The 2,000-yard club is a group of eight National Football League (NFL) running backs who have rushed for 2,000 yards or more in a regular season.[1] These eight rushing seasons rank as the highest single-season rushing totals in NFL history,[2] and reaching the 2,000-yard mark is considered a significant achievement for running backs.[3] No running back has yet achieved this feat twice. The first 2,000-yard season was recorded in 1973 by Buffalo Billsrunning backO. J. Simpson. Simpson is the only player ever to have surpassed 2,000 yards in a 14-game season; all others occurred in 16-game seasons. He finished the season with 2,003 rushing yards, averaging six yards per carry and an NFL-record 143.1 rushing yards per game.[4]Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson, who broke the single-season rookie rushing record in 1983,[5] recorded the second 2,000-yard season in 1984. Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards, the current NFL rushing record, and averaged 131.6 rushing yards per game.[4]
Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders recorded the third 2,000-yard season in 1997, rushing for 2,053 yards. At the age of 29, Sanders was the oldest back to surpass 2,000 yards. Sanders had opened the season with only 53 yards through two games, but ran for 100 yards or more in each of the last 14 games of the season and averaged 6.1 yards per carry during the season.[4] In 1998, Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis became the fourth player to rush for over 2,000 yards, running for 2,008 yards. Davis also recorded 21 rushing touchdowns in his 2,000-yard season, the only 2,000 yard rusher to do so.[4] To date, Davis is the only member of the 2,000 yard club to win a Super Bowl in the year they rushed for 2,000 yards. Davis had reached the 1,000-yard mark only seven games into the season.[5]Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis surpassed 2,000 yards in the 2003 season, recording 2,066 yards over the course of the season. 500 of these yards were recorded in two games against the Cleveland Browns, with Lewis rushing for a then-NFL record 295 yards in the first and recording 205 rushing yards in the second.[5]Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson ran for 2,006 yards in 2009, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and also recorded an NFL-record 2,509 yards from scrimmage.[4]Minnesota Vikings back Adrian Peterson is the second most recent player to have surpassed 2,000 yards rushing, having finished the 2012 season with 2,097 yards rushing, just 8 yards short of Dickerson's record.[5] Peterson had torn two ligaments in his left knee the previous year, making him the only player to have surpassed 2,000 yards after having reconstructive knee surgery the prior season.[1] Titans running back Derrick Henry reached the mark on January 3, 2021, making the Titans the first franchise to have multiple 2,000-yard rushers.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry became the newest member of the 2,000-yard club with 2,027 yards in the 2020 regular season.
Out of the eight players to have recorded a 2,000-yard rushing season, all but one (Dickerson) won the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award the year that they rushed for 2,000 yards. Dickerson would go on to win the award, though, after the 1986 NFL season. Simpson, Sanders, Davis, and Peterson also won the AP Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Simpson, Dickerson, Sanders, and Davis are each members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which "honor[s] individuals who have made outstanding contributions to professional football";[6] Lewis has not been voted in, and Johnson, Peterson, and Henry are not yet eligible. Johnson and Peterson have retired from the NFL, but Henry has not.
Key
Key
Symbol
Meaning
No.
Number of the player, ranked by the time he surpassed 2,000 rushing yards
Barry Sanders is an American former football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushing touchdowns once, establishing himself as one of the most elusive runners in the history of the NFL with his quickness and agility, despite being only 5 ft 8 in tall and weighing 203 lbs. Sanders played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. As a junior in 1988, he compiled what is widely considered the greatest individual season by a running back in college football history, rushing for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games. He won the Heisman Trophy and was unanimously recognized as an All-American.
Terrell Lamar Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and still holds the record for most postseason single-season touchdowns (eight), which he achieved in 1997. He is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. Davis was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Despite his short seven year tenure, Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.
Marshall William Faulk is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.
Marcus LeMarr Allen is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners in NFL history, he was selected 10th overall by the Raiders in the 1982 NFL draft, following a successful college football career with the USC Trojans. He was a member of the Raiders for 11 seasons and spent his last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jamal Lewis is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected fifth overall by the Ravens in the 2000 NFL draft. After spending his first seven seasons with the Ravens, Lewis signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns before the 2007 season and retired after the 2009 season.
Eric Demetric Dickerson is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University and was recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. During his NFL career, he rushed for over 13,000 yards. He holds the NFL's single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards, set in 1984. Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2019, was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. He wore prescription goggles throughout his career due to myopia.
The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY) is given annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the offensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season. The winner is chosen by votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters who regularly follow the NFL. Multiple-time awardees include Marshall Faulk and Earl Campbell, both of whom won the award three times, each consecutively. Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady, Terrell Davis, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning have each won the award twice. Campbell is the only player to win the award as a rookie, doing so in 1978. Warren Moon and Priest Holmes are the only undrafted players to win the award. The award is currently held by running back Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, who received it for the 2023 NFL season after being just the third player in NFL history to post more than 2000 scrimmage yards in a season for two different franchises.
Joseph Michael DeLamielleure is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American playing college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was not serious. In 1973 the Buffalo Bills rushing offense led the NFL in yards, yards per carry, as well as rushing touchdowns. He is also one of the first living NFL players to be tested and diagnosed with CTE.
Franklin Gore Sr. is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career rushing yards. His career was also noted for its longevity, rare for his position, and he holds the league record for games played by a running back.
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew, often called "MJD", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2005.
The 1984 Los Angeles Rams season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League, their 48th overall, and their 39th in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Rams looked to improve on their 9–7 record from 1983 and make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and 10th in the last 12. They improved on their record by one game, going 10–6, good enough for second place in the NFC West behind the 15–1 San Francisco 49ers. In the playoffs, the Rams lost a low-scoring game to the New York Giants at home, 16–13. During this season, second-year running back Eric Dickerson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season, with 2,105 yards.
The Electric Company were the offensive line of the Buffalo Bills during the mid-1970s that helped running back O. J. Simpson establish numerous National Football League (NFL) all-time records and earn numerous statistical titles. The nickname is sometimes more loosely used to refer to the Electric Company Offense for the Bills offensive unit or the Electric Company Buffalo Bills for the teams of this era.
The 1997 Detroit Lions season was their 68th in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1973 Buffalo Bills season was the 14th season for the team and their 4th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills finished in 2nd place in the AFC East division and finished the 1973 NFL season with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses, the team's first winning record since 1966.
Adrian Lewis Peterson is an American former football running back who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, setting the freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards in 2004. Named a unanimous All-American that year, he became the first freshman to finish as a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Peterson finished his college career as the Sooners' third all-time leading rusher.
Philip Loadholt Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle and the current offensive line coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played college football at Oklahoma, and played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 2009 until his retirement in 2015. Prior to joining Colorado’s coaching staff, he was an offensive analyst for Oklahoma from 2022–23. He also spent time as a player personnel analyst for Ole Miss (2020–21) and UCF (2017).
Jerick Deshun McKinnon, nicknamed "Jet", is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Georgia Southern and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has also played for the San Francisco 49ers.
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott, nicknamed "Zeke", is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Elliott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. In seven seasons with the Cowboys, he was a three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection, and led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.
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