, #10-1987)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1982,1984, #2-1993, #4-1985,1990, #8-1983, #10-1997)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1982,1985, #4-1984, #6-1987, #9-1983)

Yards per Touch (#10-1982,1984)

Marcus Allen won the Heisman Trophy at USC as a senior after rushing for 2342 yards and 22 touchdowns in just 11 games, then was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders with the #10 overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft.

His rookie season was shortened to 9 games by a strike, and he led the league with 11 rushing touchdowns and 1098 scrimmage yards, running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He was also named to the All-Pro First Team and the Pro Bowl after a very impressive first season.

He reached 1014 yards in his second season and scored 9 more touchdowns, and he helped lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl. In the championship game, he rushed for 191 yards and scored 2 touchdowns as the Raiders beat the Redskins 38-9, and Allen was named the Super Bowl MVP.

In 1984, he ran for 1168 yards, and had career-highs with 13 rushing touchdowns and 758 receiving yards. He finished with 1926 scrimmage yards and led the league with 18 total touchdowns, and was named to his second Pro Bowl.

His greatness continued in 1985, when he led the league with 1759 rushing yards and 2314 scrimmage yards, which is the 9th-highest total in history. He led the Raiders to a 12-4 record on the season, and was named the MVP of the league.

His production began to drop in 1986, when he gained only 759 yards, exactly 1000 less than in his MVP season, and only gained 3.6 yards per carry, the worst of his career. The team brought on Bo Jackson the next year, and the pair split carries and playing time for the next 4 seasons, and Allen never cracked 900 yards in that time.

When Jackson retired from football, Allen didn't regain his role as the lead back, gaining only 588 total in his final 2 seasons with the Raiders. He finally found his way away from Los Angeles after the 1992 season, joining the Kansas City Chiefs.

In his first season with the Chiefs, Allen rushed for 764 yards and led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns, was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 6 years, and was named Comeback Player of the Year. He was Kansas City's lead back for 3 more seasons, but still never reached 900 yards, and he finally retired after the 1997 season.

When he retired, Allen held the league record for rushing touchdowns, though he has since been passed by Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson. He's #14 on the all-time rushing yards list, and is #8 in scrimmage yards. He won both an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP, but after his first 4 seasons, he was never quite the same player again, which is why he ended up at #25, though he is still obviously one of the best of all time.

Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #31: Greg Pruitt

Greg Pruitt

Teams

Cleveland Browns (1973-1981)

Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1984)

Playoffs

Appearances - 4 (1980,1982,1983,1984)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1983)

Super Bowls - 1 (1983)

Championships - 1 (1983)

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 5 (1973,1974,1976,1977,1983)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #24

Yards per Touch - #90

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#6-1975, #7-1977)

Rushing Touchdowns (#10-1975)

Yards per Rush (#2-1978, #3-1975, #5-1976, #6-1977, #9-1974)

Rushing Yards per Game (#5-1978, #6-1975, #8-1977)

Scrimmage Yards (#3-1977, #7-1975, #9-1976)

Yards per Touch (#4-1974,1978, #5-1977, #10-1975)

After finishing #3 in the Heisman voting as a junior, then #2 as a senior, Greg Pruitt was drafted in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Pruitt was used mostly as a kick returner in his first two seasons, but took over as the starting running back for Cleveland midway through 1974. He made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in each of his first two seasons, but in his first full season as a starter, he missed the Pro Bowl, even though he gained 1067 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground with 4.9 yards per carry.

Pruitt reached the 1000-yard mark in each of the next 2 seasons as well, and was also voted to the Pro Bowl in each. In 1977, he also gained 471 yards receiving, which put him at 1557 scrimmage yards, which put him at #3 in the entire NFL for that season. 

He remained the team's starter until 1979, when he started to miss more time due to injury, and he saw a reduced role in his final two seasons with Cleveland. After the 1981 season, he was traded to the Raiders in exchange for an 11th-round draft pick.

In Los Angeles, he was used mostly as a kick returner, and in 1983, he led the league in punt returns, punt return touchdowns, and punt return yards, in which he set a record with 666 on the season. He was named to his 5th Pro Bowl, and the Raiders reached the Super Bowl that season, the only time he would experience a deep playoff run in his career, and it resulted in a championship ring.

After the 1984 season, in which he didn't gain any rushing yards, he retired from the league. He made the Pro Bowl 5 times in his career, surpassed 1000 yards rushing 3 times, and is among the top 25 all-time in yards per carry. He is not remembered by many fans today, but he was a great player, and deserves his spot on this list.

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 - #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 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #45 - Jeff Hostetler

Jeff Hostetler

Jeff Hostetler is one of the few backup quarterbacks to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory, and as a result he was able to earn a starting job for several years and became a pretty good quarterback.

Hostetler was drafted by the Giants in 1984, but didn't even take his first snap until 1988, when he moved up to the backup role behind Phil Simms. He played well when he was needed, but it wasn't often, and near the end of the 1990 season he was considering retirement when his moment finally came.

Phil Simms injured his foot late in the 14th game of the season, which they eventually lost to the Bills, but Hostetler led them to victory in their final two games, then guided them through the playoffs as well, throwing 3 touchdowns and running for another without an interception in 3 playoff games, and the Giants held on in the Super Bowl against Buffalo to become world champions.

When Simms was healthy again before the next season, Hostetler was able to win the starting job in training camp, but he broke his back in game 12, which resulted in him missing the remainder of the season. The next year, Simms won the starting job in camp, but was lost for the season in week 4, giving the job back to Hostetler again, but missed 3 games of his own with injuries.

After the season, the Giants decided not to resign him, so he went west to claim the starting job with the Raiders. His first season in LA was his best, with 14 passing touchdowns and a career high 5 rushing touchdowns, and he led the Raiders to a huge wild card win with 294 yards and 3 touchdowns before they fell to the Bills in the divisional round. In his 5 career playoff starts, Hostetler had a 4-1 record with 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

He was elected to his only Pro Bowl the following season, and had a couple more solid but injury-ridden seasons with the Raiders, but the twin peaks of his career were the two playoff runs while he was starting, when he really stepped up his play over his regular season levels. He may have had a short starting career, but he played best when he needed to, and has a Super Bowl title and a spot on this countdown of the best quarterbacks of all time to show for it.

Top 50 NFL Quarterbacks: #42

Jim Plunkett

Of the 11 quarterbacks that have won multiple Super Bowls, only Jim Plunkett remains out of the Hall of Fame. Of those same quarterbacks, he is ranked 10th on my list, ahead of only Bob Griese. That doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve to be mentioned among the top QB's of all time, but you must recognize that he doesn't measure up to most of the others who have reached the pinnacle multiple times.

Jim Plunkett was the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 1971, being taken by the Boston Patriots. He remains the only player of Hispanic heritage to be the top overall pick in the draft. (His paternal grandfather was Irish, but his 7 other great-grandparents were from Mexico.) He started in New England (they changed their name right after the draft) for 4 1/2 years, but threw more interceptions than touchdowns during all but his rookie season.

Plunkett was traded to San Francisco before the 1976 season, but during his two seasons starting for the 49ers, he again threw more picks than scores, making 6 out of 7 seasons with that dubious distinction. He was let go after the 1977 season, which is when he made his way to Oakland, where he sat on the bench for two seasons, throwing only 15 passes over two full seasons.

Early in the 1980 season, his tenth in the league, his luck finally changed when Dan Pastorini broke his leg and Plunkett was inserted into the starting lineup. For the first time since his rookie season, Plunkett threw more touchdowns than picks (18 to 16), and the Raiders won 9 of his 11 starts. After a home win in the wild card round, Plunkett led the Raiders to three straight upsets, including a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV in which Plunkett threw for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns without a single interception. He was deservedly named the MVP of the game.

For the next couple years he was back to playing backup, now to Marc Wilson, but after an injury ended Wilson's 1983 season early, Plunkett was again thrust into the starting role. For just the third time in his career, he had more touchdowns than picks (20 to 18), and the Los Angeles Raiders won 12 games, getting them a first-round bye.

Plunkett was not nearly as good in the playoffs as he had been three years earlier, throwing for only 618 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions over three games, but the team was better and didn't need him to do as much. They were again picked to lose in the Super Bowl, but he once again played a mistake-free, although unspectacular, game, and the Raiders upset Joe Theismann and the Washington Redskins 38-9.

He spent the final 3 seasons of his career as a backup again. Had it not been for those two seasons with the Raiders in which the starting quarterbacks were injured, he probably would have been remembered as one of the biggest busts in history, but those two seasons, and especially his performance in his first Super Bowl, did enough to make his career something that is worth celebrating.