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Best Running Backs in Dallas Cowboys History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric W. Bolin | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 6:59 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys have somehow, over decades, remained both the NFL’s most popular and least popular team. A history of success created the status, and the human desire for schadenfreude has held it.

The Cowboys have won five Super Bowls in franchise history, just one behind the NFL leaders New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, and tied with the San Francisco 49ers. But it’s also been more than 30 years since Dallas’ last appearance.

Yet the “America’s Team” nickname remains. Quality has persisted, even if the Super Bowls have not. And one of the biggest reasons why the Cowboys are still so loved and hated is talent. The NFL’s all-time leading rusher made his hay in Dallas, one of the league's best teams at drafting running backs.

So, who is among the top five running backs in franchise history? Let’s take a look. And don't forget to check out our list of the five best Cowboys quarterbacks of all time when you're done.

5. Don Perkins (1961-68)

Perkins’ greatest legacy with the Cowboys is his helping the franchise abandon the practice of segregating players on road trips in team hotels. The Iowa native, who was black, played for the Cowboys from 1961 to 1968, leading the team in rushing in six of his eight seasons, and was in the second class ever inducted in the franchise’s Ring of Honor.

4. Calvin Hill (1969-74)

Hill became the first Cowboys player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a single season when he ran for 1,036 in 1972. He managed the feat again in 1973. Hill left the NFL for the 1975 season, instead playing for the World Football League, but returned in 1976 with Washington, though he wasn’t the same player. During his six years with the Cowboys, he made four Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro twice.

3. Ezekiel Elliott (2016-22, 2024)

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott celebrates a touchdown at AT&T Stadium.Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

Elliott burst on to the scene his rookie season in 2016 after the Cowboys took him in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He ran for a league-high 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season en route to Rookie of the Year honors. Elliott would make three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams in his eight seasons with Dallas before retiring after the 2024 campaign.

MORE: 10 Best Draft Picks and 10 Worst Draft Picks in Cowboys History

2. Tony Dorsett (1977-87)

As good as the first three players listed here were, Dorsett was an easy pick for the No. 2 spot. Elliott ranks third on the franchise’s all-time leading rusher list with 8,488 yards. Dorsett has him beat by more than 3,500. The Cowboys took him with the No. 2 pick of the 1977 draft and the Pittsburgh product ran for 1,000 yards or more in seven of his first eight seasons. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and retired as the team’s all-time leading rusher.

1. Emmitt Smith (1990-2002)

Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith in action against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

Smith, however, owns the record by far. His 18,355 yards with the Cowboys exceeds Dorsett’s total by more than 5,000 and his 18,355 career yards rushing are 1,629 more than No. 2 Walter Payton. It’s tough to imagine anyone cracking Smith’s record nowadays, either, as the NFL has shifted to a more passing dominant style.

For his career, Smith played 15 seasons with the Cowboys (17 total), making eight Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. He was the 1993 NFL MVP, a three-time Super Bowl champion, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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