Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson made a run at history in 2012, but came up nine yards short in his bid to become the National Football League’s all-time single-season rushing leader. Here’s a look at where his remarkable season stacks up against the best in NFL history.
Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (1,833) — Arguably the best running back in NFL history, Sanders rushed for 1,883 yards in 1994. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 pro seasons and rushed for at least 1,500 yards five times. Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Ahman Green, Green Bay Packers (1,883) — Ahman Green, who spent the bulk of his 12-year NFL career with the Packers, had his best season in 2003 when he rushed for 1,883 yards and 15 touchdowns. Green made the Pro Bowl four straight seasons from 2001-2004.
Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers (1,934) — The hard-running Campbell, who led the NFL in rushing each of his first three seasons, rumbled for 1,934 yards in 1980. His special year included four games of at least 200 yards. The five-time Pro Bowler entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills (2,003) — Thurman Thomas is the Bills’ all-time leading rusher with 11,938 yards, but Simpson holds the top three single-season rushing records in team history. He ran for a career-best 2,003 yards in 1973 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (2,006) — In only his second season in the league in 2009, the speedy Johnson dashed for 2006 yards. Furthermore, his 2,509 yards from scrimmage set an NFL record. The explosive running back has five touchdown runs of at least 80 yards in his career.
Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (2,008) — In 1998, Davis dashed for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns and lead the Broncos to victory in Super Bowl XXXIII. Davis, who is Denver’s all-time leading rusher with 7,607 yards, holds one of only seven 2,000-yard rushing seasons in NFL history.
Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (2,053) — In 1997, Sanders bolted for a career-best 2,053 yards. To put that in perspective, he averaged 128.3 yards per game. Two years later, Sanders shockingly retired from football and finished his HOF career with the third-most rushing yards in NFL history at 15,269.
Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens (2,066) — Lewis piled up 2,066 yards in 2003. Incredibly, he gashed the Cleveland Browns for a combined 500 yards in two games. Lewis, who never rushed for more than 1,400 yards in any of his other eight seasons, is the Ravens’ all-time leading rusher with 7,801 yards.
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (2,097) — One season removed from reconstructive knee surgery, Peterson became the seventh player in NFL history to run for at least 2,000 yards in a season. He rushed for an astounding 1,598 in his last 10 games to lead the Vikings into the postseason.
Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (2,105) — Dickerson ran for an NFL-record 2,104 yards in 1984, only his second year in the league. By the time his carer was done, Dickerson rushed for 13,259 yards and was selected to six Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who grew up in Queens, N.Y. rooting for the Giants despite being surrounded by Jets fans. An avid fan of the NFL, he proudly wears his Rodney Hampton jersey on Sundays during the football season. Adam can be found on Twitter @PegCitySports.
Sources
Pro-Football-Reference.com.
The Official Site of the National Football League.
