- 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.
Contents
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 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)
- 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)
- Jim Nance: 2 (Boston Patriots (AFL) - 1966-1967)
- Bill Paschal: 2 (New York Giants - 1943-1944)
- Joe Perry: 2 (San Francisco 49ers - 1953-1954)
- 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)
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.
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
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
Rookie Rushing Champions
Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, four players have won the rushing title in their first NFL season.
- Earl Campbell, 1978, Houston Oilers
- George Rogers, 1981, New Orleans Saints
- Eric Dickerson, 1983, Los Angeles Rams
- Edgerrin James, 1999, Indianapolis Colts
See also
- NFL records (individual)
- NFL records (team)
- List of National Football League rushing yards leaders
References
Categories:- National Football League lists
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