So any top ten lists are going to inherently include the bias of the author. As it relates to running backs are you a power guy, or a speed guy? Short burst of brilliance or do you reward longevity? Where do you put guys like Jim Thorpe or Bo Jackson who helped define their era but don’t measure up statistically? In short there are a lot of different ways in which one could go. So I cheated. In a top five list you essentially end up arguing which statistical measure is the most important. In a top ten there is a little more room for deviation from the standard stats.
Yards per game and yards per carry can support your argument for Jim Brown while total yards and touchdowns lend credence to Emmitt Smith. Popular sentiment to the contrary Barry Sanders is third when you look at a broad cross section of rushing statistics, which of course, is where Sanders’ fans jump in with how terrible his team was. So here's my completely unbiased list.
10 Adrian Peterson. Ah potential, every few years some young stud comes in with the potential to rewrite the record book, feed the hungry, and solve the problem of repeatable cold fusion. A glimpse to the future, Peterson is simply the latest, in fairness he is currently fourth all-time in yards per carry and he does have as many rushing titles as Walter Payton (1).
9 Bo Jackson. Perhaps the most talented athlete ever, Bo Jackson is a perfect example of why Mr. Peterson is unlikely to end up at number one. Of a hundred guys who could be in the top ten something usually goes wrong with 90 of them. Amazingly talented in two sports Bo never quite reached his potential when some idiot on the Bengals basically ended two hall of fame careers.
8 Marion Motley. If Peterson is wink to the future, Motley is a nod to the past. Called the Jackie Robinson of football, Motley was also a damned fine running back. One rushing title and the all-time top yards per carry among running backs solidify Motley’s place in history.
7 LaDanian Tomlinson. Easy to lose in the shuffle Tomlinson is second all-time in touchdowns, and also appears in the top eight all-time in yards and yards per game measures of both longevity and talent.
6 Eric Dickerson. Caught between the likes of OJ and Payton who shown brightest before and Emmitt and Barry who came after Dickerson is often left off of top five lists. Dickerson is fifth in yards per game, sixth in yards, and he won four rushing titles in his prime. If you are going to haggle over “the best,” rushing titles demonstrate that you were at least the best during you prime.
5 Walter Payton. Payton is the only back above Dickerson on my list who didn’t win at least four rushing titles (1). A workhorse who mostly played on mediocre teams, Payton is fourth all-time in touchdowns and second in career yards.
4 OJ Simpson. Forget all of the ridiculous drama for a second, OK are you ready…Orenthal James Simpson was a really, really good running back. Perhaps the greatest five-year stretch in NFL history from 1972 through 1976 OJ won an MVP award, was a five time first team all-pro, five time pro bowler, ran for an eye popping 7,699 yards, won four rushing titles, and averaged 5.1 yards every time he ran the ball. OK and he’s a lunatic alleged murderer.
3 Barry Sanders. I say he’s third, write your own damned list and put him at number one. Sanders finished his career second in yards per game and third in yards. Sanders also finished in the top 10 in touchdowns and won four rushing titles running head to head against Emmitt Smith.
2 Emmitt Smith. See above. Every football fan of my generation will debate who was better but the more you look at the numbers of these two the less impressive the numbers of anyone else tend to look. Smith is first all-time in yards, touchdowns, and won four rushing titles. Then why not number one?
1 Jim Brown. Here is where you need to put career statistics aside. Jim Brown played just nine seasons, won eight rushing titles, and never missed a game. Interestingly enough if you project Brown’s 104.3 yards per game over eleven 16-game NFL seasons you would 18,356 yards, one more than Emmitt Smith.
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