While today’s NFL is a passing league, in the 1990s, the running back was king. And these backs often meant the difference between winning and losing; seven of the ten Super Bowl winners in the ‘90s had a 1,000-yard rusher. It’s a tough task, but I’ll try my best to pick out the ten best backs from the decade.
10. Eddie George, TEN
Only tenth on this list because he entered the league too late, George was absolutely dominant right away in 1996 when he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. He rushed for at least 1,200 yards every season from 1996 to 1999 and continued to ball in the 2000s.
9. Chris Warren, SEA/DAL
Warren was a consistent force in Seattle and an effective change-of-pace back in Dallas. He rushed for 1,000 yards four years in a row for the Seahawks, including a career-high 1,545 in 1994. And he remained effective even on a reduced workload later in his career.
8. Ricky Watters, SF/PHI/SEA
Watters played wide receiver at Notre Dame, which made him one of the first running backs in the NFL to be truly scary as a pass-catcher. He enjoyed productive stints with the 49ers, Eagles, and Seahawks, doing major damage as both a runner and a receiver.
7. Jerome Bettis, LAR/PIT
A true bellcow, Bettis won Rookie of the Year in 1993 and never looked back. He picked up 1,000 rushing yards every year he played in the ‘90s outside of 1995, when the Rams began phasing him out of the offense before trading him away.
6. Marshall Faulk, IND/STL
Faulk was a dual threat back like Watters, but so much better. The only reason Faulk isn’t higher on this list is because he reached his pinnacle in the early 2000s. With that being said, his mid-’90s tenure with the Colts was excellent, and his 1999 season with the Rams – over 1,000 yards each rushing and receiving – was the beginning of something very special.
5. Terrell Davis, DEN
Davis had his career cut short by injury, but his on-field play left no doubt of his talents. The former Georgia Bulldog exploded in Denver behind Mike Shanahan’s zone-blocking running scheme, rushing for 1,500, 1,700, and 2,000 yards in 1996, ‘97, and ‘98, respectively.
4. Curtis Martin, NE/NYJ
Martin was an electrifying back – a nightmare to tackle in space but packing more power than defenses might have expected. His consistency was also remarkable – he rushed for over 1,100 yards every year from his rookie season in 1995 through 1999.
3. Emmitt Smith, DAL
The NFL’s all-time leading rusher with a whopping 18,355 career yards and the 1993 NFL MVP, Smith was a tough man to tackle and had great speed to boot. The only reason he isn’t higher is because of his situation in Dallas; amazing offensive line play and great defense gave him lots of opportunities to produce.
2. Thurman Thomas, BUF
Like Smith, Thomas was the engine of one of the NFL’s best offenses in the ‘90s. However, he had to do it in a slightly worse situation and was the better pass-catcher of the pair as well. He dominated games as both a runner and a receiver and thoroughly deserved his 1991 MVP award.
1. Barry Sanders, DET
In my opinion, there has never been a better running back than Barry Sanders, and it’s possible that there never will be. The guy was absolutely undefendable despite playing for some horrendous Detroit teams and remained that way for his entire 10-year career. He made the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in all of 10 seasons and averaged over 1,500 yards (!!!) during that span.
