List of National Football League season rushing yards leaders

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).