**Official** Top Ten RBs of All Time Series (1 Viewer)

[GregR_2]

Voting closed. Vote for RB #8 here.

RB #1: Jim Brown 48.5% of the vote.

RB #2: Walter Payton 41.7% of the vote.

RB #3: Barry Sanders 70.6% of the vote.

RB #4: OJ Simpson 27.4% of the vote.

RB #5(tie): Marshall Faulk 25.2% of the vote.

RB #5(tie): Emmitt Smith 25.2% of the vote.

RB #7: Eric Dickerson 41.0% of the vote.

Time to settle who are the top 10 running backs of all time. The first poll is to vote for the #4 RB of all time. The second poll is to pick the player who didn't make the list of candidates this time but who should be included in the list for the next slot. Franco Harris was promoted based on the previous voting. Marion Motley and Bo Jackson were added to the list of candidates by request.

I've googled about 20 all time top ten lists and chose 14 of the players listed most often, and included Adrian Peterson as the active back I thought most likely to get votes somewhere in the top ten.

Career Stats

Player………… G RuAtt RuYd RuTD RuYd/A RuYd/G Rec RecYd RecTD Yd/Rec Rec/G ReYd/G YdScm YdScm/G TotalTD Fmb

Marcus Allen	222	3022	12243	123	4.1	55.1	587	5411	21	9.2	2.6	24.4	17654	79.5	144	65Jerome Bettis	192	3479	13662	91	3.9	71.2	200	1449	3	7.2	1	7.5	15111	78.7	94	41Earl Campbell	115	2187	9407	74	4.3	81.8	121	806	0	6.7	1.1	7	10213	88.8	74	43Terrell Davis	78	1655	7607	60	4.6	97.5	169	1280	5	7.6	2.2	16.4	8887	113.9	65	20Eric Dickerson	146	2996	13259	90	4.4	90.8	281	2137	6	7.6	1.9	14.6	15396	105.5	96	78Tony Dorsett	173	2936	12739	77	4.3	73.6	398	3554	13	8.9	2.3	20.5	16293	94.2	90	90Marshall Faulk	176	2836	12279	100	4.3	69.8	767	6875	36	9	4.4	39.1	19154	108.8	136	36Franco Harris	173	2949	12120	91	4.1	70.1	307	2287	9	7.4	1.8	13.2	14407	83.3	100	90Curtis Martin	168	3518	14101	90	4	83.9	484	3329	10	6.9	2.9	19.8	17430	103.8	100	29Adrian Peterson	61	1198	5782	52	4.8	94.8	119	1170	2	9.8	2	19.2	6952	114.0	54	21Gale Sayers	68	991	4956	39	5	72.9	112	1307	9	11.7	1.6	19.2	6263	92.1	48	34OJ Simpson	135	2404	11236	61	4.7	83.2	203	2142	14	10.6	1.5	15.9	13378	99.1	75	62Emmitt Smith	226	4409	18355	164	4.2	81.2	515	3224	11	6.3	2.3	14.3	21579	95.5	175	61Thurman Thomas	182	2877	12074	65	4.2	66.3	472	4458	23	9.4	2.6	24.5	16532	90.8	88	50L. Tomlinson	156	3099	13404	144	4.3	85.9	582	4323	15	7.4	3.7	27.7	17727	113.6	159	30

Awards and Career Rankings

ProBwl: Total Pro Bowl appearances

All Pro: Total 1st team All Pro only.

MVP: Total Associated Press MVP only.

OffYr: Total AP Offensive Player of the Year awards

Rest of categories are where they rank on the all time career list.

*: Player predates the creation of the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.

-: Player does not rank in Pro Football Reference's career list in that category.

Player………… AllPro ProBwl MVP OffYr RuYd RuYd/G RuTD YdScm RuReTD

Marcus Allen	2	6	1	1	12	92	3	7	6Jerome Bettis	2	6	0	0	5	33	10	18	22Earl Campbell	3	5	1	3	30	14	23	78	74Terrell Davis	3	3	1	2	46	4	40	119	99Eric Dickerson	5	6	0	2	7	6	12	14	21Tony Dorsett	1	4	0	0	8	27	20	10	28Marshall Faulk	3	7	1	3	10	36	7	4	7Franco Harris	1	9	0	0	13	35	10	23	19Curtis Martin	1	5	0	0	4	11	12	8	19Adrian Peterson	2	4	0	0	83	5	54	8	168Gale Sayers	5	4	0	*	118	30	107	-	-OJ Simpson	5	6	1	1	18	12	38	31	60Emmitt Smith	4	8	1	0	1	15	1	2	2Thurman Thomas	2	5	1	1	14	47	33	9	31L. Tomlinson	3	5	1	1	6	9	2	6	3

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I also grabbed some RBs who didn't make the list this time, but maybe should be included for voting of later slots. The second poll is to decide which one of these RBs gets promoted to the main list next time. If there is someone you think actually belongs in the top ten list who isn't in either list, please post them.

Player…………	G 	RuAtt 	RuYd 	RuTD 	RuYd/A 	RuYd/G 	Rec 	RecYd	RecTD 	Yd/Rec	Rec/G 	ReYd/G 	YdScm 	YdScm/G	TotalTD	Fmb

Shaun Alexander	123	2187	9453	100	4.3	76.9	215	1520	12	7.1	1.7	12.4	10973	89.2	112	31Larry Csonka	146	1891	8081	64	4.3	55.3	106	820	4	7.7	0.7	5.6	8901	61.0	68	21Priest Holmes	113	1780	8172	86	4.6	72.3	339	2962	8	8.7	3	26.2	11134	98.5	94	16Bo Jackson	38	515	2782	16	5.4	73.2	40	352	2	8.8	1.1	9.3	3134	82.5	18	11Edgerrin James	148	3028	12246	80	4	82.7	433	3364	11	7.8	2.9	22.7	15610	105.5	91	44Chris Johnson	47	925	4598	34	5	97.8	137	1008	4	7.4	2.9	21.4	5606	119.3	38	7Marion Motley	106	828	4720	31	5.7	44.5	85	1107	7	13	0.8	10.4	5827	55.0	38	9John Riggins	175	2916	11352	104	3.9	64.9	250	2090	12	8.4	1.4	11.9	13442	76.8	116	58Jim Taylor	132	1941	8597	83	4.4	65.1	225	1756	10	7.8	1.7	13.3	10353	78.4	93	34

Player…………	AllPro	ProBwl	MVP	OffYr	RuYd	RuYd/G	RuTD	YdScm	RuReTD

Shaun Alexander	1	3	1	1	29	20	7	62	13Larry Csonka	2	5	0	0	39	91	35	118	86Priest Holmes	3	3	0	1	38	31	14	60	22Bo Jackson	0	1	0	0	-	28	-	-	-Edgerrin James	1	4	0	0	11	13	18	13	25Chris Johnson	1	3	0	1	139	3	146	-	-Marion Motley	2	1	0	*	127	166	169	-	-John Riggins	1	1	0	0	16	53	6	29	12Jim Taylor	1	5	1	*	33	52	15	74	24

 

[GregR_2]

Should be one of the most argued spots in the top ten list. Have at it!

 

[sihaokills]

Faulk and Holmes baby

 

[Sultans]

Tomlinson. Faulk is a better fantasy back which is why he will garner more support than he should. If LT played with the greatest show on turf I don't think CJ would hold the yards from scrimmage record.

 

[PatsFanCT]

I went with Dickerson, but was tempted to go with Simpson. The whole murder thing wouldn't let me vote for him.

In reality, Simpson should be the hands down 4th, with Dickerson 5th.

 

[Manster]

Emmitt 4th. I went Bo for an add.

 

[geoff8695]

Faulk: Best all around weapon due to his amazing receiving ability, just edging out LT2 and Emmitt

 

[notdarkyet]

Juice.

 

[Daywalker]

First and goal at the 4yd line. Got to go with Juice. LT2 close.

 

[GregR_2]

Close one so far.

 

[The Moz]

1. Brown

2. Bary

3. Walter

4. OJ

5. Campbell

 

[jon_mx]

1. Brown 2. Bary3. Walter4. OJ5. Campbell

 

[spider321]

OJ's bust should be removed from the HOF and any reference to him should be stripped from football.

He doesn't deserve to breathe, much less receive votes here.

 

[De Novo]

Tomlinson. Faulk is a better fantasy back which is why he will garner more support than he should. If LT played with the greatest show on turf I don't think CJ would hold the yards from scrimmage record.

Completely agree. I would ignore the advice or opinion of anyone who votes for Faulk (same goes for Marcus Allen). He was exciting and a fantasy stud, but so much of what he did was system-based.I voted for OJ. I despise him as a human being but this is about the best RBs of all time, with no mention of character. If there was, Jim Brown doesn't deserve to be in the top 10 either. And, Walter Payton would be #1 in a landslide.If I let my conscience get in the way, LT would have been my vote.

 

[jon_mx]

Billy Sims was better than most the guys on the list. In my book, a top 10 running back, but with a shorten career many disagree. Turned a crappy team into a contender. Few RB's carry a team the way Sims did.

 

[Gawain]

What's interesting is that if you put Smith in head to head polls with the 4 or 5 guys closest to him in the poll, he would win one of those matches, if he was lucky. Here, the vote is getting split. If Emmitt doesn't win this one, I don't see him winning the next two or three.

 

[Gnomercy]

Simpson and Bo

 

[Lash]

can already see that Campbell is gonna be woefully underrated

 

[jon_mx]

can already see that Campbell is gonna be woefully underrated

Easily the guy who put more pain on the
. The guy was a monster with great balance and elusive. He could run over the LB then out run the DB.

 

[geoff8695]

Tomlinson. Faulk is a better fantasy back which is why he will garner more support than he should. If LT played with the greatest show on turf I don't think CJ would hold the yards from scrimmage record.

Completely agree. I would ignore the advice or opinion of anyone who votes for Faulk (same goes for Marcus Allen). He was exciting and a fantasy stud, but so much of what he did was system-based.I voted for OJ. I despise him as a human being but this is about the best RBs of all time, with no mention of character. If there was, Jim Brown doesn't deserve to be in the top 10 either. And, Walter Payton would be #1 in a landslide.

If I let my conscience get in the way, LT would have been my vote.

Marshall was more dangerous catching the football than most WRs, and has the most receiving TDs of ANY RB in these GOAT discussions. OJ was a better "runner" as evidenced by yards per carry, but there is no RB in the history of the NFL who's a bigger dual threat than Faulk. Perhaps he just made it look too easy, the way he changed directions and exploded out of cuts leaving would be tacklers grasping air, but Faulk's elusiveness was almost as good as Barry's, and his combination of moves, speed, and receiving ability surpasses any other RB in NFL history IMO.The only thing you could possibly say negatively about him, was that he didn't possess the pure power of Payton, Emmitt, and a few other RBs being discussed here, yet he had a nose for the endzone and could go under, over, around, or through the pile in tight spaces as well or better than almost anyone being debated here. In fact, I would sooner give Faulk the call from fourth and goal than OJ. After all, Faulk's 136 total TDs are significantly higher than OJ's 75 career TDs, and he averaged more rushing TDs/game than 'Juice' as well.

While I don't have any problems with votes for OJ, LT2, or Emmitt, suggesting that Faulk doesn't deserve to be in the discussion for top 4 NFL RB of all time is far more worthy of ignoring your "advice or opinion" than the other way around...

 

[matuski]

OJ's bust should be removed from the HOF and any reference to him should be stripped from football.He doesn't deserve to breathe, much less receive votes here.

And yet he is the best Rb left on the list. He was a bad man on the field too.

 

[jon_mx]

No one thinks Billy Sims does not deserve to be on the top list? First two years in the league rushed for 2740 yards, scored 31 TDs, added another 1072 yards in receiving all for a pretty bad Lion team. Next to Chris Johnnson, the best first two years by a RB in history even with missing two games. Turf Toe and knee injuries hinder the rest of his career.

 

[johnadams]

can already see that Campbell is gonna be woefully underrated

 

[PatsFanCT]

No one thinks Billy Sims does not deserve to be on the top list? First two years in the league rushed for 2740 yards, scored 31 TDs, added another 1072 yards in receiving all for a pretty bad Lion team. Next to Chris Johnnson, the best first two years by a RB in history even with missing two games. Turf Toe and knee injuries hinder the rest of his career.

I loved Billy Sims. The first Heisman championship I remember as a kid. He's the first NCAA player I ever remembered idolizing as a kid, and the original #20 in Detroit.Unfortunately, his career also ended way early. If he was on a more popular team, he could have definitely been in the top 5. Especially if he could have have finished out his career.

 

[gandalas]

OJ, Priest.

Not really sure who on the second list deserves it most...if we were going by best at their prime, it would be Bo for sure.

 

[Go Blue]

I went with Dickerson, but was tempted to go with Simpson. The whole murder thing wouldn't let me vote for him.

In reality, Simpson should be the hands down 4th, with Dickerson 5th.

I'm not ready to say hands down, but I do believe Simpson is #4.

He was just amazing. Just like with Payton and Sanders, he did what he did on some VERY poor teams. He carried those teams on his back. I know the offensive philosophy was different back then, but his Qb's completion percentage ranged from 45% to 52% almost every year he played.

In 1973 when he rushed for 2003 yards, his Qb's Joe Ferguson and Dennis Shaw passed for a combined 1239 yards all year. That is not a typo. I know they didn't pass as much back then, but come on. 1200 yards in an entire season. OMG........ You can't tell me the defense didn't know who was getting the ball. The man still rushed for over 2000 yards. That is special in my mind.

I would assume we have all benchmarks for great RB's. One of mine is yards per carry. If I'm going to call a RB great, I want to see it above 4.5 yards per carry for a career. Too many people voting aren't looking at actually running ability. "Juice" averaged 4.7 yards everytime he carried the rock. I understand the love for Dickerson and Campbell, but I'm not getting all the love for Emmitt Smith this high on the list. A great RB should have been well above his 4.2 yards per carry for a career considering the teams around him. Sanders and Simpson spent almost their entire careers playing on bad teams and being the focal point of the defense and they both averaged over 4.5 for a career. That's why I call them great and I call Smith very good.

 

[jon_mx]

No one thinks Billy Sims does not deserve to be on the top list? First two years in the league rushed for 2740 yards, scored 31 TDs, added another 1072 yards in receiving all for a pretty bad Lion team. Next to Chris Johnnson, the best first two years by a RB in history even with missing two games. Turf Toe and knee injuries hinder the rest of his career.

I loved Billy Sims. The first Heisman championship I remember as a kid. He's the first NCAA player I ever remembered idolizing as a kid, and the original #20 in Detroit.Unfortunately, his career also ended way early. If he was on a more popular team, he could have definitely been in the top 5. Especially if he could have have finished out his career.

He has more career yards than several people on the list, nearly twice as much as Bo Jackson.

 

[jon_mx]

No one thinks Billy Sims does not deserve to be on the top list? First two years in the league rushed for 2740 yards, scored 31 TDs, added another 1072 yards in receiving all for a pretty bad Lion team. Next to Chris Johnnson, the best first two years by a RB in history even with missing two games. Turf Toe and knee injuries hinder the rest of his career.

I loved Billy Sims. The first Heisman championship I remember as a kid. He's the first NCAA player I ever remembered idolizing as a kid, and the original #20 in Detroit.Unfortunately, his career also ended way early. If he was on a more popular team, he could have definitely been in the top 5. Especially if he could have have finished out his career.

He has more career yards than several people on the list, nearly twice as much as Bo Jackson. BTW, HOFer Lem Barney wore 20 for Detroit.

 

[Shane Falco]

I really like Dickerson and Campbell as the next 2 here. Followed by LT, Faulk and OJ

 

[Zoomanji]

After seeing footage of Marion Motley last night, I have to believe he was Bo Jackson before there was a Bo jackson. Dude was a monster.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Toss up between Dickerson, Smith and Faulk. I'll go with Emmitt over Dickerson based on longevity. Did you know he's one of only three players with three 1,000 yard seasons during his 30s?

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=total&year_min=1920&year_max=2010&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=30&age_max=39&draft_round_min=0&draft_round_max=99&league_id=&team_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_qb=Y&pos_is_rb=Y&pos_is_wr=Y&pos_is_te=Y&pos_is_rec=Y&pos_is_t=Y&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_ol=Y&pos_is_dt=Y&pos_is_de=Y&pos_is_dl=Y&pos_is_ilb=Y&pos_is_olb=Y&pos_is_lb=Y&pos_is_cb=Y&pos_is_s=Y&pos_is_db=Y&pos_is_k=Y&pos_is_p=Y&c1stat=rush_yds&c1comp=gt&c1val=1000&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pass_td

And they came during the Gailey/Campo years, all without Irvin and with a bit of Aikman and Quincy Carter. Those teams had an average record of 6-10. And this was after Smith had handled more carries through age 29 -- by well over 200 -- than any running back ever: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=1960&year_max=2010&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=29&league_id=&team_id=&opp_id=&game_type=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&game_day_of_week=&game_location=&game_result=&is_active=&is_hof=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=rush_att

Hard to really ignore that sort of durability and production. To be that useful on a bad team at that age says something, especially when combined with the insane highs he reached (Smith led the league in rushing yards four times, rushing touchdowns three times, yards from scrimmage twice and yards per carry once).

 

[Gawain]

The most votes OJ got for any other spot so far was 3. Now, it looks like he's going to be the #4 RB.

 

[rzrback77]

OJ for me was the 4th best, but I can see why some would not vote for him. I am disregarding his off field and vote him as 4th best.

 

[GregR_2]

Alright, this has been open a week and there aren't many new votes being added each day so time to move on. Really close vote. I'm surprised that OJ won, I'd have thought he'd have finished behind 3-4 other backs for this slot. Just goes to show how varied opinions are on #4.

Here's the link to voting for #5: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=603159