LaDainian Tomlinson has retired. Although Jets’ fans did not see a healthy, in-his-prime Tomlinson carrying the ball the last two years, there were glimpses of his greatness every now and then. He still had the quick feet and made you think he could rip off a long run every now and then. Had the Jets relied on him more instead of using him as a part-time back he certainly looked like he could have kept grinding out 1,000-yard seasons. His durability was a concern though and the Jets were saving him for the playoffs.
In any case, where does Tomlinson, who was arguably the best back of the previous decade, rank among the all-time great running backs? Here are the top ten from the last fifty years according to this author:
10. Thurman Thomas (1988–2000): 12,074 rushing yards (14th all-time), 65 rushing TDs (34th all-time), 4.2 yards per carry, 5 Pro Bowls, 2 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—There’s a lot of great backs that could have made this list but Thurman Thomas has to be on it. Not only was he a great rusher he was a great receiver, gaining more than 500 receiving yards four straight seasons (1989–1992) while leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage in each of those seasons. In addition Thomas ripped off eight straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls.
9. O.J. Simpson (1969–1979): 11,236 rushing yards (18th), 61 rushing TDs (40th), 4.7 yards per carry, 6 Pro Bowls, 5 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—Ignoring his off-the-field problems for a second, Simpson’s on-the-field production from 1972–1976 was the best in football over those five seasons. “The Juice” led the league in rushing four of those seasons, including the Granddaddy of them all, the 1973 campaign where he became the first member of the 2,000-yard club. Thomas may have been better for a longer time, but Simpson had a higher ceiling.
8. Earl Campbell (1978–1985): 9,407 rushing yards (30th), 74 rushing TDs (23rd), 4.3 yards per carry, 5 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—Campbell doesn’t have quite the career totals that Simpson has, but that was because he only played eight seasons, and this list isn’t just about longevity (ask all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith at number five). Campbell was an All-Pro each of his first three seasons as he led the league in rushing in each of those years. The pounding he gave (and took) may have contributed to his early retirement.
7. LaDainian Tomlinson (2001–2011) : 13,684 rushing yards (5th), 145 rushing TDs (2nd), 4.3 yards per carry, 5 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—Eight straight 1,100-yard seasons to start his career and nine straight seasons of 10 or more rushing touchdowns, including an NFL single-season record 28 in 20006 highlight Tomlinson’s achievements. A very close call over Campbell; the height of each player’s career was similar, but Tomlinson lasted a little longer.
6. Eric Dickerson (1983–1993): 13,259 rushing yards (7th), 90 rushing TDs (12th), 4.4 yards per carry, 6 Pro Bowls, 5 First-Team All-Pros—Dickerson’s career may have gone downhill quicker than Tomlinson’s but for his first seven seasons he was on track to be the best ever, averaging more than 1,600 yards a year. His career highlight was the 1984 season when set the NFL record for most yards in a season with 2,105. Though he’s the only one on the list without an MVP Award to his credit, we'll forgive him for having his biggest season at the same time Dan Marino threw for 5,084 yards.
5. Emmitt Smith...
5. Emmitt Smith (1990–2001): 18,355 rushing yards (1st), 164 rushing TDs (1st), 4.2 yards per carry, 8 Pro Bowls, 4 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—If this list were only about longevity, Smith clearly would be at the top. It’s not though. A great all-around back, Emmitt was probably the second-best back of his era (first would be Barry Sanders) although his legacy is tainted a bit by averaging less than four yards a carry in each of his last four seasons, two of which were forgettable seasons in Arizona. Still, number five here is no insult as Smith, who led the league in rushing four times in his first six years started similar to Dickerson, but kept on going.
4. Marshall Faulk (1994–2005): 12,279 rushing yards (10th), 100 rushing TDs (7th), 4.3 yards per carry, 7 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—Maybe the most versatile back ever, Faulk once had a 1,000-yard rushing and receiving season (1999). In fact, from 1999–2001 Faulk averaged 1,374 rushing yards on 5.4 yards per carry, 881 receiving yards, and 20 total touchdowns per season for “The Greatest Show on Turf” that was the Rams’ offense. In addition, his 19,154 career yards from scrimmage ranks third all-time among running backs. Faulk over Smith is a tough choice but Faulk was the focal point of Indianapolis’ offense for so many years, while Smith clearly benefited from a balanced team.
3. Walter Payton (1975–1987): 16,726 rushing yards (2nd), 110 rushing TDs (10th), 4.4 yards per carry, 9 Pro Bowls, 5 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—“Sweetness” retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher in 1987 and had ten seasons with more than 1,200 yards rushing. His best year was in 1977 (the last year with 14-game schedules) when he ran for 1,852 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. A tough call over Faulk, Payton’s longevity favors him slightly.
2. Barry Sanders (1989–98): 15,269 rushing yards (3rd), 99 rushing TDs (9th), 5.0 yards per carry, 10 Pro Bowls, 6 First-Team All-Pros, 1 MVP—The most exciting back ever, Sanders was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. The 5'8” Sanders made the Pro Bowl every year he played and never had less than 1,100 yards rushing in any season. His accomplishments are even more amazing considering he was the entire focal point for opposing defenses every time they lined up against the one-dimensional Detroit Lions’ offense. Sanders’ gaudy statistics alone don’t even tell his story. Anyone who saw him making gains out of nothing while simultaneously making defenders look silly, knew they were witnessing greatness. He is head and shoulders above every other back but one.
1. Jim Brown (1957–65): 12,312 rushing yards (9th), 106 rushing TDs (6th), 5.2 yards per carry, 9 Pro Bowls, 8 First-Team All-Pros, 3 MVPs—Easily the best of his generation, Brown led the league in rushing eight of his nine seasons and retired, still at the top of his game, at age 29 as the all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Playing in an era of 12- and later 14-game seasons, Brown’s best season came in 1963 when he broke his own single-season rushing record with 1,863 yards rushing, while averaging an incredible 6.4 yards per carry. Though it’s very tough to judge running backs from different eras, Brown’s three MVPs and eight rushing titles gives him the slight nod over Sanders.
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