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<p>Big fan of Washington football? Then check out this list of Washington Redskins running backs with photos and seasons as starters.&nbsp;It includes every starting running back from throughout <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-washington-redskins-wide-receivers/ranker-nfl?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Washington Redskins history</a>, including current running backs and past ones. Featuring 2018-2019 Washington Redskins&nbsp;and some of the greatest NFL&nbsp;running backs&nbsp;of all time, the best Redskins RBs include Clinton Portis, Stephen Davis, Terry Allen, and Earnest Byner, among other greats.</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 Washington Redskins history? Here is every player who has ever held the position of Washington Redskins&nbsp;starting running back.</p>


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FREEFORM

John Riggins

Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "The Diesel" and "Riggo", is an American former football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He was known for his powerful running style and productivity well into the latter years of his career; in 1983 at age 34, he rushed for an NFL single-season record 24 touchdowns, and again led the league in rushing touchdowns the following season at age 35. Although he had only one Pro Bowl appearance in his career, Riggins had his greatest success in the postseason, and was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XVII where he scored one touchdown and rushed for 166 yards in a 27-17 win for the Washington Redskins over the Miami Dolphins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Larry Brown

Lawrence Brown Jr. (born September 19, 1947) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL) who played running back for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1976.
Raised in nearby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Schenley High School, his original interest being in baseball.  He later developed an overriding interest in football and played college football in Kansas at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State University in Manhattan.

Clinton Portis

Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami.  He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft.  Portis was best known for being the starting running back for the Washington Redskins for seven seasons, in which he gained an average of 81.2 yards rushing per game, for which a select panel of celebrities included him as one of the 80 Greatest Redskins.

Alfred Morris

Alfred Bruce Morris (born December 12, 1988) is a American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Florida Atlantic and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Morris attended Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida, where he was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he saw action on both sides of the ball. As a senior, he rushed for 1,049 yards with 17 touchdowns and added 147 tackles and five interceptions on defense. He was named North West Florida MVP, first-team All-State and was a game MVP.

Stephen Davis

Stephen Lamont Davis (born March 1, 1974) is a former American football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).



Adrian Peterson

Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings seventh overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. Peterson set the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards as a true freshman during the 2004 season. As a unanimous first-team All-American, he became the first freshman to finish as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Peterson finished his college football career as the Sooners' third all-time leading rusher.
Following his first professional season, in which he set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game (296), Peterson was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was then awarded the MVP award for his performance in the Pro Bowl and became only the fifth player in NFL history to have more than 3,000 yards through his first two seasons. In 2010, he became the fifth fastest player to run for 5,000 yards, doing so in his 51st game.
In 2012, Peterson became the sixth fastest player to reach 8,000 rushing yards, ending the season with 2,097 rushing yards, just nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single season all-time record. Peterson amassed 2,314 all-purpose yards from scrimmage in 2012, tying Marcus Allen for the eighth-highest total ever. For his efforts, he received the NFL MVP Award and the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award for the 2012 NFL season. During the 2013 season, Peterson became the third fastest player to reach 10,000 rushing yards in NFL history. In 2015, Peterson became the oldest running back to make first-team All-Pro, doing so at 30 years of age.
In September 2014, Peterson was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child that occurred earlier that year, and was suspended for the rest of the 2014 season. A free agent coming into the 2017 season, Peterson signed a two-year contract with the New Orleans Saints, but was traded to the Arizona Cardinals just five weeks into the season before being released following the season's end. Peterson then signed with the Washington Redskins in 2018, where he recorded the eighth 1,000-yard season of his career, tied for sixth-most all-time.

Joe Washington

Joe Dan Washington, Jr (born September 24, 1953) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.

Terry Allen

Terry Thomas Allen, Jr. (born February 21, 1968) is a former American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. Allen played college football for Clemson University.  In the 1990 NFL Draft, he was selected in the ninth round by the Minnesota Vikings.
Between 1992 and 1996, Allen had 4 consecutive seasons of rushing for 1,000 or more yards, minus the 1993 season which he missed completely due to an injury.

George Rogers

George Washington Rogers (born December 8, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s.  Rogers played college football for the University of South Carolina, earned All-America honors, and won the 1980 Heisman Trophy.  He was the first overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, and he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins of the NFL.  As a professional, Rogers rushed for over 7,000 yards.

Earnest Byner

Earnest Alexander Byner (born September 15, 1962) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He is now the running back coach of IMG Academy, a comprehensive football camp that is featured in NFL Undiscovered, a documentary for international prospects.

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.

Mike Thomas

Malcolm "Mike" Thomas (July 17, 1953 – August 25, 2019)) was an American football player, a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers.



Ricky Ervins

Richard Ervins (born December 7, 1968) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers.  He played college football at the University of Southern California.

Ladell Betts

Matthew Ladell Betts (born August 27, 1979) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.

Roy Helu

Roy Ziegler Helu Jr. (born December 7, 1988) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.
Helu set the Redskins' franchise record of most receptions in single game with 14 catches in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.

Darrel Young

Darrel Young (born April 8, 1987) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent as a linebacker prospect in 2009. He played college football at Villanova University.

Ryan Torain

Ryan Devon Torain (born August 10, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State University.
He has also played for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.

Robert Kelley

Wilbur Jackson

Wilbur Jackson (born November 19, 1951) is a former American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft out of University of Alabama by the 49ers. He played five seasons for San Francisco, and then three years with the Washington Redskins.
Jackson was the first black player to be offered a football scholarship at the University of Alabama and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He still holds the Alabama school record for yards per carry (7.2) for his career (1,529 yards on 212 attempts) from 1971–73. Against Virginia Tech in 1973 he rushed for 138 yards on 5 carries, an average of 27.6 yards per carry.During the Super Bowl XVII highlight film, Jackson can be seen pulling up lame with a hamstring injury in a futile attempt to stop Fulton Walker of the Miami Dolphins from returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, the first such score in Super Bowl history.

Benny Malone

Benjamin Malone, Jr. (born February 3, 1952) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins.

Trung Canidate

Trung Jered Canidate (born March 3, 1977) is a former American football running back in the NFL.  Drafted out of Arizona, Canidate was selected with the 31st overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.

Craig McEwen

Craig Eugene McEwen (born December 16, 1965) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and the San Diego Chargers.  He played college football at the University of Utah. He attended Northport High School, Long Island, NY.

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