Back in September, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 173 modern-era nominees for the Class of 2024. That list will get whittled down to just 25 semifinalists later this month.
Primarily, it’s evident that all these men are unquestionably worthy of the nomination – their remarkable careers are a testament to their abilities. However, I can’t help but ask: What does one have to do to earn an invitation to this event? After all, I was the champion of the league rush in 2011 and was a leading player in the running back position for several years. I could add more to my credentials, but I won’t. This time, it’s not about me.
Before the semifinalists are announced, I’m taking a closer look at the 33 nominated running backs. And for me, there are five benchmarks that I routinely use to decide whether a running back is worthy of a spot in Canton:
- Did the running back dominate his position over multiple years?
- Did he achieve a 2,000-yard rush in a season?
- Did he achieve 10,000 rushing yards in his career?
- Did he win or compete for a league MVP award?
- Was there postseason success for the player and his team?
Below are the players who, in my opinion, are most deserving of a gold jacket this year — and in the future. All 33 nominees were special players, obviously, but I limited my rundown to seven truly transcendent backs. These guys (listed in alphabetical order within each subsection) check a number — if not all — of my benchmark boxes. Let’s get to it.
Deserving of a gold jacket NOW
Eddie George
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1996-2003), Dallas Cowboys (2004)
This guy has to get in this year. George has been HOF-eligible for more than a decade, inexplicably only achieving semifinalist status once. In a long list of great Oilers/Titans running backs — a group that includes Earl Campbell, Chris Johnson and Derrick Henry — George is arguably the best, with 10,441 career rushing yards. Much like those players, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder made opponents game plan around him and used his size and physicality to wear down defenses throughout his nine-year career. He played a major role in Tennessee reaching the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl, but it was George’s individual success that stands out most. The Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1996, he continued to get better and build toward his best season, the 2000 campaign. George finished third in MVP voting that year after rushing for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns on a league-most 403 carries. The four-time Pro Bowler also rushed for more than 1,200 yards in each of his first five seasons, joining Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players to do so in NFL history.
Chris Johnson
Tennessee Titans (2008-2013), New York Jets (2014), Arizona Cardinals (2015-17)
Johnson is part of an elite fraternity of eight players who surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in a season. The Titans’ first-round pick in 2008, Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards in the 2009 campaign (the seventh-highest single-season total) and finished atop the NFL in carries (358), rush yards per game (125.4), touches (408) and scrimmage yards (2,509) — that last mark still ranks first all time for a single season. He was named the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts, a season after his impressive rookie campaign landed him second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in the MVP race. Those two seasons were very impressive, no doubt, but Johnson wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons — and during that span, CJ2K had six touchdown runs of at least 80 yards.
Fred Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2008), New England Patriots (2009-2010)
Taylor has been a semifinalist for four straight years, but has yet to be named a finalist. I am putting good energy into the universe for 2024. I watched this guy work firsthand in Jacksonville over my first three seasons in the NFL (2006-08) and learned so much under his tutelage. Taylor ranks 17th all time in rushing yards with 11,695. Playing 11 of his 13 seasons with the Jaguars, he owns franchise records in carries (2,428), rushing yards (11,271) most rushing yards in a single game (234) and consecutive 100-yard games (nine in 2000). Leading the NFL with an average of 107.6 rush yards per game in that 2000 campaign, Taylor set the bar high — constantly challenging me in the film room, weight room and on the field — and though he was named to only one Pro Bowl, he was undoubtedly one of the best of his era, with the ability to steamroll defenses.
Deserving of a gold jacket in the future
Jamaal Charles
Kansas City Chiefs (2008-2016), Denver Broncos (2017), Jacksonville Jaguars (2018)
Charles was hampered by a pair of ACL tears (2011 and 2015), but he was an outstanding (and electric!) model of consistency when healthy. From 2009 through 2014, Charles earned four Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro nods while compiling five 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He also tied Marshawn Lynch for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (12) in 2013. What’s most impressive about the third-round pick’s career, though, is the fact that he is the NFL’s all-time leader in yards per carry at 5.4 (min. 1,000 attempts). That figure puts him above Hall of Famers like Jim Brown, Joe Perry and Barry Sanders in one of the position’s most straightforward/crucial statistics.
Warrick Dunn
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2001, 2008), Atlanta Falcons (2002-07)
Throughout his 12-year career, Dunn was a dual-threat playmaker who consistently delivered, amassing at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in all but one season (958 in 2007). In his rookie season, he chalked up 1,440 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns, earning him both a Pro Bowl selection and the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The three-time Pro Bowler ended his career with five seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards, with his best performance of 1,416 yards coming in 2005 with the Bucs. He scored a total of 64 touchdowns (49 rushing, 15 receiving). Despite ending his career with 10,967 rushing yards and 4,339 receiving yards, Dunn’s crowning achievement was perhaps his 2004 Walter Payton Man of the Year award, recognizing his contributions to the community.
Steven Jackson
St. Louis Rams (2004-2012), Atlanta Falcons (2013-14), New England Patriots (2015)
Nearly two years ago, I made a Canton case for Corey Dillon, and while I still believe he should get the Hall knock, I’m pivoting to another 11,000-yard rusher in Steven Jackson. This is Jackson’s fourth year of eligibility, and though he has yet to be named a semifinalist, he checks most of the boxes to don a gold jacket. The 24th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Jackson was an absolute force — a 6-2, 240-pounder nobody wanted to tackle. Jackson benefited from playing alongside Torry Holt and Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce, who pushed the multi-talented back to reach his full potential. Jackson ranks 18th all time in rushing yards (11,438) and registered eight straight seasons of 1,000-plus from 2005 to 2012 — the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. The three-time Pro Bowler was the definition of consistency.
Jamal Lewis
Baltimore Ravens (2000-06), Cleveland Browns (2007-09)
Selected as the fifth pick in the 2000 draft, Lewis made an immediate impact in Baltimore as a versatile running back. In his debut season, he accumulated more than 1,660 scrimmage yards, contributing to the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory. To this day, he remains one of only two rookies to have achieved 100 rushing yards in a Super Bowl, gaining 102 yards from 27 attempts in the championship game. Despite missing the following season due to an ACL injury, Lewis returned in 2002, amassing 1,769 scrimmage yards. In 2003, he had an exceptional season, rushing for a historic 2,000 yards. With a total of 2,066 rushing yards (the third-highest ever), he was awarded the Offensive Player of the Year and came fourth in the MVP vote. Lewis managed to exceed 1,000 rushing yards in seven out of the nine seasons where he played at least one game.
