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90s Sports

These are the best 90s college running backs according to user votes. There truly were some great college RBs in the 90s, but these are the best of the best. The top college running backs of the 1990s. Some of these guys are household names. Others saw their careers blossom in the 90s and burnout quickly... but they were great all the same. Who are the greatest college running backs of the 90s? Vote up your favorites now!From Eddie George to Ricky Williams, this list isn't wanting for talent. The 90s were a great era for the running game in college football.So, who do you think was the absolute best running back of the decade out of this list of the top 90s college RBs? Vote up your favorite now and add any that you think are missing.&nbsp;

Best 90s College Running Backs | Top  1990s College RBs

The Best College Running Backs of the 1990s

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LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He is widely considered one of the greatest running backs of all time.  He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers, who selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Tomlinson was invited to five Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro six times, and won consecutive rushing titles in 2006 and 2007.  At the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth in career rushing yards (13,684), seventh in all-purpose yards (18,456), second in career rushing touchdowns (145), and third in total touchdowns (162). He is currently an analyst on NFL Network. After being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014, Tomlinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2017, his first year of eligibility; he is the first Pro Football Hall of Famer whose professional career began in the 21st century.
Tomlinson played college football for Texas Christian University (TCU), earned consensus All-America honors, and won the Doak Walker Award as the best college running back.  He spent nine seasons with the Chargers. During the 2006 NFL season, he set several NFL touchdown scoring records and received numerous honors and awards including the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award and the Associated Press's Offensive Player of the Year Award. In 2010, he signed as a free agent with the New York Jets, playing for two seasons before retiring after 2011.
Tomlinson is often referred to by his initials, L.T. An effective passer on halfback option plays, Tomlinson threw seven touchdown passes and ranks second behind Walter Payton (8) for non-quarterbacks since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. He was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team as one of the top running backs of the 2000s.

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Ricky Williams

Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams Jr. (born May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, where he was a two-time All-America and won the Heisman Trophy. Williams was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft and spent three seasons with the team before he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2002. He played for the Dolphins for two seasons, and retired for the first time from football in 2004. Due to his suspension from the NFL in 2006, he played for the Toronto Argonauts that year. Williams re-joined the Dolphins in 2007 and played with them until 2010, and spent the 2011 season with the Baltimore Ravens. He was formerly an assistant football coach at the University of the Incarnate Word and is currently a football analyst for ESPN's Longhorn Network.  In 2015, Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Marshall Faulk

Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is a former American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for San Diego State University, and was a two-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the second overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, and he also played professionally for the NFL's St. Louis Rams. Faulk is one of only three NFL players (Marcus Allen and Tiki Barber being the others) to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards; he is the only one to amass 12,000 yards rushing and 6,000 yards receiving.  Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017. He was an analyst for various programs on the NFL Network until December 2017.

Warrick Dunn

Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons.  He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State.  Dunn was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 and earned three Pro Bowl selections in his career.  After his playing career, Dunn took a minority stake in the Falcons' ownership group led by Arthur Blank.

Eddie George

Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is a former professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for Ohio State University and won the Heisman Trophy in 1995. He was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Tennessee Titans (both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers). George was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Post-football, George earned an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. In 2016, he appeared on Broadway in the musical Chicago as the hustling lawyer Billy Flynn.

Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Lamond Phillips (May 12, 1975 – January 13, 2016) was a professional American football and Canadian football running back. A two-time college football national champion with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Phillips played in the National Football League for the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers from 1996 through 1999, and for the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 2002 and 2003.
Phillips' career was overshadowed by his inability to stay out of trouble off the field; he was arrested several times. In 2015, Phillips was charged with the murder of his former cellmate, Damion Soward, and arguably could have faced the death penalty. Phillips committed suicide on January 13, 2016, at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California, where he was serving a seven-year term for felony assault with a deadly weapon and was set to serve an additional twenty-five years once that sentence elapsed for domestic assault on his girlfriend.

Ron Dayne

Ronald Dayne (born March 14, 1978) is a former professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons.  Dayne played college football for the University of Wisconsin and won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.  He was a first round pick of the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft, and also played professionally for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans of the NFL.
Bowl statistics accounted for, Dayne is the all-time leader in rushing yards in NCAA Division I FBS history, with 7,125 yards (Official stats exclude Bowl Games played before 2002, without Bowl game stats, Dayne is second all-time behind Donnel Pumphrey).

Shaun Alexander

Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL).  He played college football for the University of Alabama, and was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft.  In May 2011, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.  Alexander set numerous NFL and Seattle Seahawks' franchise records, and was named the NFL MVP in 2005.  He was also named to the NFL's 2000 All-Decade team.



Ki-Jana Carter

Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter (; born September 12, 1973) is a former American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons.  He played college football for Penn State University, and earned All-American honors.  He was the No. 1 draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, and he played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints, but his career was cut short by an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).



Rashaan Salaam

Rashaan Iman Salaam (October 8, 1974 – December 5, 2016) was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s.  Salaam played college football for the University of Colorado and won the 1994 Heisman Trophy.  He was picked by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Bears and Cleveland Browns of the NFL.  Salaam died by suicide on December 5, 2016.

Tyrone Wheatley

Tyrone Anthony Wheatley, Sr. (born January 19, 1972) is currently the head football coach at Morgan State University. He is also a former professional player who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and was one of the most successful high school and collegiate athletes in Metropolitan Detroit history. In high school, he was a member of state-champion teams in both track and field and football, and he was named Michigan's track and field athlete of the year and football athlete of the year in the same academic year. He earned All-America track honors in both high school and college. Following his graduation as one of Michigan's best high school athletes, he attended the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship and earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors on Big Ten Champion football and track teams. He ranks among the Wolverines' all-time rushing leaders in numerous categories, and his name appears in several places in the Big Ten football record book. He was named to All-Big Ten teams in football and track and field a total of four times, and he earned portions of seven Big Ten championships (two team awards for football, one team award for indoor track, one award for 110 meter hurdles, and three awards for individual football statistical performances).
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by the New York Giants of the NFL in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft. As a running back for the Giants, he was the team's all-purpose yards leader in 1996 and their leading ballcarrier in 1997. Despite his success on the field, he developed a reputation for indolence. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins, but cut before the 1999 season began. He signed with the Oakland Raiders and flourished, leading the team in rushing three times and twice finishing among the NFL's top ten players in rushing touchdowns. During his NFL career (1995–2004), he totaled over 6,500 all-purpose yards as a running back and kickoff returner.
After retiring from the NFL, Wheatley returned to his hometown to coach his high school alma mater, Dearborn Heights' Hamilton J. Robichaud High School. He has served as the running backs coach for the Ohio Northern Polar Bears, the Eastern Michigan Eagles, the Syracuse Orange and the Michigan Wolverines on college; and for the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.

Mike Alstott

Michael Joseph Alstott (born December 21, 1973), nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue. During his career, Alstott was selected to six Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Buccaneers over the Oakland Raiders.

Garrison Hearst

Gerard Garrison Hearst (born January 4, 1971) is a former  running back in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons.  He played college football for the University of Georgia, and was recognized as an All-American.  A first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals, he also played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.  He ran for 1,000 yards or more in four different seasons. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2001.

Tim Biakabutuka

Tshimanga Biakabutuka

Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka (born January 24, 1974) is a former American football running back.  He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1993 to 1995. He next played professional football for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1996 to 2001. He is distinguished as being the first Zairian to play in the National Football League.

Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones (born August 19, 1978) is an American actor who performs as Thomas Q. Jones, and a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).  He played college football for the University of Virginia.  He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in addition to the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs.  He retired among the top 25 leading rushers in NFL history (currently 26th, after LeSean McCoy passed him), and a member of the 10,000 yards club.
In 2013, performing under the name Thomas Q. Jones, he began an acting career. Among his credits are 2015's Straight Outta Compton, a starring role in A Violent Man, and a series regular role in the Luke Cage TV series.



Thomas Q. Jones is an actor who appeared in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "All American," and "Straight Outta Compton."

Curtis Enis

Curtis Thomas Enis (born June 15, 1976) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons.  He played college football for Penn State University, and earned All-American honors.  Enis was a first-round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns.

Troy Davis

Troy Anthony Davis (October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011) was an African American man convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King restaurant when he intervened to defend a man being assaulted in a nearby parking lot. During Davis's 1991 trial, seven witnesses testified they had seen Davis shoot MacPhail, and two others testified Davis had confessed the murder to them.  There were 34 witnesses who testified for the prosecution, and six others for the defense, including Davis. Although the murder weapon was not recovered, ballistic evidence presented at trial linked bullets recovered at or near the scene to those at another shooting in which Davis was also charged. He was convicted of murder and various lesser charges, including the earlier shooting, and was sentenced to death in August 1991.
Davis maintained his innocence up to his execution. In the 20 years between his conviction and execution, Davis and his defenders secured support from the public, celebrities, and human rights groups. Amnesty International and other groups such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People took up Davis's cause. Prominent politicians and leaders, including former President Jimmy Carter, Rev. Al Sharpton, Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former U.S. Congressman from Georgia and presidential candidate Bob Barr, and former FBI Director and judge William S. Sessions called upon the courts to grant Davis a new trial or evidentiary hearing. In July 2007, September 2008, and October 2008, execution dates were scheduled, but each execution was stayed shortly before it was to take place.
In 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States ordered the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia to consider whether new evidence "that could not have been obtained at the time of trial clearly establishes [Davis'] innocence". The evidentiary hearing was held in June 2010. The defense presented affidavits from seven of the nine trial witnesses whose original testimony had identified Davis as the murderer, but who it contended had changed or recanted their previous testimony. Some of these writings disavowed parts of prior testimony, or implicated Sylvester "Redd" Coles, who Davis contended was the actual triggerman. The state presented witnesses, including the police investigators and original prosecutors, who described a careful investigation of the crime, without any coercion. Davis did not call some of the witnesses who had supposedly recanted, despite their presence in the courthouse; accordingly their affidavits were given little weight by the judge. Evidence that Coles had confessed to the killing was excluded as hearsay because Coles was not subpoenaed by the defense to rebut it.
In an August 2010 decision, the conviction was upheld. The court described defense efforts to upset the conviction as "largely smoke and mirrors" and found that several of the proffered affidavits were not recantations at all. Subsequent appeals, including to the Supreme Court, were rejected, and a fourth execution date was set for September 21, 2011. Nearly one million people signed petitions urging the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant clemency. The Board denied clemency and, on September 21, it refused to reconsider its decision. After a last minute appeal to the United States Supreme Court was denied, the sentence was carried out through lethal injection on September 21, 2011.

Reggie Brooks

Reginald Arthur Brooks (born January 19, 1971) is a former American football running back in the National Football League.  He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He is the uncle to Minnesota Vikings Linebacker Anthony Barr.

Greg Lewis

Gregory Alan Lewis (born August 10, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons in the 1990s. He played college football with the Washington Huskies and received All-American honors and the Pacific-10 Conference offensive player of the year award in 1990.  Lewis was the inaugural winner of the Doak Walker Award given to the most outstanding running back in college football.

Darnell Autry

Harrington Darnell Autry (born June 19, 1976) is a former American football player who played college football at Northwestern University.  In his sophomore season, he helped lead the 1995 Northwestern Wildcats to the Big Ten Conference Championship and the 1996 Rose Bowl.  Autry finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting for 1995 and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a Northwestern victory over Penn State. Autry finished seventh in the 1996 Heisman Trophy balloting.In his junior season, he led Northwestern to another share of the Big Ten championship.  After the season, Autry sued the NCAA to be allowed to act in a movie since he was a theater major and he did not want to lose NCAA eligibility.  The NCAA initially rejected his claims but eventually relented.  He was then drafted in the 1997 NFL Draft where he had little success playing for the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.

Bam Morris

Byron "Bam" Morris (born January 13, 1972) is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Vaughn Dunbar

Vaughn Allen Dunbar (born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons.  He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, and earned All-American accolades.  A first-round choice in the 1992 NFL draft, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.

Byron Hanspard

Byron Courtnay Hanspard, Sr. (born January 23, 1976) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1990s.  He played college football for Texas Tech University, earned All-American honors and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top college running back.  A second-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

Darren Lewis

Darren "Tank" Lewis (born November 7, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons in the early 1990s.  He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was a consensus All-American.  He was a sixth-round selection by the Chicago Bears in the 1991 NFL Draft.

LeShon Johnson

LeShon Eugene Johnson (born January 15, 1971) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s.  He played college football for Northern Illinois University, and earned All-American honors.  He was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft, and he also played professionally for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants of the NFL.

These are the best 90s college running backs according to user votes. There truly were some great college RBs in the 90s, but these are the best of the best.