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<p>Big fan of Detroit football? Then check out this list of Detroit Lions running backs with photos and seasons as starters.&nbsp;It includes every starting running back from throughout Detroit Lions history, including current running backs and past ones. Featuring 2018-2019 Detroit Lions and some of the greatest NFL&nbsp;running backs&nbsp;of all time, the best Lions RBs include Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Kevin Jones, and James Stewart.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Who are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-nfl-running-backs-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best running backs</a> in Detroit Lions history? Here is every player who has ever held the position of Detroit Lions&nbsp;starting running back. Vote below, then head over and check out the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-detroit-lions-kickers-ever/ranker-nfl" target="_blank">top Lions kickers ever</a> and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/every-detroit-lions-tight-end-ranked/ranker-nfl" target="_blank">best Lions tight ends</a>.</p>


The 15+ Best Detroit Lions Running Backs, Ranked

The Best Detroit Lions Running Backs of All Time

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Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a former American football running back. He played professionally for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). A Pro Bowl invitee in each of his ten NFL seasons and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and established himself as one of the most elusive runners in pro football with his quickness and agility. In 2007, he was ranked by NFL Network's NFL Top 10 series as the most elusive runner in NFL history, and also topped its list of greatest players never to play in a Super Bowl. He is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. 
Sanders played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team, where, as a junior in 1988 he compiled what is considered one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, rushing for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns in 12 games. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college player in the nation and was unanimously recognized as an All-American. Sanders was first inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He then was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and that same year inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. 
Sanders joined the Lions in 1989 and had an immediate impact, winning the NFL's Rookie of the Year award. Through ten seasons in Detroit, he averaged over 1,500 rushing yards per season and just under 100 rushing yards per game. In 1997, he became the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player. Still seemingly in his prime, Sanders unexpectedly retired from football after the 1998 season, 1,457 yards short of breaking the NFL's all-time rushing record. His number 20 jersey was retired by the Lions, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. A year later Sanders was also inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame along with fellow pro and college football hall of famer Thurman Thomas.

Billy Sims

Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s.  Sims played college football for the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978.  He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the NFL's Detroit Lions. Sims was the last Oklahoma player taken Number 1 overall in the NFL Draft until quarterback Sam Bradford was taken first in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was given the nickname "Kung Fu Billy Sims" by ESPN's Chris Berman, after a game where the Detroit Lions played the Houston Oilers. In the NFL Films highlight, rather than be tackled during a rushing attempt, Sims ran at, jumped, and, while fully airborne, kicked Oilers Cornerback Steve Brown in the head.

Doak Walker

Ewell Doak Walker II (January 1, 1927 – September 27, 1998) was an American football player.  He played college football as a halfback at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1948.  Walker then played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions for six seasons, from 1950 to 1955.
Walker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.  The Doak Walker Award, awarded annually since 1990 to the top running back in college football, is named after him.

Mel Farr

Melvin Farr (November 3, 1944 – August 3, 2015) was an American football player and businessman.
A native of Beaumont, Texas, Farr played college football as a halfback on the 1965 and 1966 UCLA Bruins football teams that were ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively in the final AP Polls.  He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1966, gained over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.
Farr was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round, seventh overall pick, of the 1967 NFL Draft and played seven years as a running back for the Lions.  He led the Lions in both rushing and receiving in 1967, totaling 1,177 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, and was selected as the NFL Rookie of the Year.  He was twice selected to play in the Pro Bowl, in 1967 and 1970. In a career shortened by injury, Farr gained a total of 4,446 yards from scrimmage and scored 36 touchdowns during his seven years in the NFL.After retiring from football, Farr acquired a Ford Motor Company dealership in 1975, eventually expanding his business to 11 dealerships in five states.  By 1998, Farr's automotive group was cited as the largest African-American owned company in the country. His business failed in 2002 following adverse publicity and lawsuits relating to sales and finance practices.

Dexter Bussey

Dexter Manley Bussey (born March 11, 1952) is a former American football running back. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions for 11 years from 1974 to 1984 and became the Lions' all-time career rushing leader in 1981.
Bussey was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1952.  He began his college career at the University of Oklahoma, but he transferred to the University of Texas–Arlington.  He played for the Texas–Arlington Mavericks football team from 1971 to 1973 and totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 1972 and 1973.Bussey was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round, 65th overall pick, of the 1974 NFL Draft. He played for the Lions from 1974 to 1984.  While with the Lions, he gained more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 1976, 1978, and 1980.  In his 10-year career in the NFL, Bussey totaled 5,105 rushing yards and 6,721 yards from scrimmage. He was the Lions' starting halfback from 1975 to 1979 and the team's leading rusher in 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1979.  He moved to fullback in 1980 after the Lions drafted Billy Sims.  Bussey broke Altie Taylor's Lions' career rushing record in 1981, but his record was surpassed by Sims in 1984 and he became a backup after the Lions drafted James Jones in 1983. Bussey announced his retirement from the NFL in April 1985 at age 33.After retiring as a player, Bussey worked for at least 20 years as a uniform inspector for the NFL.  He also operated a medical staffing agency.

Reggie Bush

Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twice and won the Heisman Trophy (later forfeited) as the most outstanding player in the nation. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints second overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. While with the Saints, Bush was named an All-Pro in 2008 and won Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 over the Indianapolis Colts. He also played for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers.
Bush also won the 2005 Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards. However, allegations that
he received improper benefits were central to an NCAA investigation of the USC football program that led to severe NCAA sanctions against USC, including a two-year postseason ban and the vacating of the 2004 national championship. As a result, Bush voluntarily forfeited his Heisman Trophy.

Theo Riddick

Theo Riddick (born May 4, 1991) is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Raised in Somerville, New Jersey, Riddick attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey. He rushed for 4,042 yards and 52 touchdowns during his high school football career, which also included a state championship in 2006, leading his team to victory and a perfect 12-0 season. In June 2016, Immaculata's football field was named for Riddick. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the tenth-best all purpose back in the nation. He accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame over offers from Rutgers, Penn State, and Pittsburgh.

James Stewart

James Stewart (1908–1997) was an American actor and USAF brigadier general.
James Stewart may also refer to:

Steve Owens

Loren Everett "Steve" Owens (born December 9, 1947) is a former football player, a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons in the early 1970s.  
Owens played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and was the 1969 Heisman Trophy winner and an All-American.  He was selected in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, 19th overall, and became the first Lion to rush for over a thousand yards in a season.

Kerryon Johnson

Kerryon Johnson (born June 30, 1997) is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Auburn, and was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Johnson attended Madison Academy in Madison, Alabama. While there, he played on the Mustangs high school football team. As a senior, he rushed 1,659 yards with 25 touchdowns. He committed to Auburn University to play college football. Johnson had offers from Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and USC. He ultimately chose to attend Auburn.

Nick Pietrosante

Nicholas Vincent Pietrosante (September 10, 1937 – February 6, 1988), commonly known as Nick Pietrosante, was an American football fullback.  He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1959 to 1965 and the Cleveland Browns from 1966 to 1967. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1958, as the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1959, and as a Pro Bowl player in 1960 and 1961.  Between 1959 and 1965, he set a Lions franchise record with 3,933 rushing yards.

Mikel Leshoure

Mikel Leshoure (born March 30, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois.

Joique Bell

Joique Dewayne Bell Jr. (born August 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Wayne State. Bell was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.

Kevin Smith

Kevin Ryan Smith (born December 17, 1986) is a former American football running back.  He played college football for the University of Central Florida (UCF), and received consensus All-American honors.  Smith was picked by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and played for the Lions for five seasons. He now coaches runningbacks at Florida Atlantic University.

Jahvid Best

Jahvid Andre Best (born January 30, 1989) is an Olympic track and field athlete and a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at California, setting several school records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and most rushing yards in a single game. Best also led the Pac-10 in total rushing yards in 2008. Best competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics, representing Saint Lucia in track and field.

Altie Taylor

Altie Taylor (September 29, 1947 – March 14, 2010) was an American football running back. He played eight seasons in the National Football League, including seven with the Detroit Lions. He led the Lions in rushing for three consecutive years from 1972 to 1974, appeared in 91 games, 83 as a starter, and in 1975 broke the Lions' career record with 4,297 rushing yards

Kevin Jones

Kevin S. Jones (born August 21, 1982) is a former American college and professional football player. Jones was a consensus All-American running back for Virginia Tech in 2003 and selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Jones played professionally for six seasons (2004–10) for the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).

John Henry Johnson

John Henry Johnson (November 24, 1929 – June 3, 2011) was a gridiron football running back known for his excellence at the fullback position as both a runner and a blocker. His first professional stint was in Canada in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) for one season with the Calgary Stampeders. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his final season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. Commonly referred to as simply John Henry, an allusion to the folk hero of the same name, Johnson was a tough and tenacious player who performed at a high level well into the tail end of his career.
After playing college football for St. Mary's College of California and Arizona State, Johnson was selected in the second round of the 1953 NFL Draft by the Steelers, the 18th overall pick.  He instead played one season of Canadian football for the Stampeders, in which he won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He then signed with the 49ers, and played left halfback in San Francisco's famed "Million Dollar Backfield". He was traded to Detroit in 1957, and became the team's leading rusher en route to that year's NFL championship, their most recent.
His abilities seemingly in decline, Johnson was traded to Pittsburgh in 1960, where he had the most productive years of his career, recording two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He remains the oldest player to record a 1,000-yard rushing season as well as the oldest to rush for 200 or more yards in a game, each at age 34. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Johnson ranked third on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list when he retired, but was best remembered by his peers for the mark he left with his blocking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Wilbert Montgomery

Wilbert Montgomery (born September 16, 1954) is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.  In the past, Montgomery has been the running backs and tight ends coach for St. Louis Rams (1997–2005), the running backs coach for the Detroit Lions (2006–2007), the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens (2008–2013), and the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns (2014–2015).

James Jones

Ernie Caddel

Ernest Wiley Caddel (March 12, 1911 – March 28, 1992) was an American football running back.  He played college football for Glenn "Pop" Warner at Stanford University from 1930 to 1932 and later played six seasons in the National Football League for the Portsmouth Spartans (1933) and Detroit Lions (1934–1938).  He helped lead the Detroit Lions to the NFL championship in 1935 and led the NFL in average yards gained per rushing carry for three consecutive years, from 1935 to 1937.  He was also the first player in NFL history to finish among the top 10 players in the league in both rushing and receiving yards, accomplishing the feat in 1934 and again in 1936.  He was known during his football career as the "Blond Antelope."

Greg Hill

Gregory Lamonte' Hill (born February 23, 1972 in Dallas, Texas) is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League from 1994 to 1999.

Bob Hoernschmeyer

Ace Gutowsky

LeRoy Erwin "Ace" Gutowsky (August 2, 1909 – December 4, 1976) was an American football fullback.  He played professional football for eight years from 1932 to 1939 and set the NFL career rushing record in October 1939.  He held the Detroit Lions' career and single-season rushing records until the 1960s.

Rick Kane

Richard James Kane (November 12, 1954 – December 25, 2009) was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. Kane rushed for 1,486 yards during his NFL career.   He played high school football at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, California, and college football at the University of Oregon and San Jose State University. Following his football career, he worked in the automotive industry. During 2005, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident resulting in the loss of one of his legs. He died of complications from pneumonia on December 25, 2009 in Reno, NV.

Big fan of Detroit football? Then check out this list of Detroit Lions running backs with photos and seasons as starters.&nbsp;It includes every starting ...