Who Is The Best Running Back In Nfl History?

This is a question that has been debated for years and will continue to be debated for years to come. Who is the best running back in NFL history?

Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. He played fifteen seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Smith is the only running back to have won a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.

Smith’s NFL records

In addition to being the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith holds several other NFL records. He is the only running back to have ever won four Super Bowls, and he did it with two different teams: the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. He is also the only player in NFL history to have rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons.

Smith’s records aren’t just limited to rushing. He is also the all-time leader in touchdowns scored with 164 (including playoffs). In addition, he is the only player in NFL history with more than 200 career touchdowns (rushing and receiving). And, perhaps most impressively, he is the only player in NFL history to have rushed for more than 10,000 yards and catch more than 500 passes.

Smith’s impact on the game

Emmitt Smith is considered by many to be the best running back in NFL history. He played for the Dallas Cowboys for 15 seasons, during which time he set numerous records, including most career rushing yards and most career rushing touchdowns. He was also a three-time Super Bowl champion and was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVIII.

After retirement, Smith worked as an analyst for ESPN and NFL Network. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Jim Brown

Brown’s NFL records

At the time of his retirement, Brown held or shared 17 NFL records. He still holds the NFL records for most rushing attempts in a career (2,359), most rushing yards in a season (1,863) and most seasons leading the league in rushing (eight). He is also second on the career rushing list behind only Emmitt Smith.

Brown led the league in rushing nine times, including eight consecutive seasons from 1957 to 1964. He is the only player in NFL history to average over 100 yards per game for his career (104.3). In 2002, The Sporting News named Brown the greatest professional football player of all time.

Brown’s impact on the game

Jim Brown is considered by many to be the best running back in NFL history. In his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he led the league in rushing eight times and was a three-time MVP. He was a six-time first-team All-Pro and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Brown was a dominant force on the field, running with power and speed that was unmatched at the time. He was also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and was a threat to score anytime he touched the ball. His impact on the game was clear, as he changed the way running backs were used and how defenses had to gameplan against them.

Barry Sanders

In my opinion, Barry Sanders is the best running back in NFL history. He was drafted 3rd overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played his entire career with the Lions, from 1989 to 1998. In his 10 seasons with the Lions, Sanders rushed for over 1,000 yards in all but one of them. He was a 6-time Pro Bowler, a 4-time First-team All-Pro, and a 2-time Second-team All-Pro. He was also the NFL MVP in 1997.

Sanders’ NFL records

Barry Sanders is widely considered one of the best running backs in NFL history. He retired as the Lions’ all-time leading rusher with 15,269 yards, and his 99 rushing touchdowns are also a franchise record. His career average of 5.0 yards per carry is the best in NFL history (min. 1,000 attempts), and he’s one of only seven players to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 10 or more seasons.

Sanders’ impact on the game

Barry Sanders is considered by many to be the best running back in NFL history. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, a 6-time First Team All-Pro, and the 1988 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. In 1997, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

During his career, Sanders had several signature moves that made him virtually impossible to tackle. He was famous for his quick cuts and jukes, which caused many defenders to miss tackles or end up on the ground. He was also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and was known for his patience when waiting for holes to open up.

Sanders retired from the NFL in 1999 after 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions. At the time of his retirement, he was just 1,457 yards shy of Walter Payton’s all-time rushing record. Many believe that if Sanders had played another season or two, he would have easily surpassed Payton’s record.

Walter Payton

Payton’s NFL records

At the time of his retirement, Payton held numerous NFL rushing records. He retired as the league’s all-time leading rusher after eclipsing Jim Brown’s record during the 1984 season. Payton was also the only running back to lead the league in rushing three times (1976, 1977, 1980). His total of 16,726 career rushing yards stood as an NFL record until 2002, when it was broken by Emmitt Smith. His 110 career rushing touchdowns remained an NFL record until 2006, when it was surpassed by LaDainian Tomlinson.

Payton’s impact on the game

Walter Payton was one of the most prolific running backs in NFL history. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1987, and was a 9-time Pro Bowler. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Payton was known for his incredible skill and determination on the field. He set numerous records during his career, including most rushing yards in a season (2,034 in 1977), most rushing touchdowns in a season (21 in 1979), and most career rushing yards (16,726). He was also an accomplished receiver, finishing his career with 3,838 receiving yards.

Payton’s impact on the game went beyond his statistical achievements. He was a true pioneer, as he was one of the first running backs to successfully implement the “stiff arm” move. He was also one of the first running backs to be used extensively as a receiver out of the backfield. His versatile skill set changed the way running backs were utilized, and he paved the way for future generations of players at his position.

Eric Dickerson

Dickerson was drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He had an immediate impact in his rookie season by setting an NFL rookie record for most rushing yards in a season. Dickerson continued his stellar play throughout his career. He was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1986 and was selected to six Pro Bowls. Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dickerson’s NFL records

In 2016, the NFL named Dickerson as one of the most important running backs in history. He currently holds several NFL records, including:

-Most rushing yards in a season (2,105)
-Most rushing yards in a game (248)
-Most rushing yards in a career (13,259)

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dickerson’s impact on the game

Eric Dickerson had a profound impact on the game of football. He was one of the first running backs to truly use his speed and agility to elude defenders, rather than trying to run them over. This shift in style opened up the game for other players with similar skill sets, and Dickerson is largely credited with popularizing the “juke move.”

Dickerson was also an exceptionally durable player, missing just four games in his 11-year career. This reliability allowed him to rack up an impressive total of 13,259 yards, which was a record at the time of his retirement. He also held the single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards, a feat he accomplished in 1984.

In 1999, Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, solidifying his status as one of the greatest players in NFL history.