Top 5 NFL Running Backs in History
Here is our top 5 running backs in the history of the National Football League, and the players listed here were chosen due to their ability to be quite elusive
It’s time for our countdown of the top five running backs in the history of the National Football League,
and the players listed here were chosen due to their ability to be quite elusive while also carrying a high level of consistency throughout their careers. Let’s start with number five.
Bo Jackson: Some say he was indeed the second coming of the great Jim Brown (higher on the list) but with a little more speed power. He could have been a statistical leader, but unfortunately for his personal numbers with the Raiders, he never managed to play a full season in four years with Oakland, playing 10 games or less every year.
Emmitt Smith: He played for 15 seasons, and made it to the Pro Bowl four times. A very balanced and agile player, Smith is the current leading rusher in the history of pro football with 18,355 yards under his arm. He is also remembered for a particular game in which he rushed for 168 yards and managed to catch an outstanding ten passes, all while injured of a shoulder.
Walter Payton: Another player with a long career (13 seasons), he accumulated an amazing 16,726 yards (second to Smith), scored 110 touchdowns and made it to the Pro Bowl 9 times. He was nicknamed “Sweetness” due to his smooth moves on the field. A curious thing about Payton is that he carried the ball exactly the opposite as how coaches tell their players to do so, and such ability to do that is probably the reason why he always performed above expectations.
Barry Sanders: Third in yardage with 15,269, he was considered the most elusive running back of his time. Barry was really hard to stop and a true nightmare for rival defenders. Sanders could have had better statistics if not for his early retirement after ten years playing for the Detroit Lions. He surprised everybody when he sent a letter to the Wichita Eagle, the newspaper of his hometown, announcing his departure in 1998 while still at his prime.
Jim Brown: Those not familiar with football history know him as an actor, but amongst those with a passion for the sport, Brown is a true legend. During his 9-year career with Cleveland, he managed to come up with 12,312 yards and 126 touchdowns (106 rushing, 20 receiving), and except for 1962, he always led the league in rushing, averaging 100 yards per game.
