The Best Running Backs of All‑Time

In the Super Bowl Era

Since 1980, there have been 19 Modern-Era Running Backs honored by the Hall of Fame, with an average Legends Score of 41. For a list of other positions, click here.

Player	Pos	Status	Legends Score	Avg/Year
Jim Brown	RB		88	9.78
Walter Payton	RB		82	6.31
Barry Sanders	RB		76	7.6
Emmitt Smith	RB		63	4.2
Adrian Peterson	RB	Eligible 2027	57	3.8
O.J. Simpson	RB		55	5
LaDainian Tomlinson	RB		53	4.82
Terrell Davis	RB		44	6.29
Lenny Moore	RB		44	3.67
Ollie Matson	RB		43	2.87
Frank Gifford	RB		43	3.31
Thurman Thomas	RB		42	3.23
Eric Dickerson	RB		41	3.73
Gale Sayers	RB		41	5.86
Marshall Faulk	RB		40	3.33
Earl Campbell	RB		38	4.75
Franco Harris	FB		37	2.85
Jim Taylor	RB		37	3.7
Hugh McElhenny	RB		37	2.85
Leroy Kelly	RB		36	3.6
Paul Hornung	RB		36	3.6
Marcus Allen	RB		36	2.25
Edgerrin James	RB		30	2.73
Alan Ameche	RB	Eligible 1966	30	5
Shaun Alexander	RB	Eligible 2014	29	3.22
LeSean McCoy	RB	Eligible 2026	28	2.33
Larry Csonka	FB		26	2.17
Marshawn Lynch	RB	Eligible 2025	25	1.92
Mike Alstott	FB	Eligible 2012	24	2.18
Larry Brown	RB	Eligible 1982	23	2.88
John Riggins	RB		23	1.53
Roger Craig	RB	Eligible 1999	21	1.91
Frank Gore	RB	Eligible 2026	20	1.25
Le'Veon Bell	RB	Eligible 2027	19	2.11
Jerome Bettis	RB		19	1.46
John David Crow	RB	Eligible 1974	19	1.73
Priest Holmes	RB	Eligible 2013	18	1.64
Ottis Anderson	RB	Eligible 1998	18	1.29
Darren Sproles	RB	Eligible 2025	18	1.2
Vonta Leach	FB	Eligible 2019	18	1.8
Clem Daniels	RB	Eligible 1974	18	2
Lorenzo Neal	FB	Eligible 2014	17	1.06
Jamaal Charles	RB	Eligible 2024	17	1.55
Christian McCaffrey	RB	Active	16	2.29
Paul Lowe	RB	Eligible 1975	16	1.6
Chuck Foreman	FB	Eligible 1986	16	2
Curtis Martin	RB		16	1.45
Jamal Lewis	RB	Eligible 2015	15	1.5
Tony Dorsett	RB		15	1.25
Don Perkins	FB	Eligible 1974	14	1.75
Todd Gurley	RB	Eligible 2026	13	2.17
Kyle Juszczyk	FB	Active	13	1.18
Rick Casares	RB	Eligible 1972	13	1.08
Mike Tolbert	FB	Eligible 2023	13	1.3
Derrick Henry	RB	Active	12	1.5
Brian Mitchell	RB	Eligible 2009	12	0.86
Cookie Gilchrist	RB	Eligible 1973	12	2
Abner Haynes	RB	Eligible 1973	12	1.5
Eddie George	RB	Eligible 2010	12	1.33
Arian Foster	RB	Eligible 2022	12	1.5
Calvin Hill	RB	Eligible 1987	12	0.92
Curt Warner	RB	Eligible 1996	12	1.5
John Kuhn	FB	Eligible 2023	11	0.92
John Brockington	FB	Eligible 1983	11	1.57
Alvin Kamara	RB	Active	11	1.57
Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Active	11	1.38
Vai Sikahema	RB	Eligible 1999	10	1.25
Jon Arnett	RB	Eligible 1972	10	1
Michael Turner	RB	Eligible 2018	10	1.11
Leon Washington	RB	Eligible 2020	10	1.11
William Andrews	FB	Eligible 1992	10	1.25
Le'Ron McClain	FB	Eligible 2019	10	1.43
Bill Brown	FB	Eligible 1980	10	0.71
Glyn Milburn	RB	Eligible 2007	10	1.11
Larry Johnson	RB	Eligible 2017	10	1.11
Tony Richardson	FB	Eligible 2016	9	0.56
Chris Warren	RB	Eligible 2006	9	0.82
Lydell Mitchell	RB	Eligible 1986	9	1
Billy Sims	RB	Eligible 1990	9	1.8
Dick Bass	FB	Eligible 1975	9	0.9
Ray Rice	RB	Eligible 2019	9	1.5
Steven Jackson	RB	Eligible 2021	9	0.75
Tommy Mason	RB	Eligible 1977	8	0.73
Freeman McNeil	RB	Eligible 1998	8	0.67
Maurice Jones-Drew	RB	Eligible 2020	8	0.89
Alex Webster	RB	Eligible 1970	8	0.8
Tiki Barber	RB	Eligible 2012	8	0.8
Sam Gash	FB	Eligible 2009	8	0.67
Chris Johnson	RB	Eligible 2023	8	0.8
Wilbert Montgomery	RB	Eligible 1991	8	0.89
Herschel Walker	RB	Eligible 2003	8	0.67
Lawrence McCutcheon	RB	Eligible 1987	8	0.8
DeMarco Murray	RB	Eligible 2023	8	1.14
Tom Woodeshick	FB	Eligible 1978	7	0.7
Patrick Ricard	FB	Active	7	1
Barry Foster	RB	Eligible 2000	7	1.4
Delvin Williams	RB	Eligible 1987	7	0.88
Joe Morris	RB	Eligible 1997	7	0.7
Christian Okoye	FB	Eligible 1998	7	1.17
Ken Willard	FB	Eligible 1980	7	0.7
Ovie Mughelli	FB	Eligible 2017	7	1
John Henry Johnson	RB		7	0.54
Brian Westbrook	RB	Eligible 2016	7	0.78
Josh Jacobs	RB	Active	7	1.4
Otis Armstrong	RB	Eligible 1986	7	0.88
Ahman Green	RB	Eligible 2015	7	0.58
Nick Chubb	RB	Active	7	1.17
George Rogers	RB	Eligible 1993	7	1
Fred Beasley	FB	Eligible 2011	7	0.88
Neal Anderson	RB	Eligible 1999	7	0.88
Mack Strong	FB	Eligible 2013	7	0.5
Ron A. Johnson	RB	Eligible 1981	7	1
Leonard Weaver	RB	Eligible 2016	6	1
J.D. Smith	RB	Eligible 1972	6	0.55
Stephen Davis	RB	Eligible 2012	6	0.55
Gerald Riggs	RB	Eligible 1997	6	0.6
David Johnson	RB	Active	6	0.67
Terry Metcalf	RB	Eligible 1987	6	0.67
Doug Martin	RB	Eligible 2024	6	0.86
Timmy Brown	RB	Eligible 1974	6	0.6
William Henderson	FB	Eligible 2012	6	0.5
Jamal Anderson	RB	Eligible 2007	6	0.75
Ricky Williams	RB	Eligible 2017	6	0.46
Charles White	RB	Eligible 1994	6	0.67
Jonathan Taylor	RB	Active	6	1.5
Tom Tracy	RB	Eligible 1970	5	0.56
Johnny Roland	FB	Eligible 1979	5	0.63
Earnest Byner	RB	Eligible 2003	5	0.36
Floyd Little	RB		5	0.56
Devonta Freeman	RB	Active	5	0.5
Bill Johnson	RB	Eligible 1993	5	1.67
Alfred Morris	RB	Eligible 2026	5	0.56
Robert Smith	RB	Eligible 2006	5	0.63
Clinton Portis	RB	Eligible 2016	5	0.56
Marcel Reece	FB	Eligible 2022	5	0.56
Greg Pruitt	RB	Eligible 1990	5	0.42
Tony Nathan	RB	Eligible 1993	5	0.56
Ricky Watters	RB	Eligible 2007	5	0.5
Marion Butts	RB	Eligible 2001	5	0.71

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