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<p>Big fan of San Francisco football? Then check out this list of San Francisco 49ers.&nbsp;It includes every starting running back from throughout San Francisco 49ers history, including current running backs and past ones. Featuring some of the greatest NFL&nbsp;running backs&nbsp;of all time, the best 49ers RBs include Frank Gore, Garrison Hearst, O. J. Simpson, and Roger Craig, among other greats.&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 San Francisco 49ers history? Vote below, and help decide the greatest 49ers RB of all time!</p>


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FREEFORM

Roger Craig

Roger Timothy Craig (born July 10, 1960) is an American former football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the  San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders and Minnesota Vikings. Craig went to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls with the 49ers. Craig was the first NFL player to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. Marshall Faulk is the only other player to have accomplished that feat. He currently works as the VP of Business Development at TIBCO Software.

Frank Gore

Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL rushing yards. His career was also noted for longevity, a rare trait with his position, and he holds the league record for games played by a running back. Gore played college football at Miami and was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. During his 10 seasons with the 49ers, he became the franchise's rushing yards leader and received five Pro Bowl selections. He also led the National Football Conference (NFC) in rushing yards during the 2006 season and made one Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLVII. After leaving San Francisco in 2014, Gore played for the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. He was named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team in 2020.

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.

Ricky Watters

Richard James Watters (born April 7, 1969) is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the school's 1988 national champion team. He also won Super Bowl XXIX as a member of the 1994 49ers over the San Diego Chargers. Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN sportcaster Chris Berman.
Ricky Watters also has appeared in the movie Any Given Sunday. He was the running back for the fictional team the Dallas Knights, featured in the final game of the movie. Watters is listed in the credits, and is clearly shown on the back of his Knights jersey #32.
Currently Watters is a motivational speaker for kids who, like himself, are adopted. He is also a recording artist, music producer, President and CEO of Tigero Entertainment and an author, having written the book, For Who For What, a Warrior’s Journey. He was the recent head football coach for Oak Ridge High School, Orlando, Florida until resigning on October 1, 2013. An architecture major in college, he returned to Notre Dame in 2014 to complete the three final credits necessary for a graphic design degree.

Tom Rathman

Thomas Dean Rathman (born October 7, 1962) is a former professional football player, a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. Following his playing career, he became a coach in 1995 and coached the 49ers' running backs through the 2016 season and now will be inducted into the 49ers' hall of fame.
Rathman was a three-sport star at Grand Island Senior High in central Nebraska.  In addition to a state Hall of Fame career as a fullback for the Islanders football team, Rathman won a state championship in the high jump in 1980 during his junior year.

Kyle Juszczyk

Kyle Juszczyk is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Juszczyk played college football for Harvard University. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Raheem Mostert

Dominique Raheem Mostert (born April 9, 1992) is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue. Mostert attended New Smyrna Beach High School in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where he played football and competed in track and field. Mostert led New Smyrna Beach to two playoff berths. After his senior season, he moved on to Purdue University.

Joe Perry

Fletcher Joseph Perry (January 22, 1927 – April 25, 2011) was a professional American football fullback in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1960, the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and returned to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname, "the Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player, he became one of American football's first black stars.
After playing a season of football for Compton Junior College, Perry joined the U.S. Navy. While playing football in the military, he was spotted by the 49ers, who signed him into the AAFC. He spent the next thirteen seasons playing for San Francisco, where he was featured in the "Million Dollar Backfield", made three straight Pro Bowl appearances, and in 1954 was named the NFL MVP by United Press International (UPI). He was the first player in the NFL to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, doing so in 1953 and 1954. Perry retired in 1963 as the league's all-time leader in rushing yards, and in 1969 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His jersey number 34 was retired by the 49ers in 1971.

Elijah Mitchell

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.

Hugh McElhenny

Hugh Edward McElhenny Jr. (born December 31, 1928) is a former professional American football player who was a halfback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1964 for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions. He was noted for his explosive, elusive running style and was frequently called "The King" and "Hurryin' Hugh". A member of San Francisco's famed Million Dollar Backfield and one of the franchise's most popular players, McElhenny's number 39 jersey is retired by the 49ers and he is a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
McElhenny first rose to stardom as a standout all-around player for Compton Junior College in 1948. He then transferred to the University of Washington, where he was a two-time All-Pacific Coast Conference fullback for the Washington Huskies football team and set several school and conference records. He was drafted by the 49ers with the ninth pick in the 1951 NFL Draft, and his versatility made him an immediate star in the league, earning him five first-team All-Pro honors in his first six seasons. With the 49ers, he was selected for five Pro Bowls, and he earned a sixth Pro Bowl appearance with the Vikings. He finished his career after short stints with the Giants and Lions.
An all-around player who was a threat as a runner and a receiver and also returned kickoffs and punts, McElhenny had amassed the third most all-purpose yards of any player in NFL history when he retired. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, "Hugh McElhenny was to pro football in the 1950s and early 1960s what Elvis Presley was to rock and roll," a reference to both his popularity and his nickname.

Charlie Garner

Charlie Garner III (born February 13, 1972) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Garner has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Matt Breida

Matthew John "Matt" Breida (born February 28, 1995) is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Southern and signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Breida's adoptive parents moved the family from Hudson, Florida with its "longtime presence of white supremacist and KKK groups" to more integrated Spring Hill north of Tampa. There, Breida attended Nature Coast Technical High School in nearby Brooksville, Florida. He played high school football for the Sharks. Breida played college football at Georgia Southern. As a sophomore in 2014, he rushed for a Sun Belt Conference-leading 1,485 yards (second most by a GSU sophomore to Adrian Peterson) and 17 touchdowns on 171 carries, along with eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Jeff Wilson Jr.

Wendell Tyler

Wendell Avery Tyler (born May 20, 1955) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 3rd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 198 lbs. running back from UCLA, Tyler played in 10 NFL seasons from 1977 to 1986 for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.In 1979, he helped lead the Rams to Super Bowl XIV, where they were defeated 31-19 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1984, he rushed for a 49er team record 1,262 yards during the regular season, and also caught 28 passes for 230 yards,  was selected to the Pro Bowl, and played in Super Bowl XIX in which the 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-16. Tyler was the first player ever to lead two teams in rushing in two Super Bowls.

Carlos Hyde

Carlos Dawon Hyde (born September 20, 1990) is an American football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He played college football at Ohio State University as a Buckeye and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Hyde grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hyde enrolled at Ohio State in January 2010. Hyde played primarily as a backup running back in his first two seasons before breaking out in his junior season with 970 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in less than 10 games after missing two because of an ankle issue. He was named second-team All-Big Ten that year.

Ken Willard

Kenneth Henderson Willard (born July 14, 1943) is a former American football running back/fullback in the National Football League, where he was a four-time Pro-Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1960s.

Kendall Hunter

Kendall Bernell Hunter (born September 16, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for Oklahoma State University, and earned consensus All-American honors.  The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Terry Kirby

Terry Gayle Kirby (born January 20, 1970) is a former professional American football player who played ten seasons in the NFL from 1993 to 2002.  A 6'1" running back from the University of Virginia, he is the brother of baseball player Wayne Kirby. Co Owner of Ultimate Sports Institute in Weston, Florida and now is a coach for the Weston Warriors.

Tevin Coleman

Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana, where he was a unanimous All-American. Coleman attended Oak Forest High School in Oak Forest, Illinois. He played running back, wide receiver, and cornerback, and also returned kicks and punts. He was named the 2011 Southtown Star Player of the Year. As a senior, he rushed for 949 yards on 83 carries with 13 touchdowns, and also had 16 receptions for 345 yards and five touchdowns. Coleman attended and played college football for Indiana University from 2012–2014 under head coach Kevin Wilson.

Dexter Carter

Dexter Anthony Carter (born September 15, 1967) is a former running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round in the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University.

Delvin Williams

Delvin Williams (born April 17, 1951 in Houston, Texas), is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 197-lb. running back from the University of Kansas, Williams played for the 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers in eight NFL seasons from 1974 to 1981. A two-time Pro Bowl selection in 1976 and 1978, Williams rushed for over 1,200 yards in both those seasons.

Johnny Strzykalski

John Raymond Strzykalski (December 14, 1921 – June 19, 2002) was an American football halfback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL).  He was drafted out of Marquette University by the Green Bay Packers in the 1946 NFL Draft.

Kevan Barlow

Kevan Courtney Barlow (born January 7, 1980) is a former American football running back.After his completing college, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft and played a total of five seasons for the 49ers. He is also a former member of the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.



Glen Coffee

Glenwood Razeem Coffee, Jr (born May 1, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft and played one season before retiring from football in 2010 and serving in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2017. Coffee came out of retirement and was reinstated by the NFL on April 21, 2017. He played college football at the University of Alabama.

Big fan of San Francisco football? Then check out this list of San Francisco 49ers.&nbsp;It includes every starting running back from throughout San Francisco ...