10 Greatest Players of the Modern Era - Running Backs - #1

This is an excellent piece by a very good writer I have been following since 2006. I that this was the time bring to the yard, MaddHatter, from FootballsFuture.com. Any person of any any or level of football will enjoy MaddHatter's work. So I now would like to introduce to the YARD, a piece from MaddHatter at footballs future. After posting my previous "Your Franchise's 5 Greatest Players in the HOF" I got to thinking and figured I'd do something similar, switching it up and including every player of the Modern Era and doing it by position, starting with Running Backs. So without further ado, let's get started. The 10 Greatest Running Backs of the Modern Era Honorable Mentions: Gale Sayers (7 years) 4,956 Rushing Yards (5.0ypc) with 39 Rushing TDs 1,307 Receiving Yards with 9 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=oJErOR6XCr4 A greater talent we may never see - he was truly a dynamic and impact player, despite his short career. In his first ever pro game, he returned a punt 77 yards for a TD, a kick off for 93 yards and a TD and threw a 25-yard TD pass. Perhaps his most infamous game, however, was the "Mud-Bowl" against the 49ers in which he scored a record 6 TDs including an 80-yard reception, 50-yard rush, and a 65-yard punt return. He finished his rookie seasons with 22 Touchdowns, a then-rookie record. He had great seasons from 65-68 when in the 9th game of the season he suffered a season-ending knee injury. After nearly 6 months of rehabilitation, he returned in 69 to rush for another 1,000 yard season. If not for numerous injuries throughout his career, he may have gone down as one of the greatest runners to ever play the game. On top of his 4,956 yards rushing, he also had 3,172 return yards and scored 336 poitns. He won All-NFL honors 5 consecutive years and played in 4 Pro Bowls. Bo Jackson (4 Years) 2,782 Rushing Yards (5.4ypc) with 16 Rushing TDs 352 Receiving Yards + 2 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=EjO_QfFYV78 An athlete in every sense of the word, he was the first overall pick in '86 by the Tampa Bay Bucs but chose Baseball over Football. He was then re-drafted in the 7th round of the '87 Draft and was paid like a starting running back despite playing only part-time during the baseball season which typically lasted well into the end of September. In his rookie season, in just 7 games, he carried the ball 81 times for 554 yards while playing behind a HOF'er named Marcus Allen. On a Monday Night game against the Seahawks, he set a MNF record by rushing for 221 yards including a 91-yard sprint down the sideline in which he went untouched. In 1991, Jackson's career took a serious detour when he suffered a hip injury against the Bengals. After being tackled and having his hip knocked out of it's socket, he "allegedly" popped his hip back into place while laying on the ground in agonizing pain. Ultimately, his hip had to be replaced, ending his pro football career, but he did return to play baseball for several more years. Bo is the first player to ever be named an "All-Star" in 2 professional sports. Marcus Allen (16 years) 12,243 Rushing Yards (4.1ypc) with 123 Rushing TDs 5,411 Receiving Yards with 21 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=dj3fm8lxBf4&feature=related The first player to ever gain 10,000 rushing yards along with 5,000 receiving yards, Allen was one of greatest Goalline and Short Yardage RB's despite being 6'2 and 210lbs, he was also extremely athletic. Despite only ever rushing for over 1,000 yards 3 times in his career, he was one of the most consistent Rushers averaging 4.1 yards per carry over 16 years. He often saw limited carries and had to overcome a rash of injuries throughout time, but retired with the single-season record for most rushing & receiving yards combined (2,314), second in consectuive 100-yard games, and was third in career-combined yardage. He ended his career much like he began it - with top accolades - going from Rookie of the Year to the All-time Rushing TD leader. He was clutch in the biggest games, including SB XVIII when he rushed for 191 yards and 2 TDs including a SB record 74-yard rush. In 15 playoff games, he carried the ball 267 times for 1,347 yards (5.0ypc) and 11 TDs while catching 52 receptions for 522 yards and 2TDs. Perhaps his finest year was in 1985, when he gained 1,759 yards on only 380 carries fora 4.6ypc average and caught 67passes for an addtional 555yards. Thurman Thomas (13 years) 12,074 Rushing Yards (4.2) with 65 Rushing TDs 4,458 Receiving Yards with 23 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kb4eidNTAf0 After slipping to the 2nd round in the 88 draft due to injury concerns, he joined Robb Riddick his rookie season, and despite sharing carries he still compiled 881 yards on 207 carries - good for a 4.3ypc average - an average he would maintain for a majority of his career despite playing behind less-than-great offensive lines. He came back in '89 with an even more impressive season, starting the first of an 8-season run with 1,000+ yards rushing joining an elite group of 4 running backs to do the same. In that time period he went to 5 consecutive Pro Bowls and was named the NFL's MVP after gaining 2,000 all-purpose yards in 1991 and then repeated the feat in 1992. He is one of only 6 players to have 60 TDs rushing with another 20 TDs receiving and is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage for 4 consecutive years. Jerome Bettis (12 years) 13,662 Rushing Yards (3.9ypc) with 91 Rushing TDs 1,449 Receiving Yards with 3 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=P308JIRq42Y At 5'11 and 255lbs, Bettis is often considered to be one of the best "Big Boy" Running Backs in the NFL in large part to having incredible footwork coupled with devastating power. Despite being primarily used as a short-yardage and goalline back, he still retired 5th on the NFL's all-time rushing list and maintained a 3.9ypc average through 12 years of service. Right out of College, he made an immediate impact gaining 1,429 yards on his way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and garnering the nickname "The Battering Ram." When the LA Rams moved to St. Louis in 95 and Rich Brooks took over, implementing a high-flying passing game, he was traded to Pittsburgh as a part of the 96 draft. In his first 6 seasons with the Steeelrs, he gained over 1,000 yards each time including 3 seasons with over 1,300 yards and a career best 1,665 yarsd in 15 games. Starting in 2001, injuries began to take their toll on the bruiser and limited his action in both '01 and '02 leading him to being moved to a backup role in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 he was used purely as a full-time short yardage / goalline running back. In 2004, in what would lead to be a Super Bowl Championship season, Bettis compiled perhaps the most bizarre single game state line ever. In 5 carries, he gained 1 yard (.2ypc average) but scored 18 poitns with 3 TDs. Tony Dorsett (12 years) 12,739 Rushing Yards (4.3ypc) with 77 Rushing TDs 3,554 Receiving Yards with 13 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=2iaz4Oyave0 Lenny Moore (12 years) 5,174 Rushing Yards (4.8ypc) with 63 Rushing TDs 6,039 Receiving Yards with 48 Receiving TDs Franco Harris (13 years) 12,120 Rushing Yards (4.1ypc) with 91 Rushing TDs 2,287 Receiving Yards with 9 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=6wbfLcflHkA And Now... I present your Top 10 #10... Curtis Martin (12 years) 14,101 Rushing Yards (4.0ypc) with 90 Rushing TDs 3,329 Receiving Yards with 10 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=US9Ozz0Yqhk&feature=related Joining the New England Patriots in 1995, he went on to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year and be selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,487 yards. His next 2 seasons with the patriots were much less impressive rushing for just over 1,150 yards each year. In '98, as a RFA, he went to the New York Jets where he was reunited with his former coach Bill Parcells and rushed for over 1,000 yards every year until 2005 when he was limited to just 12 games. He was the second player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in his first 10 professional seasons, joining Barry Sanders on that exclusive list. He finished his career 4th on the all-time rushing yardage list and 3rd all-time in rushing attempts. #9... LaDainian Tomlinson (7 Years) 10,650 Rushing Yards (4.5ypc) with 115 Rushing TDs 3,375 Receiving Yards with 14 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=tXkSmhknVz8 In his first seven seasons, Tomlinson has gone to 5 Pro Bowls and been named All-Pro 6 times. He has started every game minus one and immediately became the starting RB for the Chargers after being chosen 5th overall out of college. His rookie season, he rushed for over 1,200 yards with another 367 receiving yards and 10 TDs. The next year he blew his rookie season away by galloping for over 1650 yards on teh ground and adding an additional 489 receiving yards with 15 TDs. He backed that up in 2003 by going for another 1,645 rushing yards with 725 receiving yards and 17 TDs. He became the first player in NFL History to rush for over 1,000 yards while catching 100 passes in the same season. That same year, he recorded his 50th Career TD while tying the all-time record for consecutive games with a rushing TD (18). In 2005, he became the 7th player in NFL history to run, catch and throw a TD in the same game. In 2006, he became the first player to score 3 TDs in 3 consecutive games and the first to have 3 games of 4+ TDs in one season. He became the fastest player ever to score 100 TDs and later that year he became the first running back to rush for at least 1,236 yards in his first 6 NFL Seasons (going on to do it again in 2007 making it 7). He also went on to surpassed the most points scored in a season by any NFL player, oen that had stood for over 45 years, scoring 33 TDs. In what appears to be a HOF career in the making, LaDainian has already established himself as one of the greatest RB's in the NFL and has another 5+ years to continue to chase the likes of Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. #8... Marshall Faulk (12 years) 12,279 Rushing Yards (4.3ypc) with 100 Rushing TDs 6,875 Receiving Yards with 36 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=cp4u7FQbr3E&feature=related The Colt's 1st round pick and 2nd overall pick in the '94 Draft, Faulk was similar to Marcus Allen in that he was as much a threat out of the backfield as he was out in the flat. He always had to be accounted for and wasn't afraid to stay back and provide that crucial block to keep his QB standing. He is the only player in NFL history to have 100 Rushing TD's and 30 Receiving TDs in a career and one of a few to have 10,000 Rushing Yards and 5,000 Receiving Yards in a career. He holds the NFL record for 2-pt conversion (7) and was always the team player, doing whatever it took to help the team succeed, including stepping down into a backup role so Stephen Jackson could take over the primary role - a year in which he still proceed to average over 4.5yards per carry. Many people consider Faulk the catalyst that helped propel Indy to a Playoff team after he rushed for over 1,200yds his rookie year and over 1,000 his 2nd year while adding another ~500yds receiving both years. His 3rd year in the NFL was perhaps his worst, rushing for less than 600yds with a 3ypc average due to a toe injury. Hwoever he came back the next two years with another 1,000yd rushing season each. In 1998, before being traded to St. Louis, he gained over 1300yds on the ground and another 900 through the air, amassing a total of 2,227 yards to take the title of NFL's Total Yards Leader while finishing 4th in recpetions. After being traded to St. Louis in 99 (for a 2nd and 5th rd pick), he continued his success in Indy by amassing 3 more of 4 consecutive 2,000yard seasons. Immediately after joining St. Louis, he once again proved to be the Catalyst the team needed helping setup "The Greatest Show on Turf." In 1999 he set an NFL record of 2,429 yards from scrimmage, surpassing Barry Sander's record set just 2 years prior while becoming only the 2nd person in NFL History to total 1,000+ yards in both Rushing and Receiving. When it was all said and done, he was a Pro Bowl selection 7 times, All-Pro selection 6 times, had gone to 2 Super Bowls (winning 1,) was an NFL MVP, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, 3-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a Pro Bowl MVP. #7... O.J. Simpson (11 years) 11,236 Rushing Yards (4.7ypc) with 61 Rushing TDs 2,142 Receiving Yards with 14 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7Id3ioATXo&feature=related "Juice" was an electrifying running back who came out of college as one of the most talked about rookies. After getting off to a rocky start due in large part to miserable offensive line, and being used very sporadically - he only carried the ball a total of 480 times in his first 3 seasons averaging 4.1ypc. In '72 though, Lou Saban took over and saw to it that O.J. touch the ball as often as possible, giving him the ball nearly 300 times in his first year, in which O.J. averaged over 4.3ypc. However it was 1973 that was perhaps the finest year a Running Back has ever seen. He carried the ball 332 times and gained 2,003 yards - an NFL record - and averaged an amazing 6.0 yards per carry. He backed that up in 1975 when he rushed for 1,817 yards on 329 touches (5.5ypc average) and added another 426 yards receiving on just 28 catches while setting a then-NFL record of 23 Touchdowns. He was the NFL's Top rusher back-to-back 2 times and earned numerous accolades including NFL Player of the Year 3 times, All-Pro 5 consecutive years, and was invited to 6 Pro Bowls, earning Pro Bowl MVP once. #6... Emmitt Smith (15 years) 18,355 Rushing Yards (4.2ypc) with 164 Rushing TDs 3,224 Receiving Yards with 11 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=ITpe-AIztco The NFL's All-Time Rushing Leader, Emmitt is arguably one of the to NFL's All-Time Greatest Rushers, however he also played behind a great OL and on an offense with a HOF QB and WR that kept defenses honest. That being said it doesn't take away from the fact that he may have had the greatest Vision of any RB to ever play the game. He had sub-par speed and wasn't nearly as agile as some other top rushers, but he could find the hole and hit it and then make a tackler or two miss before eventually going down. He put together 11 consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing, an NFL record as well as being the first to do it. He is also one of only 3 players to have 5 consecutive seasons with over 1,400 yards rushing + 60 catches. He also is one of 3 players to have 7 consecutive 10-Touchdown seasons to start their career. He is the NFL's all-time Career Rushing TD leader and his 175 Total TDs is second only to Jerry Rice. He is one of only 4 players to eclipse the 21,000 combined yards from scrimmage mark and has numerous post-season records including 19 Rushing TDs, 9 consecutive games with a Rushing TD, 7 100-yard Rushing Games, 1,586 yards rushing in the post-season and 21 Total Playoff TDs. Ultimately a "north-south" runner, he excelled at getting the tough short yards and moving the chains. #5... Earl Campbell (8 years) 9,407 Rushing Yards (4.3ypc) with 74 Rushing TDs 806 Receiving Yards with 0 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=cWKtv4gxuvQ A truly rare Running Back in his own right, Campbell was a Power Running Back that possessed quick feet and shifty hips. At 5'10 and 250lbs, he would use his 36" thighs to blast through the line of scrimmage whether there was a hole there or not, and once he got into the open field, he was just as dangerous - often carrying 3 or 4 tacklers along the way before going down. It was perhaps this running style that led to his relatively short career, taking bone jarring hit after hit each and every play due to his refusal to go down and desire to get the most of every carry. His rookie season he ran for 1,450 yards with a 4.8ypc average that gave him NFL Rookie of the Year, NFL MVP, Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. The next year he came right back and did it again, gaining 1,697 yards with 4.6ypc average giving him back-to-back rushing titles and becoming only the second player in NFL history to do it, right behind Jim Brown. That wasn't enough though, he went right back in 1980 and led the League in Rushing again, the first player to ever lead back-to-back-to-back with perhaps his greatest NFL year ever. Despite only playing in 15 games, he rushed for 1,934 yards with a 5.2ypc average, including 4 200+ yard games. He did all of this on a pathetic Houston Oilers team where he constantly faced 9-man defensive fronts with no real passing threat to balance out a defence and only a decent offensive line in front to try and create a hole. He was elected to 5 Pro Bowls in his first 6 seasons, only missing it in 1982 when he played in 9 games and started 4 due to an injury that he tried to play through. When it was all said and done, he was NFL Offensive Player of the Year 3 times, NFL MVP 3 times, All-Pro 4 times, went to 5 Pro Bowls and was AFC Player of the Year 1 time. #4.... Eric Dickerson 13,259 Rushing Yards (4.4ypc) with 90 Rushing TDs 2,137 Receiving Yards with 6 Receiving TDs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k7vZo8N_Ls&feature=related Drafted 2nd overall by the LA Rams, he immediately became one of the greatest Rookies to ever play the game, setting Rookie Records for attempts (390), Rushing Yards (1,808), and Rushing TD's (18). He was Rookie of the Year, NFL Player of the Year, a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. The next year he went on to have 11 games with over 100 yards rushing, breaking the previous record set by O.J. Simpson while also breaking O.J.'s record for most rushing yards in a season, with 2,105 yards while averaging 5.6ypc. He went on to lead the League in Rushing 4 times in his career, was named to 6 Pro Bowls, was All-Pro 5 times, retired as the 2nd in All-Time rushing yards. Once traded to the Colts, he immediately made an impact there as well, helping spark the first Playoff appearance in 10 years after rushing for over 1,000 yards through just 9 games. He became the fastest player to ever gain 10,000 yards (91 games) and set an NFL record with 7 consecutive 1,000 yards rushing. Prior to his final 3 seasons, which marred with contract disputes, suspensions, injury and age, he had never averaged less than 4 yards per carry. He remains the one and only Indianapolis Colt player in the Hall of Fame and is your 4th Greatest Running Back of the Modern Era. #3... Walter Payton (13 years) 16,726 Rushing Yards (4.4ypc) with 110 Rushing TDs 4,538 Receiving Yards with 15 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=zBhaXxGmUho 3 years after Gale Sayers retired, the Bears drafted Walter "Sweetness" Payton with the 4th overall pick in the '75 draft. His very first game of his rookie season, he was held to 0 yards on 8 carries. His very last game of his rookie season, he rushed for 134yards on 20 carries - ending the year with only 679 yards and 7 TDs. Far from the expectations bestowed upon a 4th overall draft pick. Unsatisfied with his performance, he spent all off season training and improving - and it paid off. Over the next 12 years, he would only have 2 seasons under 1,200 yards - one coming in '82 due to a strike-shortened season, and the other in '87 - the season he retired. Over his 13 year career, he compiled 16,726 yards, 110 Rushing TD's, over 21,000 Total Yards, was an All-Pro 7 times, nominated to 9 Pro Bowls, Had 77 100+ yard rushing games, Held the record for most Rushing Yards in a single game, and played in 186 consecutive games. His greatest season came in 1977 when he rushed for 1,852 yards with a 5.5ypc average including a 275yd performance against the Minnesota Vikings while battling the flu. He was a phenomenal pass blocker, had great hands, and also served as a backup Punter and Quarterback through his career. Payton made his mark on the Football World with his "Never Die Easy" motto - refusing to run out of bounds and always dealing as much punishment as he took, his unusual running motion (mostly hip-oriented with almost no bend in the knees,) and his revival of the stiff-arm, an art lost to most running backs during the 70's. A high-caliber person as well as player, he refused to celebrate after scoring a Touchdown, often handing the ball to a teammate. He is one of the most highly respected running backs to ever play the game and some of the games best (LT, Smith) often attribute their love of the game to Payton who they idolized growing up. Because of his legacy, the NCAA and the NFL both have awards named after Walter Payton, to forever honor the success he had both on and off the field. And now... without further ado... I present your Runner Up #2... Barry Sanders (10 years) 15,269 Rushing Yards (5.0ypc) with 99 Rushing TDs 2,921 Receiving Yards with 10 Receiving TDs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6FYB_L2aU At 5'8 and 203lbs, Barry was one of the smaller backs of his era - but that didn't stop him from going one to become one of the greatest player to ever fill that position. Despite his small stature, he was built like a rock, with massive legs and a low center of gravity - which prevented him from going down to arm tackles. His fantastic agility created some of the most impressive maneuvers ever witnessed on the playing field, and made grown men look like they were grasping at thin air. Despite playing behind a porous offensive line, often putting Barry in a position where had to make the first defender miss well behind the line of scrimmage, Sanders still averaged 1,500 yards per season over his 10 year career. He retired as the 2nd all-time leading rusher and was on a pace to break Payton's record within 18 games. He went to the Pro Bowl every season he played and was an All-Pro/NFL every season he played. Despite his great individual success, the Lions franchise was never quite capable of putting the pieces into place to make a strong playoff run. This was the major factor into Barry's early retirement, citing that it had robbed him of his passion for the game. In his second to last season, he rushed for 2,053 yards with a 6.1 ypc average with a record 14-consecutive games of over 100yards. One fact that I'm still trying to verify is that it is alleged that Barry Sanders is the ONLY Runningback to ever play in the NFL to have never been tackled by the first person to touch him. Whether it's true or not, Barry Sanders will always be considered one of the Greatest Running Backs of the Modern Era. And now... it's an honor to present to you, the Greatest Running Back of the Modern Era #1... Jim Brown (9 years) 12,312 Rushing Yards (5.2ypc) with 106 Rushing TDs 2,499 Receiving Yards with 20 Receiving TDs http://youtube.com/watch?v=0VGD-VQ9t_M http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8008feab Without a doubt, the Greatest Running Back to have ever played the game, Jim Brown is the only player to have ever averaged 100 rushing yards per game over his entire career. Often impossible to tackle without help, he lived by the belief that you should always 'Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts.' It helped him maintain an astounding 5.2 yards per carry average over a 9 year period before retiring in his prime at the age of 30 after a contract dispute with Browns' owner Art Modell. From the very first time he stepped on to the field, he was a legend. As the first player to ever reach 100 rushing TDs, he is still one of a very elite few to have ever done it, despite the expansion to a 16-game season. He led the NFL in all-purpose yardage 5 of his 9 seasons, was the NFL's Leading Rusher 8 times, was All-Pro 8 times, a Pro Bowler 9 times, NFL MVP 4 times as well as Rookie of the Year despite only receiving 200 touches in Paul Brown's system that often prevented rookies from seeing a significant amount of playing time. Despite all his professional accolades as a Football Player, Jim always remained humble and a mentor to many youth. To this day, he still works with kids caught up in the gang scene in L.A. and Cleveland through the Amer-I-Can program, which he founded in 1988.