During the early years Of My Lifetime college football was more of a ground game. The Heisman Trophy winners from those years can attest to that. Starting in the 1990s we saw the game transition more towards aerial attacks. However, a dominating running back can still carry a college football team and a strong running game is still as successful now as it has ever been. The following running backs on this list were known to take over football games and change the fortunes of their prospective teams and schools. So without further ado, I present to you The Top College Running Backs…Of My Lifetime.

10. Hershel Walker: Georgia (1980-1982)

I am not old enough to have seen Hershel Walker play college football. That is usually one of the deciding factors for my lists. That’s why you won’t see college running back greats Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders on this list. But I felt compelled to include Walker on this list because growing up in the state of Georgia I’ve heard about his greatness endlessly for 43 years. His lore runs deep around here and rightfully so. He carried the Bulldogs to the National Championship in 1980 as a true freshman and won the Heisman Trophy in 1983 as a junior. He was the first Heisman winner for UGA in 40 years and it would also be 40 years before the school would claim another National Championship. Walker started the tradition of stellar running backs at Georgia such as Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Terrell Davis, Knowshon Moreno, Todd Gurley and several more. The steady stream of talented backs would lead to the school being known as “Running Back U” although you could make a strong argument that Alabama has taken that crown due to their recent history of Heisman winners at the position. Regardless, Walker is undoubtedly one of the best running backs in college football history and a damn good dawg.

9. Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown: Auburn (2001-2004)

Ronnie Brown and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams were perhaps the best running back duo in college football history. They were the perfect power/speed pairing, with Cadillac being the smaller, more shifty back and Brown being the bulkier bruiser. They were both great backs in their own rites, but they are so intertwined as a tandem that you can’t think about one without instantly thinking of the other. For this reason I decided to pair them together again at the number 9 spot on the list. Although Brown arrived on the plains a year earlier than Williams, he only appeared in 3 games and retained his freshman status going into 2001 when he was then joined by Williams. Brown was the more highly touted back coming out of high school but it was Cadillac who ended up taking possession of the starting job. However, due to injuries or according to who had the hot hand, they would often pass the role back and forth. After the 2002 season both players were draft eligible and it was assumed that one or both players would take their talents to the next level. It came as quite a surprise when both Brown and Williams decided to stay for their senior season. And what a season it was. The duo combined for over 2,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns while carrying Auburn to a perfect 13-0 record. After that epic 2003 season they entered the NFL draft where Brown was selected 2nd overall by the Dolphins and Williams was taken 5th overall by the Bucs. The pair were linked again as top 5 picks both playing in the Sunshine State. Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown were endlessly inseparable and easily the most exciting backfield…Of My Lifetime.

8. Darren McFadden: Arkansas (2005-2007)

Next up we have a player who was also a part of a dynamic running back duo, Darren McFadden. McFadden played Batman to Felix Jones’ Robin, but if you include fullback Peyton Hillis, who more resembled Gotham City villain Bane, you had a super backfield that was dripping with talent. As great as Jones and Hillis were, McFadden was the clear bell cow of the backfield and his numbers reflected that. His three seasons for the Razorbacks produced the following totals: Freshman, 1113 rushing yards and 11 rushing tds. Sophomore, 1647 rushing yards and 14 rushing tds. Junior 1830 rushing yards and 16 rushing tds. As you can see, McFadden improved each year and was the best back in college football his last two years. Oh, and he could also throw it a little bit too. McFadden often took direct snaps in head coach Houston Nutt’s “Wildhog” formation and he finished his career with 7 td passes. McFadden holds virtually all of Arkansas’s rushing records and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

7. Warrick Dunn: Florida State (1993-1996)

Warrick Dunn signed to play football at Florida State as a defensive back, but he successfully convinced legendary coach Bobby Bowden to try him out at running back. Bowden agreed and Dunn was impressive at the position, something he would continue to be for the next 4 years. As a true freshman in 1993 he contributed 868 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns, helping the Seminoles claim the National Championship. The next three years Dunn eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing each season, setting numerous school records along the way. Standing only 5’9″ and weighing in at a mere 187 pounds, Dunn was an unlikely candidate to be one of the best backs in history. He used his little size to put up big numbers and brilliant highlights proving to be an effective runner as well as receiver out of the backfield. The Seminoles were in their heyday in the early 1990s and the small in stature Warrick Dunn was a big reason why.

6. Marshall Faulk: San Diego St. (1991-1993)

Marshall Faulk was heavily recruited by several major college football programs. However, most schools were offering him a scholarship as a defensive back after he tallied 11 interceptions, returning 6 of them for touchdowns, as a two-way player in his senior season at Carver High School in New Orleans. Faulk ultimately accepted a scholarship offer from San Diego State because they offered him as a running back. It didn’t take long for that offer to pay off in historic fashion. In just his second career game Faulk reeled off 386 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. This performance put him in the national spotlight. I for one had never heard of The San Diego State Aztecs before Faulk’s incredible performance. After seeing the highlights on SportsCenter I was immediately enthralled. The way he ran, the all black uniforms, the huge rushing numbers being emitted from the West Coast. Late night WAC games became a must watch for me and Faulk always put on a show. He finished his 3-year college career with 4,589 rushing yards and 57 rushing tds and in his junior year he unleashed another aspect of his game by hauling in 47 receptions for 644 yards. Faulk’s dual threat abilities landed him second in the 1993 Heisman voting and led to him being drafted second overall in the 93 draft.

5. Derrick Henry: Alabama (2013-2015)

I like big backs and I cannot lie. I’ve always had a fondness towards big, bruising ball carriers such as TJ Duckett (Michigan State), Greg Jones (Florida State), and Jerome Bettis (Notre Dame), to name a few. Derrick Henry definitely fit that mold and was one of the biggest and baddest running backs in college football history. Before his time in Tuscaloosa, Henry was a man amongst boys at Yulee High School in Florida, where he set the all-time national rushing record with 12,124 rushing yards. Checking in at 6’3″ and 240 pounds, Henry was an absolute unit for the Crimson Tide, particularly in his Heisman winning junior season in 2015. He was a workhorse, rushing 395 times for 2219 yards and 28 touchdowns. In the era of spread offenses Henry was a throwback to the ground and pound style of yesteryear. It was refreshing to see a true feature back be handed the ball over and over and wear down opposing defenses on his way to huge rushing totals and tireless trips to the endzone.

4. Maurice Clarett: Ohio State (2002)

I don’t remember a freshman running back entering college football with as much hype and expectations of Maurice Clarett. He was as good as advertised, rushing for 1,237 yards, scoring 18 touchdowns and helping to carry the Buckeyes to a perfect record and a spot in the National Championship Game. Ohio State squared off against the defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes, who entered the matchup with a 34-game winning streak and as 11.5 point favorites. Clarett was held relatively in check by the staunch Miami defense, but he did manage to score two rushing touchdowns, including the game-winning score in double overtime. He also had a key defensive play in the game, forcing a fumble to regain possession after an Ohio St. interception. Clarett capped off a historic freshman season with a National Championship and his future in Columbus appeared to be on track to lead to many more trophies and accolades. Unfortunately, as brilliant as Clarett was on the field, he was as troubled off of it. After several off-field incidents, Clarett was ultimately dismissed from the university and his athletic and personal paths both spiraled downward from there. Clarett could have been an all-time great, but despite the briefness of his career, he still managed to become a college football legend.

3. Adrian Peterson: Oklahoma (2004-2006)

Next up we have another college running back who had a phenomenal freshman season, Adrian Peterson. He put up 1925 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns on 339 carries as a freshman for the Sooners in 2002. Peterson was one of the most impressive combinations of power and speed at the position in history. It wasn’t uncommon to see him break tackles of defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage, truck linebackers and run away from defensive backs on his way to the endzone. Peterson was like a brown stallion horse with skates on and had a unique running style that was border line beautiful seeing him galloping down the field with the perfect balance of power, grace and speed. Injuries slowed AP down a little during his next two seasons but he still eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards each year. As it were, he was still one of the most dominating running backs in college football history. A player that I could watch “All Day.”

2. Ricky Williams: Texas (1995-1998)

Ricky Williams took an interesting path to becoming one of the best college running backs of all-time. He was an all around athlete in high school, excelling in football, baseball, wrestling and track. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and as part of his contract the team paid for his scholarship to the University of Texas. He played football in the fall for the Longhorns and baseball during the summer for the Phillies. Williams actually started his football career at Texas as a fullback. He certainly had the frame for it, checking in at 5’10’ and weighing 230 pounds. He put up 990 and 1272 rushing yards in his first two seasons playing fullback before taking over the starting tailback job his junior year. His next two years at Texas were historic as he posted 1893 and 2124 rushing yards to go along with 25 and 27 rushing tds. He broke numerous school and national rushing records including career rushing yards on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy his senior season. I always liked Ricky’s rushing style and his style period. The facemask visor and taped ankle were always personal favorites of mine. If you ever saw a created player of mine on a football video game they would definitely be sporting those two accessories. And speaking of football video games I was practically unbeatable using the Longhorns and Williams on NCAA ’99 on the original Playstation. Ricky Williams was one of the all-time greats and one of my all-time favorites.

Reggie Bush: USC (2003-2005)

While Ricky Williams’s video game character was basically unstoppable, Reggie Bush was a video game character come to life. Equipped with a turbo sprint button, a built-in juke stick and a spin move that would make Grandmaster Flash jealous, Bush was a Dual Shock controller on the gridiron. He did everything offensive on a football field. He ran, caught, threw, returned kick and punts and he did it all at lightning speed and with silky smoothness. Every time Bush touched the ball it was a highlight waiting to happen and he produced more jaw dropping clips than any player I can remember. He was especially electric in his junior season in 2005. He carried 200 times for 1740 rushing yards and 16 rushing tds, caught 37 passes for 478 yards and another 2 tds and added a punt return td for good measure. That season saw Bush take home the Heisman Trophy, which would later be vacated due to NCAA violations, but let’s be honest, everybody still considers him a Heisman winner. Bush was an integral part of the dominant Trojans teams of the time, winning a National Championship and amassing an impressive 34 game winning streak that ended against Texas in the 2005 National Championship Game, that is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in college football history. Long before the “Tush Push” became a short yardage staple for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, Reggie gave us the “Bush Push” in another classic football game against Notre Dame. A crazy 4th quarter saw Notre Dame holding a 31-28 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining. USC improbably completed a 4th and 9 pass that took them all the way down to the Notre Dame 13 yard line. A few plays later Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart fumbled the ball out of bounds at the 1 yard line on a scramble. With seven seconds remaining in the game it appeared as though USC would spike the ball and set up a tying field goal attempt, but when Leinart took the snap he surged forward on a quarterback sneak and was stonewalled by the Fighting Irish defense. Enter Reggie Bush. He pushed Leinart across the goal line from the back of the pile, securing the victory for USC and extending their winning streak and National Championship chances. The game and play are memorable on their own but they really stand out in my mind because of the events of my own life at the time. There was this girl that I’d been interested in for awhile and I’d finally convinced her to go along with a group of us to the bar that night. I was on an adrenaline high from the game and she showed up looking like USC cheerleader. We went out and I tried to run game much like Mr. Bush but I wasn’t really getting anywhere. She seemed uninterested. So I called an audible and went up to the hottest girl in the place and asked her to dance. It turned out to be play calling perfection. When I returned from the dance floor to our group she was all over me like press coverage. It was an unforgettable day much like Reggie Bush was an unforgettable player and The Top College Running Back…Of My Lifetime.