Best Running Backs of NFL History

A lot of men have played the position of running back in the NFL. Many of these have been exceptional, but who among the many can be singled out as the best running back ever to play in the NFL? Awarding the title of "Best Ever" for lifetime statistics can be misleading. These backs may have had the best longevity and durability, but does it make them the best ever? What about the running backs who retired while they still seemingly had productive years left. Runners such as Jim Brown and Barry Sanders come to mind. Then there is Gale Sayers whose career was cut short by injury. Should we consider Marcus Allen who fell out of grace with the team owner. These men may not hold the lifetime records, but they are still among the best ever.

Points were awarded in four categories. Best average per carry, best average per game, most 1,000 yard seasons, and lowest rate of fumbles. The points were totaled and the list of the best 15 running backs of all time was put together. Before revealing the list, let us look at the leaders in each of the four individual categories we used as our criteria for best ever.

Average yards per carry - 3 of the 15 men who made out list were able to average 5 yards or better per carry. With an average of exactly 5 yards per carry were Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders. Topping this category was Jim Brown with a lifetime average of 5.2 yards per game.

Average yards per game played - Only one player was able to average 100 or more yards per game for their entire career. Jim Brown averaged an amazing 104.3 yards per game. Barry Sanders was his closest competitor in this category averaging 99.8 yards per carry. The only other running back to average over 90 yards per carry was Eric Dickerson at 90.8 yards per game.

1000 yards seasons - The all time leading ground gainer had 11 seasons in which he gained 1000 yards or more. Emmitt Smith set the standard here, followed by Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Curtis Martin, each with 10 seasons at 1,000 yards or more.

Fewest Fumbles per carries - Curtis Martin far out did his competition in this category by averaging only 1 fumble for every 121.3 carries. In a distant second was Jerome Bettis who fumbled the ball every 84.9 carries. Of the men making our list the most likely to fumble was Gale Sayers who fumbled the ball once every 29.1 carries.

Receiving from the running back position - While not in our criteria, running backs are often not just a check down receiver, but a primary target for many quarterbacks. None more so than Marshall Faulk who had 6,877 yards receiving in his career and an amazing 36 touchdowns. The next closest was Thurman Thomas with 23 receiving touchdowns.

The top 15 running backs of all time:

Numbers 15 through 11

15. Marcus Allen - had only 3 seasons at 1000+ yards and averaged just 55.1 yards per game.

14. John Riggins - Averaged 3.9 yards per carry with 5 seasons over 1,000 yards.

13. Franco Harris - Played on 4 Super Bowl teams but his fumble rate hurt his score.

12. Gale Sayers - While a great average per carry, his tendency to fumble left him in the bottom third of our list.

11. Tony Dorsett - Strong across the board except in the area of fumbles. He was nearly 4 times more likely to fumble than the leader in that category.

Number 6 through 10

10. Thurman Thomas - one of the best backs in NFL history with good all around statistics.

9. Jerome Bettis - was a power runner who ran straight ahead and usually for good positive yardage.

8. Earl Campbell - strong, hard hitting, but took too many hits as his team's only offensive weapon.

7. Marshall Faulk - was a multi-attack weapon, as dangerous as a receiver as he was a running back.

6. Eric Dickerson - Power and speed but not a real threat as a receiver.

Number 5 through 1

5. Jim Brown - considered the best by many with a career average of over 100 yards per game, and 5.2 yards per carry.

4. Emmitt Smith - the number one back for total yards in a career. As a part of the triple threat offense of the Cowboys, he knew how to win when it counted.

3. Curtis Martin - while playing with the Pats and then the Jets Martin ran for over 1,000 yards for 10 consecutive years.

2. Walter Payton - Sweetness played for a mediocre team for many years before the Bears fielded a Championship team, and Payton was a large part of that championship.

1. Barry Sanders - a man who could make an entire defensive unit miss. His worst season was in 1993 when he ran for 1,115 yards. In 1997 he ran for over 2,000 yards, the next year almost 1,500 yards, then retired. It seems retirement was the only thing capable of stopping Sanders from holding nearly ever rushing record in NFL history.