- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1952–1966
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
GOAT Rank · 11
Greatest American Football Halfbacks of all time
This ranking is led by Ollie Matson, Paul Hornung and Bill Dudley. GOAT Rank currently ranks 11 eligible American Football halfbacks using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Ollie Matson ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 87.6.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1957–1966
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1942–1953
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1925–1939
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1941–1952
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1940–1950
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1952–1964
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1925–1934
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1920–1927
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1920–1926
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1932–1937
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114 | Ollie Matson | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1952–1966 | 87.6 |
| 120 | Paul Hornung | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1957–1966 | 87.4 |
| 125 | Bill Dudley | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1953 | 87.3 |
| 160 | Johnny Blood | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1925–1939 | 86.5 |
| 215 | Tony Canadeo | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1941–1952 | 85.6 |
| 230 | George McAfee | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1950 | 85.3 |
| 231 | Frank Gifford | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1952–1964 | 85.2 |
| 279 | Red Grange | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1925–1934 | 83.8 |
| 297 | Joe Guyon | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1920–1927 | 83.1 |
| 315 | Fritz Pollard | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1920–1926 | 82.0 |
| 328 | Cliff Battles | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1932–1937 | 80.6 |
Compare the leaders
Ollie Matson vs Paul HornungRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
Related rankings
Greatest Boxers of all timeGreatest Swimmers of all timeGreatest Football Players of all timeGreatest Tennis Players of all timeGreatest Golfers of all timeGreatest Formula 1 Drivers of all timeGreatest Esports Players of all timeGreatest Basketball Players of all timeGreatest Baseball Players of all timeGreatest American Football Players of all timeGreatest active American Football PlayersGreatest retired American Football Players