- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1972–1984
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
GOAT Rank · 29
Greatest American Football Running backs of all time
This ranking is led by Franco Harris, Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen. GOAT Rank currently ranks 29 eligible American Football running backs using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Franco Harris ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 90.0.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1977–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1982–1997
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1983–1993
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 2016–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1957–1965
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 93.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1956–1967
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1969–1979
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1975–1987
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 87.0
- Statistics
- 91.0
- Honours
- 85.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1995–2005
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1971–1985
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1993–2005
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1990–2004
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 2005–2020
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1989–1998
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1978–1985
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1995–2001
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 60.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1964–1973
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 2007–2021
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1994–2005
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 2001–2011
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1983–1993
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1952–1964
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1999–2009
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1965–1971
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1944–1951
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1967–1975
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 2013–2021
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1988–2000
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Franco Harris | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1972–1984 | 90.0 |
| 50 | Tony Dorsett | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1977–1988 | 88.8 |
| 75 | Marcus Allen | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1982–1997 | 88.1 |
| 78 | Eric Dickerson | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1983–1993 | 88.1 |
| 84 | Derrick Henry | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2016–active | 88.0 |
| 87 | Jim Brown | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1957–1965 | 87.9 |
| 97 | Lenny Moore | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1956–1967 | 87.8 |
| 104 | O.J. Simpson | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1969–1979 | 87.7 |
| 106 | Walter Payton | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1975–1987 | 87.6 |
| 118 | Curtis Martin | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1995–2005 | 87.5 |
| 130 | John Riggins | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1971–1985 | 87.1 |
| 133 | Jerome Bettis | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1993–2005 | 87.0 |
| 137 | Emmitt Smith | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1990–2004 | 86.9 |
| 138 | Frank Gore | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2005–2020 | 86.9 |
| 157 | Barry Sanders | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1989–1998 | 86.5 |
| 173 | Earl Campbell | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1978–1985 | 86.3 |
| 211 | Terrell Davis | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1995–2001 | 85.6 |
| 212 | Leroy Kelly | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1964–1973 | 85.6 |
| 216 | Adrian Peterson | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2007–2021 | 85.5 |
| 244 | Marshall Faulk | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1994–2005 | 84.8 |
| 249 | LaDainian Tomlinson | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2001–2011 | 84.7 |
| 250 | Roger Craig | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1983–1993 | 84.7 |
| 256 | Hugh McElhenny | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1952–1964 | 84.4 |
| 259 | Edgerrin James | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1999–2009 | 84.3 |
| 262 | Gale Sayers | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1965–1971 | 84.3 |
| 287 | Steve Van Buren | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1944–1951 | 83.5 |
| 304 | Floyd Little | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1967–1975 | 82.7 |
| 317 | Le'Veon Bell | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 2013–2021 | 81.9 |
| 318 | Thurman Thomas | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1988–2000 | 81.8 |
Compare the leaders
Franco Harris vs Tony DorsettRead 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.
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