Greatest Power Backs in NFL History
Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods was tough to tackle.
The power running back is a dying breed in football. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone.
But the phrase "power back" just screams football, and they’re what the NFL was built upon. In the early days of the league, teams rarely threw the ball so they would feed multiple backs in order to gain yardage. These power backs were known as between-the-tackles runners who excelled at getting tough, gritty yards. Speed for them was a luxury.
As the game evolved, being powerful and fast became almost mandatory for the position and created a new breed. The best power runners in league history used their God-given abilities to administer punishment to defenders. No longer was the defense the only ones delivering a blow. Would-be tacklers often feared trying to bring down players of that ilk.
While the NFL has changed, the reputation of powerful running backs hasn’t. These are the best to ever do it.
30. Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs played nine seasons in the NFL.
Career: 2005-13 (9 seasons)
Teams: New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 264 pounds
Brandon Jacobs Stats
Brandon Jacobs ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds.
Stats: 1,141 ATT, 5,094 YDS, 60 TD, 4.5 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 2 (2007, 2011)
Bottom Line: Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs rushed for 5,094 in his career.
At 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds Brandon Jacobs is one of the biggest running backs in NFL history. He’s the size of an average offensive lineman from the 1980s except '80s linemen didn’t run a 4.56-40 yard dash like Jacobs did.
He was nicknamed "Juggernaut" because of his ability to break tackles, and Jacobs utilized his size as the Giants’ short-yardage and goal-line back for two Super Bowl-winning teams.
But he was more than just a plodding "three yards and a cloud of dust" back as evident by his 4.5 yards per carry and a career-long 73-yard run in 2010.
29. Christian Okoye
Christian Okoye was nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare."
Career: 1987-92 (6 seasons)
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 253 pounds
Christian Okoye Stats
Christian Okoye averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
Stats: 1,246 ATT, 4,897 YDS, 40 TD, 3.9 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Christian Okoye
Christian Okoye played his whole career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
You don’t get a nickname like the "Nigerian Nightmare" by being a scatback who tries to run around defenders. Okoye, a native Nigerian, got the nickname from defenders who were scared to tackle his 253-pound frame.
Okoye didn't make his NFL debut until he was 26 years old, and he had grown man strength by the time he entered the league. He was the perfect kind of running back for Marty Schottenheimer who loved since the coach was run-first, run-second and even run-third if the distance was manageable.
Okoye had two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career, including a league-leading 1,480 yards in 1989.
28. Natrone Means
Natrone Means played his college ball at North Carolina.
Career: 1993-2000 (8 seasons)
Teams: San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 245 pounds
Natrone Means Stats
Natrone Means played in eight career playoff games.
Stats: 1,409 ATT, 5,215 YDS, 45 TD, 3.7 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Natrone Means
Natrone Means scored 45 touchdowns in his career.
At 5-foot-10 and nearly 250 pounds, Natrone Means was a bowling ball of butcher knives, which gives you quite a visual of what it was like to tackle him.
His best season came in 1994 when he ran for over 1,300 yards but just a 3.9-yards-per-carry average. After that, he settled in as a rotational back and was often paired with a quick and shifty running back.
The best stretch of his career came during the 1996 playoffs when Means ran for 358 yards in three postseason games. At the time, that was the fourth-most rushing yards in NFL history for a player in a single postseason.
27. Greg Jones
Greg Jones played for the Jaguars and Texans.
Career: 2004-13 (10 seasons)
Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 265 pounds
Greg Jones Stats
Greg Jones had 272 rushing attempts in his career.
Stats: 272 ATT, 913 YDS, 10 TD, 3.4 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Greg Jones
Greg Jones, right, averaged 3.4 yards per carry.
Greg Jones was a cousin of heavyweight champion Smokin' Joe Frazier, but it’s still up for debate who hit harder.
Jone was nicknamed "Tank" for obvious reasons, and he transitioned from a college running back to an NFL fullback. He was used as a blocker and in short-yardage situations while complementing another power back, Maurice Jones-Drew, while with the Jaguars.
Just as scary a sight of those two in a backfield is the fact that the Jags often used the 265-pounds Jones as a kick returner, which meant he was more of a running tank than a rolling tank for would-be tacklers.
26. Zack Crockett
Zack Crockett, left, was 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds.
Career: 1995-2007 (13 seasons)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds
Zack Crockett Stats
Zack Crockett made his NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts in 1995 and played 13 seasons.
Stats: 510 ATT, 1,701 YDS, 36 TD, 3.3 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Zack Crocket
Zack Crockett scored 36 touchdowns in his career.
Fantasy football players of the early 2000s are very familiar with Zack Crockett, who was a touchdown vulture for the Raiders. No back in the league preferred to lower his shoulder and ram his 240-pound frame into defenders more so than Crockett.
He was the prototypical type of power back that Jon Gruden preferred with the Raiders, and Gruden later coached a similar one with Mike Alstott in Tampa.
Crockett finished his career with one rushing touchdown per every 14 rushing attempts, and that is the third-best ratio in history for a running back.
25. LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Blount played nine seasons in the NFL.
Career: 2010-18 (9 seasons)
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions
Height/weight: 6-foot-0, 247 pounds
LeGarrette Blount Stats
LeGarrette Blount won three Super Bowl titles in his career.
Stats: 1,495 ATT, 6,306 YDS, 56 TD, 4.2 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 3 (2014, 2016, 2017)
Bottom Line: LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Blount was a beast to stop.
LeGarrette Blount as a power back can be summed up by a play early in his career with the Bucs. Blount’s 250-pound frame bounced off of five Packers defenders on his way to a 54-yard touchdown run which can be seen here.
Afterward, the NFL Network ran a highlight of that play with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders cunningly stating that "Five different Packers tried to hit that Blount."
Now that’s a powerful Blount.
24. Craig Heyward
Craig Heyward played 11 seasons in the NFL.
Career: 1988-98 (11 seasons)
Teams: New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams, Indianapolis Colts
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 260 pounds
Craig Heyward Stats
Craig Heyward scored 30 touchdowns in his career.
Stats: 1,031 ATT, 4,301 YDS, 30 TD, 4.2 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Craig Heyward
It took a lot of defenders to bring down Craig Heyward.
There have been over 500 running backs in NFL history with at least 500 career rushing attempts. Craig "Iron Head" Heyward, at 5-foot-11 and 260 pounds has the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) of all of those, which essentially means he’s the thickest running back in league history.
With all of that girth came a lot of power. His nickname of Iron Head meant he wasn’t shying away from tacklers. Heyward played both fullback and running back during his career and was equally adept at applying his power in both roles.
His best season came in 1995 with the Falcons in which he posted the only 1,000-yard season of his career. Heyward died in 2006 at the age of 39 after a 7 1/2-year fight with a recurring brain tumor.
23. Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert ran a 4.75 40-yard dash.
Career: 2008-17 (10 seasons)
Teams: San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 243 pounds
Mike Tolbert Stats
Mike Tolbert scored 34 touchdowns in his career.
Stats: 696 ATT, 2,649 YDS, 34 TD, 3.8 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert rushed for 2,649 yards in his career.
At 5-foot-9 but close to 250 pounds, Mike Tolbert looked like a bowling ball when he was running downhill.
He wasn’t a speed demon and never had a single rush over 40 yards, but his low center of gravity made it an arduous task to tackle him. He acquired his nickname, "The Toldozer," for his ability to just run over defenders and also showed soft hands in the passing game.
Tolbert was a nominal fullback who operated more like a running back, but that position designation allowed him to make three Pro Bowls in his career.
22. Ickey Woods
Ickey Woods averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his career.
Career: 1988-91 (4 seasons)
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 231 pounds
Ickey Woods Stats
Ickey Woods was a second-round draft pick (31st overall) out of UNLV in 1988.
Stats: 332 ATT, 1,525 YDS, 27 TD, 4.6 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Ickey Woods
Ickey Woods had 332 rushes in his career.
You could probably judge from Ickey Woods' moves in his Ickey Shuffle dance that he wasn’t exactly fleet of foot.
While he bounced around in the end zone, the 230-pound Woods didn’t bounce around at the line of scrimmage. He was a straight-line runner who was among the last of the fullbacks who was still his team’s primary ballcarrier.
For all of the attention that Woods has gotten for his famous dance, the season in which he debuted it was the only notable one of his brief career. He played just four seasons, and 70 percent of his 1,525 career rushing yards came in his rookie season.
21. Marion Barber III
Marion Barber played seven seasons in the NFL.
Career: 2005-11 (7 seasons)
Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 218 pounds
Marion Barber III Stats
Marion Barber went to the University of Minnesota.
Stats: 1,156 ATT, 4,780 YDS, 53 TD, 4.1 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Marion Barber III
Marion Barber scored 53 touchdowns in his career.
Often times a player’s nickname tells you a lot about what type of style he had, and "Marion the Barbarian" perfectly summed up Marion Barber. He was an average-sized back but ran with such ferocity that some plays made him look like the second coming of Jim Brown.
One play in particular sticks out, and that was against the Patriots when Barber looked like he was going to get stuffed behind the line of scrimmage. But he kept going backward and then it looked like he was going to get tackled for a safety.
But he just kept on shedding tackles and eventually got back to the line of scrimmage and then some on what’s probably the greatest two-yard gain in NFL history.
20. Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson rushed for 10,273 yards over his 14-year career.
Career: 1979-92 (14 seasons)
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
Ottis Anderson Stats
Ottis Anderson rushed for 81 touchdowns in his career.
Stats: 2,562 ATT, 10,273 YDS, 81 TD, 4.0 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 2 (1986, 1990)
Bottom Line: Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson was the MVP of the Super Bowl XXV in 1991.
You need to have a discernible skill to be a 14-year running back, and Ottis Anderson’s skill was his power. He started off as an every-down back with the Cardinals but then became Bill Parcells' goal-line and short-yardage back with the Giants.
Anderson performed his best when it mattered the most as the Giants rode him to a Super Bowl in the 1991 season.
In Super Bowl XXV, Anderson gained 102 rushing yards, and he remains the only player 34 or older to rush for 100 yards in the big game.
19. Marion Motley
Cleveland fullback Marion Motley, left, won five NFL championships.
Career: 1946-53, 1955 (9 seasons)
Teams: Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 232 pounds
Marion Motley Stats
Marion Motley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.
Stats: 828 ATT, 4,720 YDS, 31 TD, 5.7 AVG
NFL championships: 5 (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950)
Bottom Line: Marion Motley
Marion Motley played serious old-school football.
Marion Motley often gets forgotten about because he preceded Jim Brown in Cleveland, but Motley was a two-time rushing champion of his own.
He was ahead of his time as a 230-pound back who could also break a 70-yard gain. He didn’t make his NFL debut until he was 26 years old due to the league’s color barrier and military service, but Motley was still more successful than any other back in NFL history on a yards-per-carry basis.
His rushing average of 5.7 yards per attempt ranks first all-time among running backs and second all-time among all players, trailing only Michael Vick.
18. Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis, left, was the NFL's offensive player of the year in 2003.
Career: 2000-09 (10 seasons)
Teams: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 245 pounds
Jamal Lewis Stats
Jamal Lewis played three seasons with the Browns.
Stats: 2,542 ATT, 10,607 YDS, 58 TD, 4.2 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2000)
Bottom Line: Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his career.
Jamal Lewis had an underrated career that started with him taking handoffs from Peyton Manning at the University of Tennessee before later winning a national championship.
In his rookie NFL season, he was the offense for the legendary 2000 Ravens that dominated defensively en route to a Super Bowl. He was the fifth member of the 2,000-rushing yard club, and his tendency that season was to break multiple tackles for long gains.
The Cleveland Browns surely remember Lewis that season since he ran for exactly 500 yards in two games against them, including a then-NFL record 295 yards in Week 2.
17. Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon, right, ran for 11,241 yards in his career.
Career: 1997-2006 (10 seasons)
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds
Corey Dillon Stats
Corey Dillon scored 82 career touchdowns.
Stats: 2,618 ATT, 11,241 YDS, 82 TD, 4.3 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2004)
Bottom Line: Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon played for the Bengals and Patriots.
Whenever a player has a nickname like "Clock Killin' Corey Dillon," you know we're talking about a grind-it-out power back. But Dillon didn’t get to run out many clocks during his seven years in Cincinnati. Despite his individual success, the team never finished above .500.
He had much more success with the Patriots since Dillon had an angry running style that fit right into what Bill Belichick wanted.
In 2004, Dillon ran for 1,635 yards in his debut season in New England, the third-most ever by a running back in his 30s.
16. Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry rushed for 1,540 yards in 2019.
Career: 2016-present (4 seasons)
Teams: Tennessee Titans
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 247 pounds
Derrick Henry Stats
Derrick Henry can outrun defensive players or run over them.
Stats: 804 ATT, 3,833 YDS, 38 TD, 4.8 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry was a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2016.
An NFL rushing champion, an NCAA rushing champion and the all-time high school rushing champion, Derrick Henry has been unstoppable at all levels of play.
Many wondered if his upright running style would translate to the pros, but he’s silenced those doubters and has shown that his throwback style can still work. The Titans smartly run north-and-south running plays for Henry so he can get a full head of steam as he attacks the line of scrimmage.
Henry’s defining play of his career was a 99-yard touchdown run against the Jaguars in 2018. He showed off his power by stiff-arming three different Jaguars on his way to tying the NFL record for longest rush.
15. Eddie George
Eddie George had speed and strength.
Career: 1996-2004 (9 seasons)
Teams: Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 235 pounds
Eddie George Stats
Eddie George was a four-time Pro Bowler.
Stats: 2,865 ATT, 10,441 YDS, 68 TD, 3.6 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Eddie George
Eddie George scored 68 touchdowns in his career.
Of the 31 NFL running backs who rushed for over 10,000 career yards, only Eddie George and Eric Dickerson stood taller than 6-foot-2. While no one would ever confuse Dickerson for a power back, the same can’t be said about George who wasn’t afraid to dip his shoulder to gain leverage on a would-be tackler.
George also had excellent lower body strength and stamina and was the definition of a workhorse back during his eight years with the Oilers/Titans.
George’s finest season came in 2000 when he had a league-high 403 carries for over 1,500 yards and his only first-team All-Pro selection.
14. Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka is a Hall of Famer.
Career: 1968-74, 1976-79 (11 seasons)
Teams: Miami Dolphins, New York Giants
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 237 pounds
Larry Csonka Stats
Larry Csonka rushed for 8,081 yards in his career.
Stats: 1,891 ATT, 8,081 YDS, 64 TD, 4.3 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 2 (1972, 1973)
Bottom Line: Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka won two Super Bowl titles.
The Dolphins had a three-headed backfield in the 1970s, and Larry Csonka was the bulldozing part of that crew.
At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Csonka played fullback and was the size of many of the defensive linemen who tried to tackle him. He would often drag defenders who tried to bring him down and was a great alternative to the shifty yet small Mercury Morris.
Four-time Vikings linebacker Jeff Siemon said it best when trying to tackle Csonka: "It's not the collision that gets you. It's what happens after you tackle him. His legs are just so strong he keeps moving. He carries you. He's a movable weight."
13. Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson, left, scored 69 touchdowns in his career.
Career: 2004-15 (12 seasons)
Teams: St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds
Steven Jackson Stats
Steven Jackson averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his career.
Stats: 2,764 ATT, 11,438 YDS, 69 TD, 4.2 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson rushed for over 11,000 yards in his career.
If you only looked at Jackson’s feet while he ran, you would never have known that he was a power back. He had uncommon shiftiness for someone who weighed 240 pounds while also having the ability to lower his shoulder to move a pile.
Jackson was remarkably consistent throughout his career with the Rams and is the only player in NFL history with a 40-plus-yard run in 11 straight seasons. He had a tough job by replacing Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk in the Rams' backfield, but Jackson didn’t disappoint St. Louis fans and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing yards.
He then finished his career with the Falcons and Patriots and gained another 1,300 career rushing yards.
12. Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew, front, outran a lot of defenders.
Career: 2006-14 (9 seasons)
Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders
Height/weight: 5-foot-7, 210 pounds
Maurice Jones-Drew Stats
Maurice Jones-Drew scored 68 touchdowns in his career.
Stats: 1,847 ATT, 8,167 YDS, 68 TD, 4.4 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew averaged 4.4 yards per carry in his career.
Maurice Jones-Drew showed us that you can be a power back even when you’re barely tall enough to get onto a roller coaster. He clocked in at 5-foot-6 and three-quarters but had tree trunks for legs that gave him a favorable low center of gravity.
In his prime, Jones-Drew was both a power back and speed back and could just as easily run by a defender as he could truck a would-be tackler. MJD’s best season came in 2011 when he was first-team All-Pro and led the NFL with over 1,600 rushing yards.
That makes him the shortest player in NFL history to win a rushing title. The 5-foot-8 Barry Sanders has over an inch on him.
11. Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott was a six-time Pro Bowler.
Career: 1996-2006 (11 seasons)
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 248 pounds
Mike Alstott Stats
Mike Alstott bench-pressed 445 pounds.
Stats: 1,359 ATT, 5,088 YDS, 58 TD, 3.7 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2002)
Bottom Line: Mike Alstott
Mike Alstott punished defenders.
During the 1980s, NFL teams began transitioning away from running fullbacks to blocking fullbacks. So when Mike Alstott arrived on the scene in 1996, he was a throwback.
He was the heaviest running back in the NFL at 248 pounds and was paired in Tampa with the lightest back in Warrick Dunn to form the duo "Thunder and Lightning." The Bucs would use Dunn primarily in the first three quarters as teams became exhausted from chasing him around, and then they would unleash Alstott in the fourth quarter to run out the clock.
Tackling someone with an upper body like Alstott would be tough at any time, but doing so after playing three quarters was torture for defenses.
10. Cookie Gilchrist
Cookie Gilchrist ran for 4,293 yards in his career.
Career: 1962-67 (6 seasons)
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 251 pounds
Cookie Gilchrist Stats
Cookie Gilchrist played six seasons in the NFL.
Stats: 1,010 ATT, 4,293 YDS, 37 TD, 4.3 AVG
NFL championships: 0
Bottom Line: Cookie Gilchrist
Cookie Gilchrist averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Cookie Gilchrist spent a dozen years in the CFL and then played with three AFL teams before the league merged with the NFL.
At 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, he was a mountain of a man during the 1950s and 1960s, and at least 40 pounds heavier than the average running back. While he was a fullback, Gilchrist was also his teams’ primary ballcarrier and led the AFL in rushing touchdowns in each of his first four seasons.
His blocking also deserves mention as John Madden once said during a CBS broadcast 20 years after Gilchrist’s career ended that he was probably the best blocking running back that ever played the game.
9. Jim Taylor
Jim Taylor ran the power sweep to perfection for Vince Lombardi's Packers.
Career: 1958-67 (10 seasons)
Teams: Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints
Height/weight: 6-foot-0, 214 pounds
Jim Taylor Stats
Jim Taylor was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.
Stats: 1,941 ATT, 8,597 YDS, 83 TD, 4.4 AVG
Super Bowl titles/NFL championships: 4 (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966)
Bottom Line: Jim Taylor
Jim Taylor rushed for 8,597 yards and 83 touchdowns in his career.
The power sweep was one of the staples of a 1960s NFL offense, and Jim Taylor made sure to live up to the play’s name with the Packers. With two pulling guards leading the way, either the fullback Taylor or halfback Paul Hornung would carry the ball between lanes big enough to drive a truck through.
Taylor also doubled as Green Bay's short-yardage back and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice. During the 1960s, only Jim Brown had more rushing yards than Taylor, and no one had more rushing touchdowns even though he retired in 1967.
8. Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis rushed for 13,662 yards in his career.
Career: 1993-2005 (13 seasons)
Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 252 pounds
Jerome Bettis Stats
Jerome Bettis was a one-of-a-kind back.
Stats: 3,479 ATT, 13,662 YDS, 91 TD, 3.9 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2005)
Bottom Line: Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis, top, scored 91 touchdowns in his career.
Jerome Bettis had one of the greatest nicknames, "The Bus," that suited his running style perfect, since he was known for carrying multiple defenders along, just like a bus. Fellow Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher found that out firsthand as Bettis went right through him for a touchdown.
But Bettis almost never became The Bus. Early in his career, Rams coach Rich Brooks wanted to move him to fullback. Bettis believed that his calling was as a ballcarrier so he asked for a trade instead, and the Steelers were the beneficiaries.
Bettis gained over 10,000 yards with the Steelers and scored 78 rushing touchdowns.
7. Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski was one of the NFL's early stars.
Career: 1930-37, 1943 (9 seasons)
Teams: Chicago Bears
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 226 pounds
Bronko Nagurski Stats
Bronko Nagurski was a three-time NFL champion.
Stats: 633 ATT, 2,778 YDS, 25 TD, 4.4 AVG
NFL championships: 3 (1932, 1933, 1943)
Bottom Line: Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski, who also was a successful wrestler, flips a Bears teammate at practice.
In the 1930s, the average NFL running back stood 5 feet, 10 inches, and weighed 189 pounds. The average lineman wasn’t much bigger and weighed 215 pounds. But Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski stood 6-foot-2, weighed 226 pounds and was ahead of his time, or any time.
He was known for dragging multiple tacklers on any given carry, and given his strength, he also doubled as an offensive lineman when he needed a break from carrying the ball.
Toward the end of his NFL career, this power back transitioned to power slams as Nagurski became a pro wrestler and won the NWA world championship.
6. Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch rushed for 10,413 yards in his career.
Career: 2007-15, 2017-19 (12 seasons)
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 215 pounds
Marshawn Lynch Stats
Marshawn Lynch was tough to bring down.
Stats: 2,453 ATT, 10,413 YDS, 85 TD, 4.2 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2013)
Bottom Line: Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2007.
Anyone nicknamed "Beast Mode" wouldn’t be confused for a finesse running back, and Lynch says he actually got the nickname from a childhood coach when he trucked other little kids.
At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Lynch was average size for a back, but he played bigger than his size. He sought out contact much more than he sought out interviews and would-be tacklers clearly "knew why he was here."
Lynch performed his best when it mattered the most as his 12 postseason rushing touchdowns rank as the fourth-most in NFL history.
5. John Riggins
John Riggins was the MVP of Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins.
Career: 1971-79, 1981-85 (14 seasons)
Teams: New York Jets, Washington Redskins
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 230 pounds
John Riggins Stats
John Riggins played 14 seasons in the NFL.
Stats: 2,916 ATT, 11,352 YDS, 104 TD, 3.9 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1982)
Bottom Line: John Riggins
John Riggins was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.
Playing a position where you’re on the downside of your career at 28, John Riggins may have been the best "old" back in NFL history. He rushed for more yards in his 30s than he did in his 20s and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns as a 35-year-old.
The hallmark play of his career came in Super Bowl XVII when Riggins displayed why he was nicknamed "The Diesel." Don McNeal of the Dolphins tried his best to stop this diesel, but poor McNeil couldn’t even slow him down.
Riggins had a handoff to the left and McNeal tried to tackle him high but simply slid off Riggins’ upper body before then missing again by grabbing at his legs. Riggins ended the run in the end zone, and it was a big reason why he was awarded Super Bowl MVP.
4. Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson was one of the greatest athletes in NFL history.
Career: 1987-90 (4 seasons)
Teams: Los Angeles Raiders
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 227 pounds
Bo Jackson Stats
Bo Jackson was a highlight machine.
Stats: 515 ATT, 2,782 YDS, 16 TD, 5.4 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his NFL career.
There may have been no better combination of size, speed and power than Vincent "Bo" Jackson. He was nearly 230 pounds, and there’s an urban legend that at that size, he ran an unofficial 4.13 40-yard dash.
As former Raiders teammate Howie Long described him, when Jackson turned the corner he was "all ass and thighs." Jackson used both of those when he met Brian Bosworth at the 2-yard-line in a game against the Seahawks, and Jackson carried Boz into the end zone.
Despite giving up about 20 pounds, Jackson lowered his shoulder to get leverage and went right through Bosworth for a touchdown. Afterward, Jackson reportedly told Bosworth, "Next time, make sure you have bus fare."
3. Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2007.
Career: 2007-present (13 seasons)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Adrian Peterson Stats
Adrian Peterson is a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Stats: 3,036 ATT, 14,216 YDS, 111 TD, 4.7 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson is one of six players who has rushed for over 14,000 yards in NFL history.
In terms of a size-speed-power combination, Adrian Peterson is probably the closest thing we’ve seen to Bo Jackson. Both guys are on this list and could just have easily made a "best speed backs" list due to their otherworldly talents.
When Peterson was running downhill, he was too much for one man to bring down, and one of his best-ever runs wasn’t even on a running play. After catching pass on a checkdown from Brett Favre, Peterson quickly turned upfield, lowered his shoulder and nearly speared William Gay of the Steelers to death.
After the game, Gay recalled the play and said, "Next thing you know, he saw me, ducked his head, and ran me over."
2. Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell played eight seasons in the NFL.
Career: 1978-85 (8 seasons)
Teams: Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 232 pounds
Earl Campbell Stats
Earl Campbell could plow over defenders.
Stats: 2,187 ATT, 9,407 YDS, 74 TD, 4.3 AVG
Super Bowl titles: 0
Bottom Line: Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell rushed for 9,407 yards in his career.
No player epitomizes who Earl Campbell was as a running back more so than his heat-butting, jersey-ripping run against the Rams in 1978. Campbell, at a stocky 5-foot-11 and 232 pounds, headbutted linebacker Isiah Robertson in the sternum and then simply continued on his run.
Another Rams defender then grabbed onto Campbell’s jersey, which didn’t slow him one bit as the rookie Houston Oiler, literally, ran out of his jersey. When Campbell was finally brought down, all he was wearing was his tights and a pair of bare shoulder pads. And refs made him leave the field in order to get a new jersey.
Campbell was inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
1. Jim Brown
Jim Brown scored 106 touchdowns in his career.
Career: 1957-65 (9 seasons)
Teams: Cleveland Browns
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 232 pounds
Jim Brown Stats
Jimmy Brown was a three-time MVP.
Stats: 2,359 ATT, 12,312 YDS, 106 TD, 5.2 AVG
NFL championships: 1 (1964)
Bottom Line: Jim Brown
Jim Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry in 2,359 rushing attempts.
Jim Brown wasn't just the NFL's greatest power back. He may have been the greatest running back. Period.
During his era, he was a man among boys. At over 230 pounds, he would be considered a big back today and was even more so during the 1950s and '60s. He won eight rushing titles in nine seasons, and his 104.3 rushing yards per game ranks first in NFL history.
Brown’s power was on full display in a memorable run that was all of five yards. Five different defenders got their hands on Brown, but none of them could bring him down, and he slipped his way into the end zone.
Related: Best Running Backs in NFL History