NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs Ever – #5 LaDainian Tomlinson
#5 – LaDainian Tomlinson
Much like Marshall Faulk, L.T. was the full package and a swiss army knife at Running Back. He could do it all from the backfield and the mediocre Chargers employed a simple game plan. Get LaDainian Tomlinson the ball. Clearly the best player on the roster, he was their best bet on winning.
LaDainian Tomlinson had arguably the greatest season ever by a running back in 2006. Over that season he scored 31 touchdowns totaling 186 points scored, 1,815 yards with an average of 5.2 yards per carry. He then became the fastest player to ever reach 100 touchdowns which was a true mark of his versatility.
Once he reached his 8th season with the Chargers at 30 years old, he declined his player option with the team as he was no longer the focal point. He played for the Jets for 2 seasons in which he found success, but was never the dominant 30 touchdown scoring threat as he was just a few seasons ago.
Even still, his production was historical and he marked the a new bread of dual threat running backs that would take over the NFL.
NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs Ever – #4 Emmitt Smith
#4 – Emmitt Smith
For no other position will you find the all-time leader get so much disrespect. I’m not denying the fact that Emmitt Smith benefited from having a great supporting cast, but you can’t deny his greatness. Not only do the stats speak lengths for his talent, but the eye test does as well. Emmitt Smith was an extremely efficient and powerful runner.
Not only is he the all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but yards from scrimmage for running backs as well. He wasn’t even much of a pass catcher either with only 3224 receiving yards in 15 seasons.
Consistency matters, and Emmitt Smith went 11 straight seasons with over 1000 rushing yards and 13 straight seasons with over 900 rushing yards. That consistency and production has been unmatched, and while I believe his yards from scrimmage will be surpassed, nobody will touch his rushing yards record. To put it in perspective, Frank Gore has played 15 seasons in the NFL and is 3000 yards short of Smith’s record.
It’s also worth mentioning that he became the only player to lead in rushing yards, win the NFL MVP, win the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP award all in one season in 1993.
Knock him for having a great offensive line and team all you want, but to deny him a spot in the top 5 if foolish in my mind.
NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs Ever – #3 Walter Payton
#3 – Walter Payton
This was a tough one. I think that the top 3 players on this list are almost like a 1a, 1b and 1c. They all should be on their own tier.
I just talked up Emmitt Smith’s yards from scrimmage record for running backs, but Walter Payton was the record holder before him. He played 13 seasons vs 15 seasons and Smith’s 215 yards barely surpassed him as the all-time leader.
In his third season which was only 14 games long, Walter Payton made history. He ran for 1852 yards and 14 touchdowns averaging an astounding 5.5 yards per carry. He followed up with some more historic seasons, but that was clearly his best and most memorable.
Walter Payton’s signature moves were the stiff arm and the goal line leap. These things have to be invented from somewhere and nobody had jumped over the line of scrimmage at the goal line until Payton perfected that move.
It was a rare liver disease that would cut the superstar’s career short and it’s a shame because he would have cemented his spot even further as one of the best players ever. His impact on the game is still felt today.
