Throwback Thursday: All-Time Rushing Leaders

It's often interesting to check on the All-Time Rushing list, or any all-time list. Here are the Top-25 runners in NFL history through the 2015 season.

Rank	Player (age), + - HOFer, Bold - Active	Yds	Years	Teams
1.	Emmitt Smith+	18,355	1990-2004	2TM
2.	Walter Payton+	16,726	1975-1987	chi
3.	Barry Sanders+	15,269	1989-1998	det
4.	Curtis Martin+	14,101	1995-2005	2TM
5.	LaDainian Tomlinson	13,684	2001-2011	2TM
6.	Jerome Bettis+	13,662	1993-2005	2TM
7.	Eric Dickerson+	13,259	1983-1993	4TM
8.	Tony Dorsett+	12,739	1977-1988	2TM
9.	Jim Brown+	12,312	1957-1965	cle
10.	Marshall Faulk+	12,279	1994-2005	2TM
11.	Edgerrin James	12,246	1999-2009	3TM
12.	Marcus Allen+	12,243	1982-1997	2TM
13.	Franco Harris+	12,120	1972-1984	2TM
14.	Thurman Thomas+	12,074	1988-2000	2TM
15.	Frank Gore (32)	12,040	2005-2015	2TM
16.	Fred Taylor	11,695	1998-2010	2TM
17.	Adrian Peterson (31)	11,675	2007-2015	min
18.	Steven Jackson (32)	11,438	2004-2015	3TM
19.	John Riggins+	11,352	1971-1985	2TM
20.	Corey Dillon	11,241	1997-2006	2TM
21.	O.J. Simpson+	11,236	1969-1979	2TM
22.	Warrick Dunn	10,967	1997-2008	2TM
23.	Ricky Watters	10,643	1992-2001	3TM
24.	Jamal Lewis	10,607	2000-2009	2TM
25.	Thomas Jones	10,591	2000-2011	5TM

Once LaDanian Tomlinson is honored in Canton next year, the Top-10 rushers will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And 13 of the Top-14.

The push to get Edgerrin James in the Hall of Fame could gain some momentum in the coming years. Terrell Davis is the back on the outside of the Hall that probably generates the most debate. He'd be inducted already if injuries hadn't limited his career to just over four outstanding seasons. He actually played seven seasons but only started 16 games in his final three. He finished his career with 7,607 yards. Both James and Davis should be in the Hall of Fame.

Fred Taylor might have gained the most quiet 11,695 yards in the history of the game. He was a terrific runner for the Jacksonville Jaguars for 11 seasons. He was one of the best in the game but rarely seemed to be recognized as such.

Frank Gore is another runner that has quietly gained a lot of yards. And he's still gaining yards. He's a remarkable back.

Adrian Peterson should join the Top-10 this season. An average-Peterson season should get him past Tony Dorsett at #8. He'd probably be joining the Top-4 if his 2014 season hadn't been taken from him.

Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Ricky Watters, and Thomas Jones might be surprises to some to be among the Top-25 rushers of all-time. Dillon was very consistent with the Cincinnati Bengals to start his career. From 1997-2002 he never gained less than 1129 yards. Then he had his excellent 1,635 yard season in 2004 to help the New England Patriots win their third Super Bowl. Because of his small stature Warrick Dunn always felt like a complimentary back but he had a terrific career carrying the ball. Ricky Watters was also remarkably consistent and he was consistently productive for three different teams. Thomas Jones took a few years with a couple of teams before he hit his stride with the Chicago Bears. Then he was the sort of runner that you'd expect to find among the Top-25.

The NFL has become such a pass-happy league that running back has become a somewhat disposable position. An every down back simply isn't valued like he once was. Hopefully it's a cyclical thing because it was/is so much fun to watch the above running backs do their beautiful thing.