Top 15 Best Running Backs Of All Time

A Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame member, Thomas was drafted in the 1998 season as a second-rounder. The RB became a starter in his rookie year and made 881 rushing yards, helping the Bills clinch their division title.

A key part of the Bills' No Huddle offense, Thurman was a destructive force for the Buffalo franchise. The Oklahoma State graduate ran for 1000+ yards consistently from 1989 to 1996.

The 1991 season was the most fruitful for the RB. Thomas captured a total of 1407 rushing total. He also led the league in total yards (2038), becoming the eleventh NFL athlete to do so.

Thurman has had the opportunity to play in five Pro Bowls and was inducted into the HOF All-1990s team.

The 6'1 220-pound player from the University of Oklahoma, Peterson became a powerhouse for the Minnesota Vikings right from his draft year. Peterson rushed for 1341 yards and won the Rookie of the Year award.

Leading the rushing yardage in three seasons, Peterson was a consistent figure for getting more than 1000 yards per season. His best record was 2097 yards which happened in the 2012 season.

Aka Purple Jesus, the RB garnered 14918 rushing yards from 3230 carries in his entire 17-year career. Peterson also netted 17392 yards in total.

A seven-time Pro Bowler, Purple Jesus is inducted into the HOF All-2010s team.

Spending 7 years for the Denver Broncos, Trell made a powerful impact on the Orange Crush franchise with 7607 rushing yards and 60 TDs.

Davis made a remarkable performance from 1995 to 1998 and collected national attention with multiple awards and votes. In his debut year, the RB was voted No. 2 in the Offensive RoY category.

The 5'11 San Diego native went on a rampaging streak in his next three seasons. 1996 saw him run for 1538 yards and gain the Offensive PoY award. Similarly, his best season came in 1998, when he became the fourth RB to record 2000+ rushing yards in a single season.

A 1998 MVP, three-time Pro Bowler, and three-time All-Pro, Terell helped the Broncos win two Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.

Starring in the Raiders and Chiefs for 16 years, Marcus Allen made a name for himself as one of the top running backs of all time by making 12243 rushing yards in his career.

A six-time Pro Bowler, Allen is considered one of the best short-yard runners in history. Drafted in 1982 as a first-rounder, Marcus immediately captured success by winning the Offensive RoY trophy.

His personal best season came in 1985 when he ran for 1759 yards from 380 carries. He led the league in average yards per game (109.9).

Allen created the record in 1995 for being the first player to run for 10,000+ yards and catch the passes 5000+ times.

The USC graduate also won a Super Bowl with the Raiders in the 1983 season.

An 11,352 rushing yardage player and former one-time Pro Bowler, John Riggins played 14 years in the NFL. Aka Diesel, the RB spent his time between the NY Jets and Washington Redskins.

Riggins showcased to his opponents that he was a great player when it comes to tough yardage in the big matches. He ran for 1000+ yards five times in his decades-long journey.

His personal best season was in 1984 when he ran for 1347 yards and contributed the season-high 24 TDs.

One of his memorable moments came during the Super Bowl XVII, where he recorded the most carries (38) and rushing yardage (166) in a single SB match. He got the SB MVP award as well.

A five-time All-Pro selection, OJ Simpson is known for two things these days: his impressive rushing yards and the non-guilty verdict of the 1995 Nicole Brown Trial.

Simpson was a juggernaut during his football days, accumulating 11,236 rushing yards from 2404 carries. Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1969, he got voted to the Pro Bowl in his debut year.

After Coach Lou Saban took the Bills' rein in 1972, OJ powered the run game with his electric 2003 yards, his personal best record. He led the League in rushing yardage in the other three seasons as well, i.e. 1972, 1975, and 1976.

The 1973 and 1975 seasons are considered his best by the fans. He won the MVP and OPoY award in 1973, while 1975 saw him make a League-high 23 TDs and 2,243 total yardage record.

A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Tomlinson is one of the best RBs that the NFL has ever seen. With 13,684 rushing yards and 145 TDs in his career, Tomlinson secured his place as one of the greatest of all time.

Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2001, the 5'10 had great expectations from the Chargers fans and had great hope in the running game from him. And boy did he deliver it! L.T. went on a 1000+ rushing total spree from 2001 to 2008 for the Chargers.

The 2006 season was the best year for him. Tomlinson made his personal best rush record of 1815 yards and 28 TDs (both were the League's highest that year).

Due to impressive performance in the 2006 season, the RB got the MVP, Offensive PoY, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year trophies.

The Texas native is also named in the HOF's All-200s team, a clear testament to his stellar performance in the League.

Gore, aka The Inconvenient Truth, has made the third-highest rushing record of all time. The RB served for 16 seasons in the NFL, a rare feat for the running position.

Drafted in 2005 by the San Francisco 49ers, the 5'9 athlete worked in the SF offensive backfield for 10 years before moving to Indianapolis.

The athlete played in the Pro Bowl 6 times in his career and was named to the Hall of Fame All-2010s team. Gore will be eligible to become a Hall of Famer in 2026.

Throughout his NFL journey, Frank culminated in a gigantic 16000-yard career in rushes. He also made 81 rushing TDs and is one of the 23 players to score 100 total TDs.

Frank also created the record for having the third most rushing attempts in the League's history, i.e. 3,735.

The Green Bay Packers athlete played 10 years in the National Football League and garnered 8597 rushing yards. The majority were gained for the Packers franchise.

Coached under the legendary Vince Lombardi, Taylor was an integral factor in Green Bay's success. From the 1960 season, Taylor became consistent in garnering 1000+ rushing yards.

A great runner at short swing passes, the RB was a part of the Packers dynasty in the 1960s. Jim aided the team to win four NFL championships and one Super Bowl.

His career-high rushes came in the 1962 season when he ran for 1474 yards and made 19 TDs.

A five-time Pro Bowler, one of his famous games covers the Championship game against the NY Giants in 1962. There, he carried the ball 31 times for 85 yards and 1 TD against the top Giants defense.

Eric Dickerson already had great expectations from the NFL pundits and fans the day he landed in the elite league. He was the first-round, 2nd OVR draft pick from SMU.

Joining the Rams in the 1983 season, Dickerson proved to be an immediate success for the franchise. Dickerson created rookie records on rushing yards (1808), rushing attempts (390), and rushing TDs (18).

Also known as Mr. Benny, the RB has stated that his rookie record means the most to him since people only get one shot at that.

Mr. Benny became the 1st player to establish 1000 yards in 7 seasons continuously. Eric also broke OJ Simpson's 1973 rushing record (2003 yards) when he exploded with 2105 yards.

Leading the rushing yard stats in 4 seasons, Mr. Benny is a 6-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro, and a 1986 Offensive Player of the Year.

His overall total rushing yards tallied 13259 yards, along with 90 TDs, and 2996 attempts.

Smith's legendary feats for the Dallas Cowboys are known to the entire NFL community. Emmitt Smith spent 13 years in the Cowboys and was an integral element in their 1990s dynasty.

Nicknamed Scoey, the former RB holds the record for the highest rushing yard in NFL history, i.e. 18,355 yards. He is also an eight-time Pro Bowler.

Starting his career in the 1990 season, Emmitt quickly rose to prominence in his rookie year. He established 937 rushing yards and 11 Touchdowns in his debut season.

The Florida native exploded from his second season, carrying the running department with an astounding 1563 yards from 365 attempts. His form remained consistent and carried a 1000+ rushing total till the 2002 season.

His explosive form was crucial to the Super Bowl glories in the 1992, 1993, and 1995 seasons. He also received the Super Bowl MVP award in 1993, a feat never achieved by any Cowboys RB.

A first-round draft for the Chicago Bears, Gale Sayers quickly adapted to the running game for the team, making 867 rushes and 14 TDs in his rookie year. Sayers gained the RoY award and Pro Bowl recognition.

Dedicating his entire seven-year career to the Bears, the Kansas Comet played 68 games for the team and rushed for 4956 yards and 39 TDs.

The RB led the league in rushing yards twice, i.e. in 1966 and 1969 seasons. He ran the most during the 1966 season, where he charged for an astounding 1231 yards.

He played in the Pro Bowl 4 times and got inducted into the HOF All-1960s team as well. The team retired his jersey in October 1994, alongside Legendary LB Dick Butkus.

Known for his 251-yard and 4-TD game against the Vikings in the 1991 season, Barry Sanders is considered the best RB in the Detroit Lions' history.

A huge prospect out of Oklahoma State, the Lions selected him as the third overall in the first round. The first-rounder immediately rose to stardom, winning the Offensive ROY award and becoming a rookie Pro Bowler.

In his entire career, Sanders made 15,269 rushing total, along with 99 TDs from 3062 attempts. For his powerful 10-year journey, the HOF All-1990s team recognized him.

The 5'8 RB has played Pro Bowl 10 times in his career and didn't miss out on any year. He also won the 1997 MVP and 1989 Offensive PoY awards.

Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown started playing for the franchise from 1957 till his retirement in the 1965 season.

Right from the rookie year, Jim became an unstoppable object for Cleveland's offensive backfield. The 6'2 Los Angeles native exploded with 942 rushing total in his first year. For his incredible efforts, he was awarded the RoY, MVP, and Pro Bowl.

Although Head Coach Paul Brown had hesitancy about using rookie players as starters, an exception was made for the impressive RB.

Jim was consistent in making 1,000+ rushing yards per season. In his 9 years of NFL journey, the RB did not miss any Pro Bowl games.

The RB ended his career with an astounding 12312 rushing yards and 106 TDs. His 1446 rushes from 280 attempts in 1964 aided the Cleveland franchise to clinch the playoffs and win the NFL championship.

A Heisman Trophy winner for the Auburn Tigers, fans predicted a great career for Jackson. The fans were right, but it was short journey since he got embedded in Baseball as well.

However, his short stint was marvelous with the Los Angeles Raiders from 1987 to 1990. During his four years of tenure, Bo established 2782 rushing yards, 515 attempts, and 16 TDs.

During his Rookie year, the NFL player rushed for 554 yards and held the record for the longest rush attempt at 91 yards. He was voted No. 2 in the Offensive ROY award.

What makes his career special is that he simultaneously played Major League Baseball during his NFL life. He was involved with the Kansas City Royals (1986 - 1990).

Juggling games between the two sports simultaneously with sheer dedication was unheard of. Moreover, succeeding at both of them is a remarkable feat indeed.

Walter Payton, aka Sweetness, is hailed as one of the best NFL Running Backs of all time. Payton accumulated 16726 yards from 3838 carries in his 13-year-long career.

Drafted in the first round in 1975, the Bears selected him to bolster their run game. Walter gained momentum from his second season, and consistently created 1000+ rushing yards from 1976 to 1981. He made four-digit rushing yardages for 10 seasons.

Sweetness also established a single-game rush record against the Vikings in 1977 with 275 yards.

His personal best season occurred in 1977 when he garnered 14 TDs and 1852 running yards from 339 carries. All three records were the League's highest that year.

A five-time All-Pro selection, Payton won a Lombardi Trophy with the Bears in the 1985 season.

Moreover, the NFL Man of the Year award introduced his name in 1999 to honor his legacy.