The running back has long been the workhorse of successful NFL teams. Over more than 100 years of pro football, great running backs have helped teams win games — and even Super Bowls. From Jim Brown and Gale Sayers to Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson, backs from every era have shaped the game.
The NFL has changed over time. It went from being run-heavy to pass-first, which has lowered the value of the running back position. Now, one of the greatest ever, Barry Sanders, is speaking up and sharing his Mount Rushmore of all-time running backs.
Barry Sanders Shares His Personal Mount Rushmore
Sanders played 10 seasons for the Detroit Lions and quickly became one of the best to ever do it. He led the league in rushing four times and once in rushing touchdowns. A 10-time Pro Bowler, Sanders shocked the football world when he retired early — at least in the eyes of many fans.
He recently spoke with sports reporter DJ Siddiqi from RG News, who asked him about his personal Mount Rushmore of running backs.
“You gotta put Jim Brown up there and you gotta put Walter Payton up there,” Sanders said. “You have to put Emmitt Smith up there because he’s the all-time leading rusher. And then maybe I’ll put myself up there.”
It’s no surprise he named Jim Brown first. Brown won three MVP awards and led the league in rushing in eight of his nine NFL seasons. He’s often called the greatest running back of all time.
Walter Payton was also an MVP and Super Bowl champion. He set rushing records and even held the mark for most touchdown catches by a non-receiver when he retired.
Emmitt Smith owns the NFL’s all-time rushing record with 18,355 yards. Payton is second with 16,726.
Smith is a three-time Super Bowl champ who led the league in rushing four times and in rushing touchdowns three times.
Sanders didn’t just talk about the past — he also gave credit to current stars who could earn their way onto that Mount Rushmore in the future. He mentioned Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry as two who could be in that conversation one day.
“You gotta make room for Derrick Henry,” Sanders said. “He’ll be up there at some point, and then Saquon looks like he’s headed there. Eric Dickerson… if I start naming running backs, I’ll be here all day.”
Barkley spent years with the New York Giants before leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles after feeling disrespected. That move paid off — he helped lead Philly to a Super Bowl win at the end of the 2024 season. Barkley set Eagles’ franchise records with 2,005 rushing yards and 2,283 yards from scrimmage.
Henry also left his original team, moving on from the Tennessee Titans to join the Baltimore Ravens in 2024. He finished the season second in rushing behind Barkley, racking up 1,921 yards on 325 carries. He led the league with 5.9 yards per carry, 909 yards after contact and 42 broken tackles.
Together, Barkley and Henry are forcing teams to rethink how they value running backs. They’re also making defenses take a hard look at how to slow down these power backs.
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