These are the five best running backs between 1990 and 1999 in NFL history:
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.
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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.
