Working backs make up a number of the most beloved gamers in NFL historical past.
Many greats have performed the place over time, loads of whom have remained loyal to 1 franchise for the overwhelming majority of their careers.
Yards per carry and complete dashing yards are in fact necessary, however to go down as one of many best operating backs a participant needed to constantly gentle up video games and do the seemingly not possible.
There are a lot of corridor of famers lacking from this record, honourable mentions should go to Gale Sayers, Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson, O.J. Simpson and Adrian Peterson.
There are many others, however DAZN appears at 5 of the best operating backs to ever play the game.
Barry Sanders (1989-1998)
Barry Sanders is broadly considered the very best participant to by no means play in a Tremendous Bowl.
In 1997, Sanders was named NFL MVP after totalling 2,053 yards on the bottom and one other 305 as a receiver.
That season is one in every of solely eight the place a operating again has topped 2,000 yards, with Sanders’ tally coming fourth for a single-season complete.
In complete the corridor of famer notched up 15,269 yards on the bottom, 2,921 by way of the air and 109 touchdowns.
Sanders’ common of 5 yards per carry is second amongst all operating backs with over 10,000 yards of their profession, behind a Cleveland Brown legend.
Jim Brown (1957-1965)
That legend is Jim Brown, arguably probably the most proficient operating again of all time.
Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry throughout his 9 seasons within the NFL the place he was named within the Professional Bowl in each marketing campaign.
The corridor of famer performed in an period the place defences have been designed particularly to cease the run sport, however that didn’t cease Brown main the NFL in dashing yards in eight of his 9 seasons.
Brown stays the one participant in NFL historical past to common over 100 dashing yards per sport, a staggering statistic contemplating he performed 118 video games.
Brown’s Cleveland facet additionally received the 1964 NFL Championship, yet one more sport the place he topped 100 yards.
Walter Payton (1975-1987)
Second on the all-time record of dashing yards is Walter Payton, who spent his complete profession with the Chicago Bears.
Payton, nicknamed ‘Sweetness’, rushed for a complete of 16,726 yards throughout his 12 seasons, a determine which led the all-time NFL record for 20 years.
The nine-time Professional Bowler was a part of the Bears workforce which received Tremendous Bowl XX, a convincing 46-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Payton was not solely dominant on the bottom, he additionally added 4,538 yards by way of the air to place him third within the NFL’s all-time yards from scrimmage.
‘Sweetness’ handed away far too younger on the age of 49 after contracting a uncommon liver illness known as major sclerosing cholangitis, however he’ll all the time be remembered as one of many greats of the place.
LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-2011)
LaDainian Tomlinson spent all however two of his seasons within the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, earlier than ending his profession with the New York Yets.
Regardless of the Chargers franchise being usually unsuccessful throughout his profession, individually Tomlinson had probably the most profitable careers of any operating again.
‘L.T.’, as he’s generally referred to, ranks seventh in all-time dashing yards and is one in every of solely 5 operating backs with over 100 receptions in a single season – in addition to 2022 Chargers again Austin Ekeler.
Tomlinson’s greatest season got here in 2006 the place he was named NFL MVP, throughout which he set the NFL’s single season data for dashing touchdowns scored (28) and complete touchdowns scored (31).
‘L.T.’ was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2017, and completed his profession with 13,684 dashing yards and 18,456 complete yards from scrimmage – sixth of all time.
Emmitt Smith (1990-2004)
Final up on this record is former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith, who’s the one operating again to cross Payton’s dashing complete and in consequence tops the all-time dashing yards desk with 18,355.
Smith’s 21,579 complete yards from scrimmage places him second of all time behind three-time Tremendous Bowl profitable large receiver Jerry Rice.
Smith’s 164 dashing landing additionally stays the all-time NFL file, as he helped the Dallas Cowboys to 3 Tremendous Bowls in 1993, 1994 and 1996.
His elite manufacturing and success within the Tremendous Bowl makes him a number one candidate within the best operating again of all time dialog.
In his fifteenth and closing season within the NFL, Smith nonetheless ran for 937 yards, the very same complete as in his rookie season.
DAZN will ship the NFL Sport Cross Worldwide service from the 2023 season internationally (besides the U.S. and China), discover out extra right here.
