List of NFL rushing champions
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The National Football League rushing champion is the player – usually a running back – who gains the most rushing yards from scrimmage in the regular season.
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[edit] Rushing titles by season
Numbers in parentheses next to a player's name indicate multiple titles for that player.[1]
NFL denotes National Football League (1920–present)
AAFC denotes All-America Football Conference (1946–1949)
AFL denotes American Football League (1960–1969)
| = Hall of Famer | |
| = Team Won Championship |
[edit] Players with multiple rushing titles
- Jim Brown: 8 (Cleveland Browns - 1957-1961, 1963–1965)
- Eric Dickerson: 4 (Los Angeles Rams - 1983-1984, 1986; Indianapolis Colts - 1988)
- Barry Sanders: 4 (Detroit Lions - 1990, 1994, 1996–1997)
- O.J. Simpson: 4 (Buffalo Bills - 1972-1973, 1975–1976)
- Emmitt Smith: 4 (Dallas Cowboys - 1991-1993, 1995)
- Steve Van Buren: 4 (Philadelphia Eagles - 1945, 1947–1949)
- Earl Campbell: 3 (Houston Oilers - 1978-1980)
- Joe Perry: 3 (San Francisco 49ers - 1949*, 1953-1954)
- Cliff Battles: 2 (Boston/Washington Redskins - 1932, 1937)
- Bill Dudley: 2 (Pittsburgh Steelers - 1942, 1946)
- Cookie Gilchrist: 2 (Buffalo Bills (AFL) - 1962, 1964)
- Edgerrin James: 2 (Indianapolis Colts - 1999-2000)
- Leroy Kelly: 2 (Cleveland Browns - 1967-1968)
- Marion Motley: 2 (Cleveland Browns - 1948*, 1950)
- Jim Nance: 2 (Boston Patriots (AFL) - 1966-1967)
- Bill Paschal: 2 (New York Giants - 1943-1944)
- Gayle Sayers: 2 (Chicago Bears - 1966, 1969)
- LaDainian Tomlinson: 2 (San Diego Chargers - 2006-2007)
- Byron "Whizzer" White: 2 (Pittsburgh Pirates - 1938; Detroit Lions - 1940)
- *AAFC rushing title
[edit] Consecutive rushing titles
There have been twelve occurrences in which a player has won two or more consecutive rushing titles.
5 consecutive titles:
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- Jim Brown (1957-'61); Brown is the only player to lead the league in rushing more than three consecutive times.
3 consecutive titles:
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- Steve Van Buren (1947-'49)
- Jim Brown (1963-'65)
- Earl Campbell (1978-'80)
- Emmitt Smith (1991-'93)
Back-to-back titles:
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- Bill Paschal (1943-'44)
- Joe Perry (1953-'54)
- Jim Nance (1966-'67)
- Leroy Kelly (1967-'68)
- O.J. Simpson (twice, 1972-'73 & 1975-'76)
- Eric Dickerson (1983-'84)
- Barry Sanders (1996-'97)
- Edgerrin James (1999-2000)
- LaDainian Tomlinson (2006-'07)
Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown won 8 rushing titles in nine seasons. O.J. Simpson and Emmitt Smith won four rushing titles in five seasons; Eric Dickerson won 4 in six seasons.
[edit] Rushing titles with different teams
Two players have won rushing titles with two different teams.
- Byron "Whizzer" White: Pittsburgh Pirates & Detroit Lions
- Eric Dickerson: Los Angeles Rams & Indianapolis Colts
[edit] 2000 yard rushing seasons
Six players have run for more than 2,000 yards in the regular season. O.J. Simpson is the only player to have done so in a 14-game season; the others did so in 16-game seasons. No season to date has produced more than one 2,000-yard rusher. No franchise has had more than one 2,000 yard rusher.
- Eric Dickerson, 1984, Los Angeles Rams: 2,105 yards
- Jamal Lewis, 2003, Baltimore Ravens: 2,066
- Barry Sanders, 1997, Detroit Lions: 2,053
- Terrell Davis, 1998, Denver Broncos: 2,008
- Chris Johnson, 2009, Tennessee Titans: 2,006
- O.J. Simpson, 1973, Buffalo Bills: 2,003
[edit] Rookie Rushing Champions
Since 1955, nine players have won either the AFL or NFL rushing title in their first season:
- Alan Ameche, 1955, Baltimore Colts
- Jim Brown, 1957, Cleveland Browns (won title in first five seasons)
- Abner Haynes, 1960, Dallas Texans
- Cookie Gilchrist, 1962, Buffalo Bills
- Paul Robinson, 1968, Cincinnati Bengals
- Earl Campbell, 1978, Houston Oilers (won title in first three seasons)
- George Rogers, 1981, New Orleans Saints
- Eric Dickerson, 1983, Los Angeles Rams (won title in first two seasons)
- Edgerrin James, 1999, Indianapolis Colts (won title in first two seasons)
[edit] Heisman Trophy Winning Rushing Champions
Eight players have won both a Heisman Trophy, and an AFL/NFL rushing title:
- Alan Ameche (won Heisman 1954, won NFL rushing title 1955)
- Billy Cannon (won Heisman 1959, won AFL rushing title 1961)
- O.J. Simpson (won Heisman 1968, won NFL rushing titles 1972-73, 1975-76)
- Earl Campbell (won Heisman 1977, won NFL rushing titles 1978-80)
- George Rogers (won Heisman 1980, won NFL rushing title 1981)
- Charles White (won Heisman 1979, won NFL rushing title 1987)
- Barry Sanders (won Heisman 1988, won NFL rushing titles 1990, 1994, 1996-97)
- Ricky Williams (won Heisman 1998, won NFL rushing title 2002)
[edit] Franchises without Rushing Champions
Only three active NFL franchises have not produced a rushing champion in either the AFL or NFL; incidentally, all three currently play in the NFC South, and began play after 1965:
- Atlanta Falcons, inaugural season: 1966
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, inaugural season: 1976
- Carolina Panthers, inaugural season: 1996
The Cleveland Browns have produced the most rushing champions, with 12 (although the last Cleveland player to win the rushing title did so in 1968).
[edit] See also
- NFL records
- NFL records (individual)
- List of National Football League rushing yards leaders
- List of NFL teams with multiple 1000 yard rushers
[edit] References
- ^ ProFootballReference.com
- ^ 1937 NFL Championship
- ^ 1948 NFL Championship
- ^ 1948 AAFC Championship
- ^ 1949 NFL Championship
- ^ 1950 NFL Championship
- ^ 1961 AFL Championship
- ^ 1962 NFL Championship
- ^ 1964 NFL Championship
- ^ 1964 AFL Championship
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: Charles White
- ^ Super Bowl XXVII
- ^ Super Bowl XXVIII
- ^ won Super Bowl XXX
- ^ won Super Bowl XXXIII
