- Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winning American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the NFL. Sanders is best known for being among the most prolific running backs in NFL history who notoriously cut his career short in its prime, leaving him just short of Walter Payton's all-time rushing record (since broken by Emmitt Smith).
- Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (born April 7, 1975 in Roanoke, Virginia) is a news and sports broadcaster, author, and former American football running back for the New York Giants. Tiki retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the franchise's all-time rushing and reception leader. On February 13 he was formally introduced as a member of NBC's "Today Show" and "Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football".
- Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back for the Chicago Bears. Payton, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, distinguished himself as one of the National Football League’s most productive and memorable players. He also set many rushing records during his professional and collegiate career. After a standout career at Jackson State University, The Bears drafted Payton with the fourth overall selection in the 1975 NFL Draft.
- Ladainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is an American football player who currently plays running back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. Tomlinson, frequently called "LT", set several records during the 2006 NFL season by scoring a league-leading 186 points through 31 touchdowns. He received additional honors by winning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award and the Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year Award.
- Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15 1969 in Pensacola, Florida) is a former American football player, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Smith is a three time Super Bowl champion and the NFL's all time rushing leader, a record formerly held by his childhood hero Walter Payton. Smith surpassed Payton on October 27, 2002 against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium. He is the only running back to ever have won a Super Bowl championship, …
- Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. (born May 21, 1977 in San Diego, California) is an American football running back whose NFL rights are held by the Miami Dolphins. He was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Texas.
- Eddie George
Edward Nathan George, Jr. (born September 24, 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former American football running back of the NFL. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys. He is best known for his career with Tennessee Titans.
- O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947) (also known by his nickname, The Juice) is a retired American football player who achieved stardom at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He later worked as an actor, spokesperson and broadcaster. Simpson is infamous for having been tried for the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994.
- Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960 in San Diego, California) is a former American football player, and until recently affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,411 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997. He scored 145 touchdowns including a then league record 123 rushing touchdowns and was elected to six Pro Bowls when he retired.
- Jim Brown
Jim Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. He is universally acclaimed as one of the best running backs of all time, and in 2002 was named by "The Sporting News" as the greatest professional football player ever.
- Doak Walker
Ewell Doak Walker, Jr. (January 1 1927 - September 27 1998) was an American football player. He was born in Dallas, Texas and attended Highland Park High School in Dallas where he was a multi-sport athlete. Both he and future college and National Football League star Bobby Layne were on the Highland Park football team.
- Archie Griffin
Archie Mason Griffin (born August 21, 1954) is a former American football running back and college football's only two-time Heisman trophy winner. Griffin won four Big Ten Conference titles with the Ohio State Buckeyes and is the only player ever to start in four Rose Bowls.
- Tony Dorsett
Anthony Drew Dorsett (born April 7, 1954 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania), and lived in Hopewell Township, PA. Tony is a former American football running back who was a star in High School Football at Hopewell High School and in college football at the the University of Pittsburgh. In the NFL, he had a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.
- Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a former football player in the National Football League. He played football in college for San Diego State University, before being drafted second overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1994 NFL Draft. Following the 1998 season Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Rams. Marshall is one of the few players to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in his career.
- Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred “Reggie” Bush II, nicknamed 'The President', alluding to President Bush, is an American football player who plays for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He has played Running Back/Tailback, Wide Receiver, Kick Returner and Punt Returner. On December 8, 2005, Bush was awarded the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award. On December 10, Bush won the Heisman Trophy, beating finalists Vince Young and former Heisman winner and teammate Matt Leinart.
- Fred Taylor
Frederick Antwon Taylor (born January 27, 1976, in Pahokee, Florida) is a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football team.
- Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon (born October 24, 1974 in Seattle, Washington) is a American football running back who recently asked to be released by the New England Patriots making him a free agent. Dillon attended the University of Washington and wears the number 28.
- Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (November 3, 1908 - January 7, 1990) was an American football player of Ukrainian Canadian origin. He was also a famous professional wrestler, being one of the first football players to succeed as a professional wrestler. In professional wrestling, he was a multiple-time World Heavyweight Champion.
- Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander (born August 30, 1977 in Florence, Kentucky) is an American football player in the National Football League. He currently is the starting running back for the Seattle Seahawks.
- Larry Johnson
Larry Alphonso Johnson, Jr. (born November 19, 1979 in La Plata, Maryland), often nicknamed as L.J., is an American football running back who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League.
- Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2 1960 in Sealy, Texas) is a former professional running back in the National Football League (NFL) who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.
- Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979 in Waco, Texas) is an American football running back who plays for the Oakland Raiders. He went to Midwestern State University.
- Steve Smith
Steven Anthony Smith (born August 30, 1964 in Washington, DC) is a former professional American football running back for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He also played for the Penn State Nittany Lions during his collegiate career. Smith was a third-round draft choice of the Raiders in the 1987 NFL Draft, the spring after he helped the Nittany Lions to a national championship.
- Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James, nicknamed “The Edge” or just “Edge”, is an American football player who currently plays running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.
- Franco Harris
Franco Harris (b. March 7, 1950) is a Hall of Fame American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey. His father, who was African-American, met his Italian mother in Italy at the end of World War II. Harris went to Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and then attended Penn State University. While playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions, …
- Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne (born March 14, 1978 in Berlin, New Jersey) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the NFL. He is best known for holding the NCAA record for career rushing yards and a memorable performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 2005 as a member of Denver Broncos.
- Thomas Jones
Thomas Quinn Jones (born August 19, 1978 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia) is an American football running back for the New York Jets. He is an alumnus of the University of Virginia, where he set numerous rushing records. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Jones as the seventh pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. After three years in Arizona, Jones spent a year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing a multi-year contract with the Chicago Bears as a free agent in 2004.
- Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973 in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is an American football running back who is currently a member of the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL.
- Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin (born May 1, 1973 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), is an American football running back, an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh, and currently plays for the NFL's New York Jets. He has not played since week 12 of the 2005 season, after aggravating a knee injury originally suffered in the second game of that season. He has stated that his career is almost certainly over.
- Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis (born August 26, 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American football running back in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. He attended the University of Tennessee and wears number 31. Lewis was the fifth pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and in his rookie season, rushed for over 1,000 yards, supplanting Priest Holmes as the team's starting RB.
- Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972 in San Diego, California) is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round (196th pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher with 7,607 rushing yards.
- Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955) is a former professional American Football running back and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His nickname is The Tyler Rose, a reference to his hometown of Tyler, Texas which is known as the "Rose Capital of America" for its prominent place in the rose-growing industry. He went to John Tyler High School.
- John Riggins
Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949 in Seneca, Kansas) is a former American football running back in the NFL, playing from 1971-1985. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
- Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson (born July 1, 1979 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American football running back. He currently plays for the Chicago Bears as the second string running back behind Cedric Benson. He has also served as a special teams standout for the Chicago Bears the past few years. Adrian Peterson was a two-time all-state, all-area selection and team MVP at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, …
- Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram Bettis, nicknamed "The Bus" (born February 16, 1972 in Detroit, Michigan), is a former American football halfback for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs of his era, and is fifth on the National Football League's all-time rushing list. He retired in 2006 after a Super Bowl victory. Bettis attended Mackenzie High School in Detroit, and the University of Notre Dame.
- Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson (born January 19, 1957 in West Palm Beach, Florida), is a retired American football running back. He was named The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press in 1979 and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants.
- Red Grange
Harold (Red) Edward Grange (June 13, 1903 - January 28, 1991), was a professional and college American football player. He was a charter member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Stephen Davis
Stephen Davis (born March 1, 1974, in Spartanburg, South Carolina), is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League.
- Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama) is an American athlete and a former multi-sport professional. Jackson played at the highest level of sports in the United States in both American football and baseball. In football, Jackson played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. In baseball, Jackson played left field and designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, …
- Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown (born December 12, 1981 in Rome, Georgia) is an American football running back who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Dolphins in the first round (second overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Auburn.