Greatest NFL RBs

[SirKodiak]

Jim Brown

Jim Brown made the pro bowl every year of his career. In nine 14 game or less seasons, Brown totaled 12,312 yards with a 5.2 yard average per carry and 80 rushing touchdowns.

Brown also received for 2,499 yards and 20 more touchdowns.

Keep in mind that he played 12 and 14 game seasons. Brown led the league in rushing every year of his career with the exception of 1962. He averaged over 100 yards per game during his career.

* #1 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (104.3)
* #1 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (125.5)
* '57, '58, '63, and '65 NFL MVP

Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders made the pro bowl every year of his career. He led the league in rushing four times. He almost certainly would have broken the NFL rushing record had he not retired, still in his prime, after 10 years.

Sanders ranks third on the all time rushing list behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton with 15,269, a 5.0 yard average per carry and 99 touchdowns.

* #2 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (99.8)
* #3 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (118.8)
* 1994 & 1997 Offensive Player of the Year

Walter Payton

Walter Payton made nine pro bowls in his 13 year NFL Career. During his reign, Payton accumulated 16,726 rushing yards with a 4.4 yard average per carry and 110 touchdowns. Payton also had 4,538 receiving yards with another 15 touchdowns.

Payton is second on the all time leading rusher list behind Emmitt Smith.

* #7 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (88.0)
* #5 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (111.9)
* 1977 Offensive Player of the Year & MVP

Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith rushed for 18,355 yards with a 4.2 yard average per carry and 164 rushing touchdowns. Smith enjoyed a long 15 year career in which he made eight pro bowls.

Bo Jackson

He played four seasons and averaged just fewer than 10 games per season.

Jackson made the pro bowl in 1990 without ever playing a full season. His statistics do no credit to his game except for his 5.4 yard average per carry.

O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson rushed for 11,236 yards in 11 mostly 14 game seasons. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 61 rushing touchdowns. O.J. made the pro bowl five times and was the first back to rush for 2,000 yards.

He did it in a 14 game season.

Franco Harris

Franco Harris played half of his 13 years in 14 game seasons and compiled 12,120 yards with a 4.1 yard average per carry and scored 91 rushing touchdowns.

Harris made the pro bowl nine times.

Eric Dickerson

Eric Dickerson rushed for 13,259 yards in 11 seasons, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and scoring 90 touchdowns.

He was a six time pro bowler.

In 1984 with the Rams, Dickerson rushed for 2105 yards averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

* #6 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (90.8)
* #9 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (105.5)
* 1986 Offensive Player of the Year

Earl Campbell

Campbell made the pro bowl in five out of his eight seasons. He rushed for 9,407 yards averaging 4.2 yards per carry with 74 touchdowns. In his first three seasons Campbell averaged between 4.6 and 5.2 yards per carry.


Marshall Faulk

In 12 NFL Seasons, Marshall Faulk earned seven pro bowl berths. He rushed for 12,279 yards with a 4.3 yard average per carry and scored 71 touchdowns on the ground.

Faulk also received for 6,875 yards and another 36 touchdowns.

# #8 All-Time in Yards Per Scrimmage/Game (108.8)
# #1 Total Scrimmage Yards in a single season (2,429)
# 2-Time NFL MVP

Others to consider: Tony Dorsett, Gale Sayers, Thurman Thomas, Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis, Marcus Allen, Terrell Davis, John Riggins, Wilbert Montgomery, Larry Csonka, Lydell Mitchell, and Curt Warner.

Still playing: Ladanian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, Jamal Lewis, Fred Taylor, Edgerrin James, Brian Westbrook, and Warrick Dunn

Who do you think the top ten are?

[SirKodiak]

Oh, the links are links to YouTube pages made by fans for those players. For those that did not get to see some play, it gives you an idea of what they were like. Brown totally outclassing his opponents, Sanders turning defenders' legs to jelly, Payton being "sweetness" and running through people and an amazing catch, Bo blowing by and through everyone, Campbell knocking people over, etc.

[gRYFYN1]

1) Jim Brown - he is the gold standard by which Rbs are measured
2) Walter Payton - could easily be considered number one by virtue of Browns shorter career
3)Barry Sanders - Career cut short - but was the most dynamic runner for a decade.
4) OJ Simpson - Mired on bad teams, but was a tremendous back
5)Emmitt Smith - Poster boy for consistency and Longevity
6) Ladanian Tomlinson - a bit over looked because of his poorish last two years, but in an era of passing he is dominate.
7) Eric Dickerson - great runner with a career shiortened by injury always known for 2105
8) Marshall Faulk - maybe the best ever dual threat, was the engine of the greatest show on turf.
9) Curtis Martin - overlooked luchpail sytle back who amassed consistantly great years.
10) Shaun Alexander - difference between Earl Campbell and Alexander? Alexander amassed 30 more TD in a pass happy era.

I fell unable to rate Bo Jackson and Gale Sayers, two players who have extremely short careers due to injury, but both had some of the most amazing talent ever at the position.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Curtis Martain
(no team Bias iI swear lol )

[President]

I think Walter Payton's a better back than Barry Sanders.

[acetoolguy]

Curtis Martain
(no team Bias iI swear lol )

this

[Coach Owens]

1) Jim Brown - he is the gold standard by which Rbs are measured
2) Walter Payton - could easily be considered number one by virtue of Browns shorter career
3)Barry Sanders - Career cut short - but was the most dynamic runner for a decade.
4) OJ Simpson - Mired on bad teams, but was a tremendous back
5)Emmitt Smith - Poster boy for consistency and Longevity
6) Ladanian Tomlinson - a bit over looked because of his poorish last two years, but in an era of passing he is dominate.
7) Eric Dickerson - great runner with a career shiortened by injury always known for 2105
8) Marshall Faulk - maybe the best ever dual threat, was the engine of the greatest show on turf.
9) Curtis Martin - overlooked luchpail sytle back who amassed consistantly great years.
10) Shaun Alexander - difference between Earl Campbell and Alexander? Alexander amassed 30 more TD in a pass happy era.

I fell unable to rate Bo Jackson and Gale Sayers, two players who have extremely short careers due to injury, but both had some of the most amazing talent ever at the position.

Shaun Alexander? Whaaaa? The guy had one amazing year. Every other year he wasn't anything special. Once the Seahawks lost Hutchinson his career went down the drain. He wasn't all that fast and he wasn't all that smart. No way he should be in the top 50, let alone the top 10.

[actionjackson]

I am admittedly out of my depth when it comes to football, but no love for Tony "TD" Dorsett? I know the Cowboys, as "America's Team" were ridiculously overplayed back when he played, but I would've thought he'd be able to carve out a spot somewhere in the top 10. Could just be him being one of my favourite players as a kid though.

[ragecage]

1. Barry Sanders
2. Jim Brown
3. Walter Payton
4. Marshall Faulk
5. O.J. Simpson
6. Gale Sayers
7. Emmitt Smith
8. Eric Dickerson
9. Paul Hournung
10. Bronko Nagurski

[dickay]

best i've seen is Barry Sanders, Bo Jackson, and Adrian Peterson in that order. Of course thats just pure running the ball and doesn't take into account a careers body of work. Those three were/are just amazing at all aspects.

best ever...Brown has to be #1 and i'd put the Juice at #2. Other than that its real close IMHO.

[ragecage]

My list is better than all you guys. Outside of Jim Brown there was other guys that played in the 60's and before too.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Jim Brown
Barry Sanders
Walter Payton
Marshall Faulk
Emmitt Smith
Ladainian Tomlinson
Eric Dickerson
O.J. Simpson
Earl Campbell
Jerome Bettis

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

My list is better than all you guys. Outside of Jim Brown there was other guys that played in the 60's and before too.

Doesn't make them any better than the guys playing now. Running backs now are way more dynamic and athletic.

[dickay]

Doesn't make them any better than the guys playing now. Running backs now are way more dynamic and athletic.

+1000

Todays backs are amazingly better allaround than yesteryears. I know personally Don Nottingham, the guy coined as the "human bowling ball". He played for the Dolphins Super Bowl team the year after the undefeated season and had a pretty good career. The guy was always listed at 5-10 but he was lucky if he was 5-8 during his career....and HE WAS BIG compared with many RBs of that day (1970s). Players today are so much bigger and stronger, its really a completely different game.

[President]

I'm pretty sure Jim Brown is the best back ever, followed by Payton, followed by Sanders, followed by everyone else.