List of NFL rushing champions

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.

Rushing titles by season
Numbers in parentheses next to a player's name indicate multiple titles for that player.

NFL denotes National Football League (1920–present)

AAFC denotes All-America Football Conference (1946–1949)

AFL denotes American Football League (1960–1969)

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

Consecutive rushing titles
There have been twelve occurrences in which a player has won two or more consecutive rushing titles.

5 consecutive titles:
 * Jim Brown (1957-'61); Brown is the only player to lead the league in rushing more than three consecutive times.

3 consecutive titles:
 * Steve Van Buren (1947-'49)
 * Jim Brown (1963-'65)
 * Earl Campbell (1978-'80)
 * Emmitt Smith (1991-'93)

Back-to-back titles:
 * 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 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)

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)

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: 1995

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).