Before the current pass-happy era of the NFL, there was once a time where running backs were almost as revered and valued as quarterbacks. In the old days, things were much more about “ground and pound” football, and having an elite running back could change the trajectory of a franchise almost as much as a quarterback could. That’s why, when we look back at the list of the greatest running backs of all time, so many of these names are so familiar to football fans. Here’s our list of the greatest running backs in NFL history:
25. Roger Craig
Roger Craig belongs on this list because of one fact: there’s only one other player in the history of the league (who also happens to be on this list) who can join Craig in laying claim to being the greatest “dual-threat” running back (rushing and receiving) of all time. Craig was the first running back in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season; that feat has only been accomplished one other time since 1985, when he did it.
Craig also broke 2,000 combined yards two separate times during his career, and is currently 15th in all-time combined rushing and receiving yards in NFL history. The fact that he, one of the most dynamic players of the 1980’s and invaluable piece of the great San Francisco 49ers’ teams of that era, has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame, is a travesty that can’t be excused.
Seasons Played: 11
Pro Bowl Selections: 3x selection
Hall of Fame: Not Inducted
24. Joe Perry
Fletcher Joseph Perry, known to most “Generation X” fans of the NFL as Joe “The Jet” Perry, was the first player in the NFL to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, and retired in 1963 as the player with the most rushing yards in league history to date. During his thirteen seasons playing for the San Francisco 49ers, he was named to the Pro Bowl three times, and named league MVP in 1954.
Perry’s stardom also carried some level of cultural significance, as he was the first African-American to be named the NFL’s MVP, and is considered to be of the NFL’s first African American “stars” overall. And to this day, almost 50 years later, he still ranks among the top 35 players all time in rushing yards.
Seasons Played: 16
Pro Bowl Selections: 3x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1969
23. Jim Taylor
Among a who’s-who of Hall of Famers that played for the Green Bay Packers of the 1960, who were coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi, Jim Taylor was easily one of the most important players to the team’s perennial success. Between 1960 and 1964, Taylor ran for 1,0000 yards in each of those five seasons, and had a combine 66 rushing touchdowns in that span — leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons in 1961 and 1962.
Running behind Hall of Fame linemen Forest Gregg and Ray Nitschke, Taylor running the football when Green Bay would run the famous “Packers’ sweep” was one of the most iconic plays of the 1960’s. His 81 rushing touchdowns for the Packers remains a franchise record by a wide margin, and he remains 2nd all time in rushing yards in Packers’ franchise history.
Seasons Played: 10
Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1976
22. John Riggins
Arguably the team’s most beloved player among the fan base of the Washington Redskins, John Riggins was the workhorse running back for Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs and the Redskins teams that would go to the Super Bowl in both 1982 and 1983. During the 1982-1983 postseason, Riggins demanded that Gibbs put the offense on Riggins back, and Gibbs obliged; Riggins carried the ball 136 times in 4 playoff games, including 38 carries for a Super Bowl record 166 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XVII. Riggins was named the MVP of said Super Bowl.
The following season, Riggins would go on to set the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a season, running for 24 touchdowns on a Redskins offense that would set the record for the most points scored by an offense in a single season. To this day, Riggins’ 11,352 rushing yards keeps him among the top 20 running backs of all time (in rushing yards.
Seasons Played: 14
Pro Bowl Selections: 1x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1992
21. Franco Harris
Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Chuck Noll had the foresight to see that Franco Harris was much more to offer than simply being a lead blocker, as he was for much of his career at Penn State University. From the moment he arrived in Steeltown, Harris became an integral part of the Steelers’ prolific offense, winning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 1972, and running for more than 1,000 yards in six straight seasons from 1974 onwards.
Harris was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX, after carrying the ball 34 times for 158 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. His Super Bowl career totals of 101 carries for 354 yards are records and his four career rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most in Super Bowl history. To this day, he’s still ranked among the 15 running backs with the most career rushing yards.
Seasons Played: 11
Pro Bowl Selections: 9x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1990
20. Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell will forever be regarded as one of the most physical and hard-charging backs we’ve seen in NFL history. The two-time All-American at the University of Texas became the #1 overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, and led the NFL in rushing his first three seasons in the league. In said first three seasons, he amassed 45 rushing touchdowns, while running for 1,450 yards each of those three seasons.
But because of the violence he ran with, people accused Campbell of being washed up at only 28 years old, which is why the Oilers eventually traded him to to the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the final two years of his NFL career, before retiring as a result of the pounding he had taken on his body.Still, despite playing less than a decade in the NFL, Campbell still remains among the top 40 running backs in rushing yards in NFL history.
Seasons Played: 8
Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1991
19. Larry Csonka
There was a moment in Larry Csonka’s rookie year where he almost gave up professional football entirely, due to a string of injuries and inconsistent play. But when the great Don Shula tweaked Csonka’s running style, Csonka never missed a game from then on, leading his Miami Dolphins in rushing the next five seasons. Between 1971 and 1973, he ran for more than 1,000 yards each season, and was the engine that powered the Dolphins offense during the three straight seasons they made it to the Super Bowl (1971 through 1973).
Over his 11-year NFL career, Csonka carried the ball 1,891 times for 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns. He also caught 106 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. He was among the NFL’s top 10 ranked players in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns five times, total touchdowns three times and yards from the line of scrimmage once.
Seasons Played: 11
Pro Bowl Selections: 5x selection
Hall of Fame: Class of 1987