*The NFL is revealing the 100 greatest players and 10 greatest coaches in NFL history. Every Friday night at 8 ET through Dec. 27, NFL Network will announce the latest members of the All-Time Team during a one-hour special hosted by Rich Eisen and featuring Bill Belichick and Cris Collinsworth. *
Below are the 24 running back finalists for the All-Time Team. The 12 running backs on the All-Time Team will be revealed this Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network:
Marcus Allen (1982-1997)
2003 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Super Bowl XVIII MVP... NFL MVP in 1985... Six-time Pro Bowler... Two-time All-Pro... Career total 12,243 rush yards, 5,411 receiving yards, 145 TDs... First player in NFL history to rush for 10,000-plus yards and catch passes for 5,000 more... Selected No. 10 overall by Los Angeles Raiders in the 1982 NFL Draft... 1982 NFL Rookie of the Year... 1981 Heisman Trophy winner... Born March 26, 1960, in San Diego, CA.
Jerome Bettis (1993-2005)
2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Super Bowl XL Champion... Six-time Pro Bowler... Two-time All-Pro... Eight 1,000-plus yard seasons tied for 3rd-best in NFL history at retirement... 13,662 career rushing yards ranks 5th all-time... Leading rusher for Rams three seasons, Steelers eight times... 1999 Offensive Rookie of the Year... Finished 2nd in rushing, 3rd in total scrimmage yards in 1st season... Selected No. 10 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft... Born February 16, 1972 in Detroit, MI.
Jim Brown (1957-1965)
1971 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 1964 NFL Champion... Three-time NFL MVP... Eight-time NFL rushing champion... Eight-time All-NFL... Nine-time Pro Bowler... Career marks: 12,312 rush yards, 262 receptions, 15,459 combined scrimmage yards, 756 points scored... 1957 Rookie of the Year... Selected No. 6 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1957 NFL Draft... 1956 All-American at Syracuse University... Born February 17, 1936, in St. Simons, GA.
Earl Campbell (1978-1985)
1991 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Three-time consecutive Player of the Year, NFL rushing champion, All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection... Career-high 1,934 rush yards, including four games with 200 rush yards... Career stats: 9,407 rush yards, 74 rush TD, 121 receptions, 806 receiving yards... Selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1978 NFL Draft... 1977 Heisman Trophy winner... Two-time All-American at the University of Texas-Austin... Born March 29, 1955, in Tyler, TX.
Earl "Dutch" Clark (1931-1932; 1934-1938)
1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 1935 NFL Champion... Three-time NFL scoring champion... Named All-NFL in six of seven seasons... Scored 354 points on 42 TDs, 72 PATs, 10 FGs... NFL's last dropkicking specialist... Player-coach final two seasons... Born October 11, 1906 in Fowler, CO.
Eric Dickerson (1983-1993)
1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Five-time All-Pro... Six-time Pro Bowlers... Led league in rushing three times with Rams, once with Colts... Rushed for NFL-record 2,105 yards in 1984... Gained 1,800+ rush yards in three of his first four season... Retired as the 2nd all-time leading rusher with 13,259 yards on 2,996 carries... Selected No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1983 NFL Draft... Born September 2, 1960, in Sealy, TX.
Tony Dorsett (1977-1988)
1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Played in two Super Bowls and five NFC Championship games... Four-time Pro Bowler... 1981 All-NFL selection... 1982 NFC rushing champion... Career totals: 12,739 rush yards, 398 receptions for 3,554 yards, 16,293 combined scrimmage yards, 91 touchdowns... Ran record 99 yards for TD vs. Minnesota in 1982 season finale. Draft-day trade made him the Cowboys' No. 2 overall selection of the 1977 NFL Draft... 1976 Heisman Trophy winner... Born April 7, 1954, in Rochester, PA.
Marshall Faulk (1994-2005)
2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Super Bowl XXXIV Champion... 2000 NFL MVP... Three-time Offensive Player of the Year... Seven-time Pro Bowler... First player in NFL history to gain 2,000 scrimmage yards for four straight seasons (1998-2001)... Second in NFL history to eclipse 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving in same season, set then-record for yards from scrimmage (2,429) in 1999... Rushed for 1,000 yards in seven of first eight seasons... Rushed for 143 yards and scored three touchdowns in rookie debut... Selected No. 2 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1994 NFL Draft... Born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, LA.
Harold "Red" Grange (1925-1927; 1929-1934)
1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Three-time All-American, 1923-1925... Earned "Galloping Ghost" fame as whirling dervish runner at Illinois... Joined Bears on Thanksgiving Day, 1925... Magic name produced first huge pro football crowds on 17-game barnstorming tour... With manager, founded rival American Football League in 1926... Missed entire 1928 season with injury... Excelled on defense in later years... Born June 13, 1903, in Forksville, PA.
Franco Harris (1972-1984)
1990 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Four-time Super Bowl Champion... Super Bowl IX MVP... 1977 All-Pro... Nine-time Pro Bowler... Four-time All-AFC... Career record: 12,120 rush yards, 91 rush TDs; 2,287 receiving yards, nine TD catches; 14,622 combined scrimmage yards. 1,556 rush yards in 19 postseason games... 1972 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year... Selected No. 13 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1972 NFL Draft... Born March 7, 1950, in Fort Dix, NJ.
Hugh McElhenny (1952-1964)
1970 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 1958 Pro Bowl MVP... Six-time Pro Bowler... Five-time All-Pro... Gained 11,375 scrimmage yards in 13 years... Record includes 5,281 rush yards, 264 receptions, 360 points... Won All-NFL and Rookie of the Year in first season... Selected No. 9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1952 NFL Draft... Nicknamed "The King"... Born December 31, 1928, in Los Angeles, CA.
Lenny Moore (1956-1967)
1975 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Two-time NFL Champion... Seven-time Pro Bowler... five-time All-Pro... Named NFL Player of the Year and Comeback Player of Year in 1964... Amassed 12,451 scrimmage yards, 5,174 rush yards, 363 receptions for 6,039 yards... Scored 113 TDs, 678 points... Scored touchdowns in record 18 straight games from 1963-1965... 1956 Rookie of the Year... Selected No. 9 overall by the Baltimore Colts in the 1956 NFL Draft... Born November 25, 1933, in Reading, PA.
Marion Motley (1946-1953; 1955)
1968 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Four-time AAFC Champion... NFL Champion... Two-time All-Pro... 1951 Pro Bowl selection... 1950 All-NFL selection... All-time AAFC rushing champion... 1950 NFL rushing champion... Career record: 828 carries, 4,720 rush yards... Caught 85 passes and scored 234 points in nine seasons... Also played linebacker early in career... Born June 5, 1920, in Leesburg, GA.
Bronko Nagurski (1930-1937; 1943)
1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Three-time NFL Champion... Five-time All-NFL... Gained 4,031 rush yards in nine seasons... Caught two TD passes to help clinch Bears' 1933 NFL Championship... Helped 1943 Bears to 1943 NFL Championship after five-year retirement... Born November 3, 1908, in Rainy River, Ontario.
Walter Payton (1975-1987)
1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Super Bowl XX Champion... 1977 NFL MVP... Nine-time Pro Bowler... Seven-time All-Pro... Retired as all-time leader in rushing, combined scrimmage yards (including kick/punt returns)... Career stats: 16,726 rush yards, 110 rush TDs; 492 receptions for 4,538 yards; 21,803 combined scrimmage yards; 125 touchdowns... Held single-game rushing record of 275 yards... Had 77 games over 100 rush yards... Selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1975 NFL Draft... Born July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi.
Adrian Peterson (2007-current)
2012 NFL MVP... Seven-time Pro Bowler... Four-time All-Pro... Rushed for NFL single-game record 296 yards on November 4, 2007... Posted 2,097 rush yards in 2012 (2nd-most in NFL history), one of 7 players to rush for 2,000+ yards in season... Led NFL in rush yards in 2008, 2012 and 2015... Entered 2019 season with 13,318 rush yards (8th all-time), 106 rush TD (T-5th)... Eight-time 1,000-yard rusher... Selected No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2007 NFL Draft... Born March 21, 1985, in Palestine, TX.
Barry Sanders (1989-1998)
2004 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 1997 NFL MVP... 10-time Pro Bowler... Six-time All-Pro... Career rushing record: 15,269 yards, 99 rush TDs... First player to rush for 1,000 yards his first 10 seasons... Led NFL in rushing four times... Gained 2,053 yards, including record 14 straight 100-yard games in 1997... First or second-team All-NFL each of his 10 seasons... Selected No. 3 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1989 NFL Draft... Born July 16, 1968, in Wichita, KS.
Gale Sayers (1965-1971)
1977 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Four-time Pro Bowler... Three-time Pro Bowl Player of the Game... Five-time All-NFL... Named All-Time NFL Halfback in 1969... Career totals: 9,435 combined scrimmage yards, 4,956 rush yards, 336 points... Led NFL rushers in 1966 and 1969... NFL lifetime leader in kickoff return yard average (30.6)... Scored rookie record 22 TDs, 132 points in 1965... In 1965, was selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft and No. 5 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Draft... Born May 30, 1943, in Wichita, KS.
O.J. Simpson (1969-1979)
1985 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Six-time Pro Bowler... 1973 Pro Bowl Player of the Game... Five-time unanimous All-Pro from 1972-1976, topping 1,000 rush yards... Won four NFL rushing titles... Career record: 11,236 rush yards, 203 receptions, 990 kickoff return yards, 14,368 combined scrimmage yards... Career highlighted by 2,003 rush yards in 1973... Selected No. 1 overall in the 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft... 1968 Heisman Trophy winner... Born July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, CA.
Emmitt Smith (1990-2004)
2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Three-time Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)... 1993 NFL and Super Bowl XXVIII MVP... Won NFL rushing crowns in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995... Led NFL in rush TDs 3 times... Named first-team All-Pro 1992-1995... 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons... Became NFL's all-time rushing leader in 2002... Career totals: 18,355 rush yards and 164 rush TDs; also had 515 receptions... Selected No. 17 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990 NFL Draft... Born May 15, 1969, in Pensacola, FL.
Jim Taylor (1958-1967)
1976 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Four-time NFL Champion... Super Bowl I Champion... 1962 NFL MVP... Rushed for 8,597 yards, caught 225 passes, amassed 10,539 combined scrimmage yards, scored 558 points... 1,000-yard rusher for five straight seasons from 1960-1964... Led NFL rushers, scorers, had record 19 rush TDs in 1962... Selected in the second round (No. 15 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 1958 NFL Draft... Born September 20, 1935, in Baton Rouge, LA.
Thurman Thomas (1988-2000)
2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 1991 NFL MVP... Five-time Pro Bowler... Two-time All-Pro... All-AFC 1989-1993... Led NFL in total scrimmage yards a record four consecutive seasons... Rushed for 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons... Career numbers include 12,074 rush yards and 16,532 all-purpose yards... Selected in the second round (No. 40 overall) by the Buffalo Bills in the 1988 NFL Draft... Born on May 16, 1966 in Houston, TX.
LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-2011)
2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... 2006 NFL MVP... Five-time Pro Bowler... Three-time All-Pro... Back-to-back rushing titles in 2006 and 2007... Rushed for 1,000 yards in each of first eight NFL seasons... Scored 10 or more rush TDs each season with Chargers... Set NFL record with rush TDs in 18 straight games (2004-2005)... Career: 13,684 career yards on 3,174 carries and 145 rush TDs... 4,772 receiving yards on 624 catches and 17 receiving TDs... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team of 2000s... Selected No. 5 overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft... Born June 23, 1979 in Rosebud, TX.
Steve Van Buren (1944-1951)
1965 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Two-time NFL Champion... All-NFL six straight seasons... Won NFL rushing title four times... Surpassed 1,000 yards in rushing twice... Scored only TD in 7-0 NFL Championship game in 1948... Career mark: 5,860 rush yards, 464 points scored... 1944 punt return, 1945 kickoff return champion... Rushed for then-record 196 yards in 1949 finale... Selected No. 5 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1944 NFL Draft... Born December 28, 1920, in La Ceiba, Honduras.
