Who Has The Most Running Yards In The NFL?

Wondering who has the most running yards in the NFL? Check out our blog post to find out!

Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards. He played for the Dallas Cowboys for thirteen seasons and won three Super Bowls. Smith is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Drafted by Dallas Cowboys

Despite being one of the shortest running backs available in the 1990 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys took a chance on Emmitt Smith and it paid off. Smith went on to have one of the most decorated careers in NFL history, becoming the league’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards. He was also a three-time Super Bowl champion and was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVIII.

Rushing yards in a season

Emmitt Smith has the most rushing yards in a season with 1,773.

NFL career

Emmitt Smith played running back for the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. A three-time Super Bowl champion and the league’s all-time leading rusher, Smith is considered one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. He led the league in rushing four times during his career and set several other all-time NFL records.

Smith grew up in Pensacola, Florida, where he played high school football for Escambia High School. He then played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of a national championship team. After being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft, Smith had an immediate impact on the team’s offense, helping lead them to three Super Bowl victories during his time with the Cowboys. He also holds several records with the Cowboys, including most career rushing yards and most rushing touchdowns.

Following his release from the Cowboys after eleven seasons, Smith signed with the Cardinals where he played for four more seasons before retiring from professional football in 2004. Since his retirement, Smith has been active in a number of business ventures and remains an iconic figure within Dallas Cowboys culture.

Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders was one of the most elusive runners in NFL history. He was known for his quickness and ability to make people miss. Sanders was also a very good receiver out of the backfield. He retired as the third leading rusher in NFL history.

Drafted by Detroit Lions

In 1989, the Detroit Lions selected Sanders in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was the third overall pick. While playing for the Lions, Sanders became one of the most electrifying players in NFL history. In 1997, he was voted by fans as one of the league’s “100 Greatest Players of All Time”.

Rushing yards in a season

In 1997, Sanders had what was then the third-best rushing season in NFL history, gaining 2,053 yards. He broke several long-standing records, including those for most rushing yards in a game ( Sanders had 286 against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day) and most rushing yards in a single season.

NFL career

Sanders played college football for Oklahoma State University, where he earned consensus All-American honors and won the Heisman Trophy. He briefly held the NCAA record for most rushing yards in a single season. Sanders was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 1989 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Lions for ten seasons. During his NFL career, Sanders was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and amassed over 15,000 rushing yards. He retired from professional football after the 1998 season, and his number was retired by the Lions in 2017.

In 1999, Sanders signed a one-day contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in order to retire from the NFL as a member of that franchise.

Walter Payton

Walter Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards, attempts, and touchdowns. He is also the only player to have rushed for over 1,000 yards in 10 consecutive seasons. Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Drafted by Chicago Bears

In the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Payton out of Jackson State University. He became only the second player from an Historically Black College or University to be drafted in the first round, after Mel Blount.

Rushing yards in a season

In the National Football League (NFL), the record for the most rushing yards gained in a season is 2,105, set by Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The record has been broken eight times since it was first set in 1978, and Dickerson’s total of 2,105 rushing yards in a season has been topped six times. Seven players have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season; all seven did so in 14-game seasons. In a 16-game season, three players have rushed for over 2,000 yards: Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), and Jamal Lewis (2003). Lewis’ 2003 performance was notable as he achieved the second-highest single-season rushing total in NFL history with 2,066 yards, nine shy of Dickerson’s 1984 mark.

NFL career

Walter Payton was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he was mostly used as a punt returner, but he also rushed for 679 yards and seven touchdowns. In his second season, Payton became the Bears’ starting running back and rushed for 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was voted to his first Pro Bowl and was also named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press (AP).