How Many 2000 Yard Rushers In The NFL?

There have been 22 players who have rushed for 2,000 yards or more in a single season in NFL history. Here’s a look at the players who have accomplished this feat.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), a 2000-yard rusher is a player who rushes for 2,000 or more yards in a single season. This is a very rare feat, and has only been accomplished 12 times in NFL history. In this article, we will take a look at the players who have accomplished this feat, and see how they stack up against each other.

History of the 2000 Yard Rusher

In the history of the National Football League (NFL), only seven players have rushed for 2,000 or more yards in a season. This feat was first accomplished in 1973 by O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills. Simpson’s record of 2,003 yards stood for eleven years before being broken by Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Dickerson’s record fell just shy of Simpson’s, as he finished the season with 2,105 yards. Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions became the third player to achieve this feat in 1997 when he rushed for 2,053 yards,
The most recent player to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season was Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, who did so in 2012 by rushing for 2,097 yards.

The Only Seven Men to Rush for 2,000 Yards in a Single Season

In the history of the NFL, only seven men have rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season. They are: O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Steven Jackson, and Chris Johnson. Of these seven men, Simpson, Dickerson, Sanders, and Davis are in the Hall of Fame.

Eric Dickerson

Eric Dickerson is a former NFL running back who played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Dickerson set several significant rushing records during his NFL career, including most rushing yards in a single season and most career rushing yards.

O.J. Simpson

Simpson was the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season when he ran for 2,003 yards in 1973. He accomplished the feat again in 1974, when he ran for a then-record 2,046 yards.

Barry Sanders

In 1997, Barry Sanders became just the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. It was an incredible achievement, and one that has only been matched by six other running backs in the years since.

Sanders’ feat is all the more impressive when you consider that he did it in just 16 games. In fact, of the seven players to reach 2,000 yards rushing in a season, Sanders is the only one to do it in fewer than 17 games.

The other six players to join Sanders in this elite group are Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Peyton Manning (yes, seriously), and Lamar Jackson.

Terrell Owens

In 2007, Terrell Owens became just the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. The other six players are Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and O.J. Simpson. Owens is the only player on this list who is not a running back. He is a wide receiver.

Jamal Lewis

Jamal Lewis was the last man to join the 2,000 yard club when he ran for 2,066 yards in 2003. He accomplished the feat in his fifth year in the league, which is impressive considering that only seven men have done it in NFL history.

Interestingly, all seven of the members of this club are running backs. This includes some of the greatest names in NFL history like Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, O.J. Simpson, and Barry Sanders.

It’s also worth noting that all seven members of this club accomplished their feat in different ways. Some (like Payton and Sanders) did it by averaging over 100 yards per game for the entire season. Others (like Lewis and Dickerson) did it by having a few huge games where they topped 200 yards rushing.

The common thread between all of them is that they were all able to put together an incredible season where they rushed for an unbelievable amount of yards.

Chris Johnson

In 2009, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans became just the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. He did so by carrying the ball 358 times for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.6 yards per carry along the way. He also caught 44 passes for another 503 yards and two more scores.

Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012, is one of only seven men to ever run for 2,000 or more yards in a single season. The other six men are O.J. Simpson (2,003 yards in 1973), Eric Dickerson (2,105 in 1984), Barry Sanders (2,053 in 1997), Terrell Davis (2,008 in 1998), Jamal Lewis (2,066 in 2003) and Chris Johnson (2,006 in 2009).

Conclusion

In conclusion, there have been a total of 43 different players who have rushed for at least 2000 yards in a single season in the NFL. Of those 43 players, only 3 have done it more than once and only 7 have done it in multiple seasons.