NFL
5 Greatest NFL Running Backs Ever + Fan Rankings
Create your own all-time rankings of the top 5 greatest NFL Running Backs in NFL history from Emmitt Smith to Jim Brown to Barry Sanders
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February 17, 2022 marks the 86th birthday of RB Jim Brown so it’s a great time to look at the top-5 greatest NFL Running Backs of all time with him near the top of the list.
The best Running Backs the game has ever seen don’t only have the speed for bolting away from the opposing team but also the power to bulldoze through the wall of the defense. Running Backs come in all shapes and sizes from quick and shifty to massive and fierce. The RB position is and will always be one of the most important and entertaining positions in all of sports.
Since the inception of football over 100 years ago, some of the biggest names and plays have been made from the backfield. From Hall of Fame inductees to players that have cemented themselves as the greatest ever in their franchise’s history.
A great position to debate over the course of NFL history has plenty of names worthy of consideration but only five players can crack this list. Honorable mention includes: Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore, Marshall Faulk, and Eric Dickerson. Derrick Henry‘s dominance also has him in a position to potentially one day join this list
Here are the top 5 greatest NFL Running Backs of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– HOF, 3x SB champ, 1990 OROY, ’93 MVP, 8x PB, 4x AP
– NFL all-time leader in RUSH YDS (18,355), RUSH TD (164)
– NFL Playoffs RUSH YDS (1,586) & RUSH TD (21) leader
As the leader in almost every Running Back category, the face of America’s team was pretty much unstoppable when it came to the ball being on the ground. Emmitt Smith would ultimately go down in history as one of, if not, the greatest RB in the history of the NFL.
HOF resume of @EmmittSmith22:
– 8x Pro Bowl
– 4x All-Pro, 2x 2nd Team
– 3x Champion, Super Bowl 28 MVP
– 1993 NFL MVP
– 1990 NFL OROY
– 4x NFL RUSH YDS Leader
– 3x NFL RUSH TD Leader
– 1990s All-Decade
– All-time RUSH YDS, RUSH TD, & RUSH ATT Leader
pic.twitter.com/oZoOPla1No— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
– HOF, 9x PB, 8x AP, 3x MVP, 1957 OROY, 1960s All-Decade
– Only RB with more TD (126) than GP (118) ever
– Most RUSH YPG (104.3) & GP (5) of 4+TD in NFL history
Jim Brown was one of the first real stars at the RB position, only needing nine seasons to cement one of the greatest football legacies ever. An astonishing 33% of his career were years of winning an MVP award. Playing every season with the Cleveland Browns, Mr. Brown still holds many franchise records almost 70 years later as the clear-cut GOAT in Browns history.
9x Pro Bowler.
9x All Pro.
3x MVP.
8x NFL Rushing Leader.
1964 NFL Champion.
Hall of Famer.Happy birthday, Jim Brown! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NlrGobeECi
— NFL Legends (@NFLLegends) February 17, 2022
– HOF, 10x PB, 6x AP, 1997 MVP, 2x OPOY, 4x YDS leader
– DET #20 retired, Lions leader in YDS, TD, & YPG
– Most seasons (5) with 1,500+ RUSH YDS in NFL history
Nobody was more swift or fun to watch with the ball than Barry Sanders in his prime. The rare combination of agility and power built into his body created a decade of pure electricity on the gridiron. The biggest name in Lions history was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro every single year he played in the NFL and it’s hard to argue any RB’s peak being better than Barry’s.
Barry Sanders HOF resume:
– 10x Pro Bowl
– 6x 1st Team All-Pro; 4x 2nd Team
– 2x OPOY
– 1997 NFL MVP, 1989 OROY
– 4x NFL RUSH YDS Leader, 1991 NFL RUSH TD Leader
– 1st player w/ 1,000 RUSH YDS in 10 straight seasons
– All-1990s Team
– #20 retired by #Lionspic.twitter.com/dtbX2przOj— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 17, 2021
– HOF, 1977 MVP & OPOY, 9x PB, 5x AP, SB20 Champ
– NFL All-Decade in 1970s & 1980s, Bears #34 retired
– Most GP (108) of 100+ YScm & seasons (10) of 1,500+ YScm
Walter Payton‘s legacy is remembered today for the prestigious award players get every year for their acts of kindness and humanitarianism. After passing away in 1999, the award was named after him and his legacy off the field but on the field, Payton had the numbers to back up his play as an all-time Bears great, highlighted by one of the best rushing seasons ever in 1977.
Walter Payton HOF resume:
– 9x Pro Bowl
– 5x 1st Team All-Pro, 3x 2nd Team
– 1977 NFL MVP & OPOY
– Super Bowl Champ
– 1977 NFL RUSH YDS & RUSH TD Leader
– All-1970s & 1980s
– Most seasons (10) w/ 1,500+ YScm & GP (108) w/ 100+ YScm
– #34 retired by #Bearspic.twitter.com/bfoJvOWqNq— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 27, 2021
– HOF, ’06 MVP & OPOY, 5x PB, 3x AP, 2000s All-Decade
– Most season RUSH TD (28) & total TD (31) in history
– Chargers #21 retired; Most career GP of 2+ or 3+ RUSH TD
LT. Two letters that would represent one of the most entertaining scorers in league history. No NFL fan will soon forget that 2006 MVP season where LaDainian Tomlinson stole the show with a record-setting 28 RUSH TD & 31 total TD. LT is a Chargers legend and one of the best scoring machines the game has ever seen (145 RUSH TD are the 2nd most ever).
LaDainian Tomlinson’s HOF resume:
– 3x All-Pro 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team
– 5x Pro Bowl
– 2x NFL RUSH YDS & 3x RUSH TD Leader
– 2006 NFL MVP & OPOY
– 2000's All-Decade Team
– Most NFL season RUSH TD (28) & Total TD (31)
– #21 retired by #Chargershttps://t.co/cRl5frLbgh— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 20, 2022
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