Most Yards From Scrimmage in NFL History
Steve Smith, left, is one of the toughest wide receivers in NFL history.The most hard-fought yards in football games come from running or receiving the ball. The fight for every inch starts as kids in schoolyard games and continues at the highest level of NFL competition.
Every single time there's a carry or catch, players battle for every yard over a game, season and career. The best running backs, wide receivers and tight ends carry their teams to wins and end up in the Hall of Fame.
These players gained the most yards from scrimmage in NFL history and are some of the most valuable and toughest skill players to ever play the game.
30. Matt Forte
Matt Forte had over 800 yards receiving in 2014.Career yards from scrimmage: 14,468
Rushing yards: 9,796
Receiving yards: 4,672
Born: Dec. 10, 1985 (Lake Charles Louisiana)
High school: Slidell High School (Slidell, Louisiana)
College: Tulane
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 218 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (2008-17)
Teams: Chicago Bears (2008-15), New York Jets (2016-17)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Matt Forte was a little underrated. He had one of the shortest careers of any player on this list but was surprisingly durable all 10 seasons he was in the NFL.
Forte bulked up his yards from scrimmage by being one of the best pass-catching running backs in NFL history, including an eye-popping 102 catches for 808 yards in 2014.
29. Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility.Career yards from scrimmage: 14,608
Rushing yards: 28
Receiving yards: 14,580
Born: Aug. 25, 1972 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
High school: Roman Catholic High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College: Syracuse
Height/weight: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 1996-2008 (13 seasons)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2006)
Bottom line: Marvin Harrison is one of the best wide receivers of all time and holds 33 NFL career or single-season records.
One of two things kept him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer — either his abject lack of production in the playoffs, with just two touchdowns in 16 career playoff games, or a series of off-field incidents that culminated in the shooting death of Philadelphia drug dealer Dwight Dixon in 2009.
28. Jim Brown
Jim Brown led the NFL in rushing eight out of his nine seasons.Career yards from scrimmage: 14,811
Rushing yards: 12,312
Receiving yards: 2,499
Born: Feb. 17, 1936 (St. Simons, Georgia)
High school: Manhasset High School (Manhasset, New York)
College: Syracuse
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 232 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 9 seasons (1957-65)
Teams: Cleveland Browns
NFL titles: 1 (1964)
Bottom line: Considered by many to be the greatest football player of all time, Jim Brown is still the only player in NFL history to average over 100 rushing yards per game.
In just nine seasons, Brown led the NFL in rushing eight times and was NFL MVP three times. When filming the classic war movie "The Dirty Dozen" began to cut into the start of Cleveland Browns training camp in 1966, Brown was threatened with a fine by owner Art Modell.
Brown responded by retiring from football.
27. Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters played on three NFL teams and won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.Career yards from scrimmage: 14,891
Rushing yards: 10,643
Receiving yards: 4,248
Born: April 7, 1969 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
High school: Bishop McDevitt High School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
College: Notre Dame
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 211 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (1992-2001)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1991-94), Philadelphia Eagles (1995-97), Seattle Seahawks (1998-2001)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1994)
Bottom line: Modern football fans never had the pleasure of seeing Ricky Watters in his prime with his distinctive, high-stepping running style.
Watters was an undisputed winner on every level, winning a national championship at Notre Dame and a Super Bowl with the 49ers.
He has never been a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame, which can be blamed almost solely on several incidents where he had a perceived bad attitude.
26. LeSean McCoy
LeSean McCoy is one of several players on this list from the University of Pittsburgh.Career yards from scrimmage: 14,921
Rushing yards: 11,069
Receiving yards: 3,852
Born: July 12, 1988 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
High school: Bishop McDevitt High School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
College: Pittsburgh
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 210 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 12 seasons (2009-present)
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles (2009-14), Buffalo Bills (2015-18), Kansas City Chiefs (2019), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-present)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2019)
Bottom line: LeSean McCoy rushed for more yards than any running back in the NFL in the 2010s and had at least 300 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons.
McCoy's regular-season production is elite, but he's 0-4 in four playoff starts with Philadelphia and Buffalo and wasn't on the active roster for the Chiefs' run to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.
25. Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis won the Super Bowl in his final NFL game.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,111
Rushing yards: 13,662
Receiving yards: 1,449
Born: Feb. 16, 1972 (Detroit, Michigan)
High School: Mackenzie High School (Detroit, Michigan)
College: Notre Dame
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 255 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 13 seasons (1993-2005)
Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1993-95), Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-2005)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (2005)
Bottom line: Jerome Bettis, also known as "The Bus," was a nightmare load to tackle for opponents at 5-foot-11 and 255 pounds.
Bettis retired at No. 5 on the NFL's career rushing yards list and had one of the better endings to a career in league history, winning the only Super Bowl of his career in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, in his final NFL game.
24. Steve Smith
NFL fans know Steve Smith never backed down from a fight.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,118
Rushing yards: 387
Receiving yards: 14,731
Born: May 12, 1979 (Los Angeles, California)
High school: University High School (Los Angeles, California)
College: Utah
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 195 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 16 seasons (2001-16)
Teams: Carolina Panthers (2001-13), Baltimore Ravens (2014-16)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: You have to be next-level tough to make it to the NFL when you're just 5-foot-9.
So imagine what level of nasty Steve Smith had to bring to the table in crafting one of the greatest careers for a wide receiver in NFL history?
Smith's Hall of Fame candidacy will be an interesting case when he becomes eligible in 2021.
23. Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson was a load to tackle at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,121
Rushing yards: 11,438
Receiving yards: 3,683
Born: July 22, 1983 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
High school: Eldorado High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
College: Oregon State
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (2004-15)
Teams: St. Louis Rams (2004-12), Atlanta Falcons (2013-14), New England Patriots (2015)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Few running backs have possessed the combination of size, strength and speed that Steven Jackson brought to the table.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Oregon State product was also reliable — he has the NFL record for consecutive carries without a fumble — but rarely garnered postseason honors with only three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections.
22. Tim Brown
Tim Brown played 18 seasons in the NFL.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,124
Rushing yards: 190
Receiving yards: 14,934
Born: July 22, 1966 (Dallas, Texas)
High school: Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas, Texas)
College: Notre Dame
Height/weight: 6-foot, 195 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 18 seasons (1988-2004)
Teams: Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders (1988-2003), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Tim Brown was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy and was the NFL's premier return specialist in his first five seasons before reeling off nine straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Brown was as tough and consistent as any receiver in NFL history. Just look at his NFL-record 176 consecutive starts at the position.
21. Tony Gonzalez
Tony Gonzalez is the greatest tight end in NFL history but never got the chance to play in the Super Bowl.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,141
Rushing yards: 14
Receiving yards: 15,127
Born: Feb. 27, 1976 (Torrance, California)
High school: Huntington Beach High School (Huntingon Beach, California)
College: California
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 247 pounds
Position: Tight end
NFL career: 17 seasons (1997-2013)
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs (1997-2008), Atlanta Falcons (2009-13)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Tony Gonzalez is the only player to make this list who's not a running back or a wide receiver. It's really unfortunate the greatest tight end in NFL history never even played in a Super Bowl.
Gonzalez holds the NFL record for total receiving yards for a tight end and is third all-time for receptions behind Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald.
In 17 seasons that included 1,327 touches, Gonzalez only lost two fumbles.
20. Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn was as effective catching the ball as he was taking handoffs.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,306
Rushing yards: 10,967
Receiving yards: 4,339
Born: Jan. 5, 1975 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
High School: Catholic High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
College: Florida State
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 187 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 12 seasons (1997-2008)
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2001, 2008), Atlanta Falcons (2002-07)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Warrick Dunn was undersized but played as big as anyone on the field during his 12-year career. And he racked up big numbers in his own particular way.
In 12 NFL seasons, Dunn only rushed over 1,000 yards five times yet had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage 11 times.
19. Isaac Bruce
Isaac Bruce caught the game-winning pass for the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,347
Rushing yards: 139
Receiving yards: 15,208
Born: Nov. 11, 1972 (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
High school: Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
College: Memphis
Height/weight: 6-foot, 188 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 16 seasons (2994-2009)
Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1994-2007), San Francisco 49ers (2008-09)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1999)
Bottom line: Isaac Bruce scored 91 career touchdowns in 16 seasons, but the biggest catch of his career came on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIV that won the game for the St. Louis Rams.
In 2020, Bruce became the first player from the University of Memphis elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
18. Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson set the NFL single-season rushing record in 1984 with 2,105 yards.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,396
Rushing yards: 13,259
Receiving yards: 2,137
Born: Sept. 2, 1960 (Sealy, Texas)
High school: Sealy High School (Sealy, Texas)
College: SMU
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 11 seasons (1983-93)
Teams: Los Angeles Rams (1983-87), Indianapolis Colts (1987-91), Los Angeles Raiders (1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom Line: Eric Dickerson (and his goggles) helped define the 1980s in the NFL.
In his first seven seasons, first with the Los Angeles Rams and then with the Indianapolis Colts, Dickerson made six Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams and led the NFL in rushing four times.
Dickerson's 2,105 rushing yards in 1984 are still the NFL single-season record.
17. Randy Moss
Randy Moss led the NFL in receiving touchdowns five times.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,451
Rushing yards: 159
Receiving yards: 15,292
Born: Feb. 13, 1977 (Charleston, West Virginia)
High school: Dupont High School (Dupont City, West Virginia)
College: Marshall
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 14 seasons (1998-2010, 2012)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), Oakland Raiders (2005-06), New England Patriots (2007-10), Tennessee Titans (2010), San Francisco 49ers (2012)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: The NFL may have never seen a receiver quite like Randy Moss, with his once-in-a-lifetime combination of size, speed and athleticism.
Moss led the NFL in receiving touchdowns five times, including an NFL-record 23 touchdown receptions in 2007.
In 14 NFL seasons, Moss had at least 1,000 receiving yards 10 times and still holds or shares 24 NFL career records.
16. Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James led the NFL in rushing his first two seasons.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,610
Rushing yards: 12,246
Receiving yards: 3,364
Born: Aug. 1, 1978 (Immokalee, Florida)
High school: Immokalee High School (Immokalee, Florida)
College: Miami
Height/weight: 6-foot, 219 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 11 seasons (1999-2009)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts (1999-2005), Arizona Cardinals (2006-08), Seattle Seahawks (2009)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Edgerrin James led the NFL in rushing his first two seasons in the league. He also had over 500 receiving yards both seasons.
James rushed for over 1,000 yards in seven of his 11 NFL seasons and came up just 11 yards short of 1,000 yards in 2002, his first year back after he tore his ACL in the sixth game of the 2001 season.
15. Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber retired one year before the New York Giants won the Super Bowl.Career yards from scrimmage: 15,632
Rushing yards: 10,449
Receiving yards: 5,183
Born: April 7, 1975 (Roanoke, Virginia)
High school: Cave Spring High School (Roanoke, Virginia)
College: Virginia
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (1997-2006)
Teams: New York Giants
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Tiki Barber's legacy should be more than it is among Giants fans, but here's the problem — when you trash the team and the starting quarterback on the way out the door and they win the Super Bowl the next year, people aren't very forgiving.
That's exactly what Barber did. Having a bad take is one thing. Throwing your old teammates under the bus and not having the guts to do it to their face is another.
14. Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.Career yards from scrimmage: 16,185
Rushing yards: 251
Receiving yards: 15,934
Born: Dec. 7, 1973 (Alexander City, Alabama)
High School: Benjamin Russell High School (Alexander City, Alabama)
College: Tennessee-Chattanooga
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 224 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 15 seasons (1996-2010)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1996-2003), Philadelphia Eagles (2004-05), Dallas Cowboys (2006-08), Buffalo Bills (2009), Cincinnati Bengals (2010)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: The fact Terrell Owens alienated as many people as he did throughout his career and still was able to make the Hall of Fame is really a testament to the genius he brought to playing the wide receiver position.
How bad was Owens in the locker room? He had 983 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2010 in just 14 games and never got another NFL contract.
13. Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett won a Heisman Trophy, national championship and Super Bowl.Career yards from scrimmage: 16,293
Rushing yards: 12,739
Receiving yards: 3,554
Born: April 7, 1954 (Rochester, Pennsylvania)
High school: Hopewell High School (Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania)
College: Pittsburgh
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 192 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 12 seasons (1977-88)
Teams: Dallas Cowboys (1977-87), Denver Broncos (1988)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1977)
Bottom Line: Football fans of a certain age grew up watching Tony Dorsett's 99-yard touchdown run on Monday Night Football over and over again in highlights throughout their childhoods.
Dorsett is one of the greatest winners in football history — one of only two players to win a Heisman Trophy, national championship, Super Bowl and earn induction into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
12. Thurman Thomas
Thurman Thomas led Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowls.Career yards from scrimmage: 16,532
Rushing yards: 12,074
Receiving yards: 4,458
Born: May 16, 1966 (Houston, Texas)
High school: Willowridge High School (Houston, Texas)
College: Oklahoma State
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 206 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 13 seasons (1988-2000)
Teams: Buffalo Bills (1988-99), Miami Dolphins (2000)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Thurman Thomas had an epic career, in college and the pros, that was unfortunately overshadowed for different reasons.
In college, he was the teammate of Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State. In the pros, it was because he lost in four consecutive Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills.
Although he was the NFL MVP in 1991.
11. Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson was named NFL MVP in 2012.Career yards from scrimmage: 16,857
Rushing yards: 14,461
Receiving yards: 2,396
Born: March 21, 1985 (Palestine, Texas)
High school: Palestine High School (Palestine, Texas)
College: Oklahoma
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 14 seasons (2007-present)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings (2007-16), New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington Redskins (2018-19), Detroit Lions (2020-present)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Adrian Peterson is a seven-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro and was the NFL MVP in 2012, but he's never played in the Super Bowl and only played in one conference championship game, losing to the New Orleans Saints after the 2009 season.
Peterson has a complicated legacy. He was suspended for all but one game of the 2014 season for abusing his 4-year-old son.
10. Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald has played his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals.Career yards from scrimmage: 17,274
Rushing yards: 68
Receiving yards: 17,206
Born: Aug. 31, 1983 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
High school: Academy of Holy Angels (Richfield, Minnesota)
College: Pittsburgh
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 218 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 17 seasons (2004-present)
Teams: Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Larry Fitzgerald is one of the greatest receivers in NFL history and, as of 2020, is second in NFL career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns behind Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald, who is a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns, already owns or shares 14 NFL records, including most playoff games with over 150 receiving yards.
9. Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons.Career yards from scrimmage: 17,430
Rushing yards: 14,101
Receiving yards: 3,329
Born: May 1, 1973 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
High school: Allderdice High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
College: Pittsburgh
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 210 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 11 seasons (1995-2005)
Teams: New England Patriots (1995-97), New York Jets (1998-2006)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Curtis Martin was a model of consistency throughout his 11-year NFL career and one of only four players to rush for 14,000 yards in a career.
Martin averaged approximately 1,300 rushing yards per season through the first 10 years of his career before a knee injury cut short his 2005 season with 735 rushing yards and four games left to play.
8. Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen won the Heisman Trophy and was named NFL MVP in 1983.Career yards from scrimmage: 17,654
Rushing yards: 12,243
Receiving yards: 5,411
Born: March 26, 1960 (San Diego, California)
High school: Lincoln High School (San Diego, California)
College: USC
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 16 seasons (1982-97)
Teams: Los Angeles Raiders (1982-92), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-97)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1983)
Bottom line: Marcus Allen accomplished pretty much everything you can as a football player.
He is one of just two players, alongside Tony Dorsett, to win a Heisman Trophy, national championship, Super Bowl and be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Allen also was the NFL MVP in 1985 and the Super Bowl MVP following the 1983 season.
7. Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders didn't start at tailback until his senior year of high school.Career yards from scrimmage: 18,190
Rushing yards: 15,269
Receiving yards: 2,921
Born: July 16, 1968 (Wichita, Kansas)
High school: North High School (Wichita, Kansas)
College: Oklahoma State
Height/weight: 5-foot-8, 200 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (1989-98)
Teams: Detroit Lions
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: The argument for greatest running back of all time usually includes a short list of Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Jim Brown and Barry Sanders.
Like Brown, Sanders ended his career while he was still in his prime, retiring unexpectedly after the 1998 season and with the NFL's career rushing record well within his sights.
6. LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson set the NFL single-season record with 28 rushing touchdowns in 2006.Career yards from scrimmage: 18,456
Rushing yards: 13,684
Receiving yards: 4,772
Born: June 23, 1979 (Rosebud, Texas)
High school: University High School (Waco, Texas)
College: TCU
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 11 seasons (2001-11)
Teams: San Diego Chargers (2001-09), New York Jets (2010-11)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: LaDainian Tomlinson was a six-time All-Pro and named the NFL MVP in 2006 after setting an NFL single-season record with 28 career touchdowns.
Tomlinson was one of the greatest pass-catching running backs of all time. He finished his career with 4,772 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
He also threw seven touchdown passes in his career, second only behind Walter Payton.
5. Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year three times.Career yards from scrimmage: 19,154
Rushing yards: 12,279
Receiving yards: 6,875
Born: Feb. 26, 1973 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
High school: G.W. Carver High School (New Orleans, Louisiana)
College: San Diego State
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 210 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 10 seasons (1994-2005)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts (1994-98), St. Louis Rams (1999-2006)
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1999)
Bottom line: Marshall Faulk was recruited as a cornerback but was determined to play running back and went to the only school that would let him at San Diego State, where he was a three-time All-American.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft, Faulk was a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL MVP in 2000 and won a Super Bowl with the Rams.
4. Frank Gore
Frank Gore was the No. 3 career leading rusher in NFL history during the 2020 season.Career yards from scrimmage: 19,458
Rushing yards: 15,551
Receiving yards: 3,907
Born: May 14, 1983 (Miami, Florida)
High school: Coral Gables Senior High (Coral Gables, Florida)
College: Miami
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 215 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 16 seasons (2005-present)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (2005-14), Indianapolis Colts (2015-17), Miami Dolphins (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019), New York Jets (2020-present)
Super Bowl titles: None
Bottom line: Frank Gore was the oldest running back in the NFL in 2020 at 37 years old, playing for his fifth team and in his 16th season.
Gore's only All-Pro season came in 2006, when he had career highs in rushing yards (1,695) and receiving yards (485), and he's currently No. 3 on the NFL career rushing yards list.
3. Walter Payton
NFL great Walter Payton died in 1999 of a rare liver disease.Career yards from scrimmage: 21,264
Rushing yards: 16,726
Receiving yards: 4,538
Born: July 25, 1954 (Columbia, Mississippi)
Died: Nov. 1, 1999 (South Barrington, Illinois)
High school: Columbia High School (Columbia, Mississippi)
College: Jackson State
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 200 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 13 seasons (1975-87)
Teams: Chicago Bears
Super Bowl titles: 1 (1985)
Bottom line: "Sweetness" was possibly the greatest running back the NFL has ever seen.
Walter Payton rushed for at least 1,200 yards in 10 of the 13 seasons he played for the Chicago Bears, won NFL MVP in 1977 and a Super Bowl after the 1985 season. He also was no slouch catching passes out of the backfield, with 4,538 receiving yards.
Payton died of a rare liver disease in 1999, at just 45 years old.
2. Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith set the NFL career rushing record in 2002.Career yards from scrimmage: 21,579
Rushing yards: 18,355
Receiving yards: 3,224
Born: May 15, 1969 (Pensacola, Florida)
High school: Escambia High School (Pensacola, Florida)
College: Florida
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 210 pounds
Position: Running back
NFL career: 15 seasons (1990-2004)
Teams: Dallas Cowboys (1990-2002), Arizona Cardinals (2003-04)
Super Bowl titles: 3 (1992, 1993, 1995)
Bottom line: Emmitt Smith was one of four Hall of Famers on the offensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys during their dynasty of the early 1990s, winning three Super Bowls and being named NFL MVP in 1993.
Smith broke Walter Payton's NFL career rushing record in 2002, which he still holds, and is also the league's career leader in rushing touchdowns and rushing attempts.
1. Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and led the NFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns six times.Career yards from scrimmage: 23,540
Rushing yards: 645
Receiving yards: 22,895
Born: Oct. 13, 1962 (Starkville, Mississippi)
High school: Moor High School (Oktoc, Mississippi)
College: Mississippi Valley State
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
Position: Wide receiver
NFL career: 20 seasons (1985-2004)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1985-2000), Oakland Raiders (2001-04), Seattle Seahawks (2004)
Super Bowl titles: 3 (1988, 1989, 1994)
Bottom line: Simply the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and hopped across the bay to win an AFC championship with the Oakland Raiders in the twilight of his career.
Rice still holds NFL career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions and led the NFL in receiving six times and receiving touchdowns six times.