A History of NFL Running Back Careers Ruined by Injury

To become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, you have to be blessed with many physical and mental abilities. Speed, agility, strength, vision, and a host of other critical skills go into building the next Jim Brown, Walter Payton, or Barry Sanders. But even more so than those attributes, there's one thing required of all backs that they simply cannot do without. Something that makes all the difference between a one year wonder and a Hall of Famer: health.

No matter how good a running back you are, if you’re not healthy then you’re simply not going to make your mark on the league in the way you should. Throughout the history of the NFL, guys who could've been all-time greats like Bo Jackson or Terrell Davis had only begun to reach the peak of their powers before a cruel twist of fate cut them down without a moment’s notice. While they do play the position with perhaps the shortest shelf life of any player, it’s nevertheless unfortunate and unexpected when one of the league’s best backs goes down and is never these same. Here we present A History of NFL Running Back Careers Ruined by Injury.

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Alan Ameche

Career years: 1955-1960
Career stats: 4,045 rushing yards, 4.2 YPC, 40 rush TDs, 101 receptions, 733 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs
Injuries: Torn Achilles' tendon

While a modern audience may not be familiar with his work, Alan Ameche was one of the best players of his era. He scored the game-winning touchdown in "The Greatest Game Ever Played," the 1958 NFL Championship game that saw his Baltimore Colts squad top the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime. A College Football Hall of Famer, Ameche was kept out of Canton only by a torn Achilles' tendon that cut him down at the height of his power late in the 1960 season. The lack of advancement in surgical techniques during those times meant that what might be a one year injury in 2013 instead was a career-ender.

Gale Sayers

Career years: 1965-1971
Career stats: 4,956 rushing yards, 5.0 YPC, 39 rush TDs, 9435 all-purpose yards, 56 total TDs
Injuries: Torn right ACL and MCL, left knee ligament damage

One of the most explosive players in the history of football, Gale Sayers still set records even though he only managed to play five full NFL seasons. He still holds the record for most touchdowns by a rookie (22), highest kickoff return average (30.6 yards per return), and is tied for the most touchdowns in a game by one player (six). After his first knee injury, this one to the right knee, Sayers somehow managed to return despite a complete lack of medical technology and indeed won the NFL rushing title in 1969. It was a similar injury to the other knee the next year, though, that finally knocked him out of football for good.

Earl Campbell

Career years: 1978-1985
Career stats: 9,407 rushing yards, 4.3 YPC, 74 TDs
Injuries: Multiple knee and back surgeries, nerve damage in spine

Earl Campbell was an absolutely wrecking ball on the field, an incredible blend of speed and strength that made him the game's greatest running back for a six-year stretch from 1978 through 1983. He averaged almost 1,700 yards and 15 TDs over his first three seasons in the league, and looked like he was on his way to becoming one of the greatest of all time. However, he also averaged 348 carries per season over that stretch, and the absurd workload took its toll as Campbell's performance began to decline rapidly after his transcendent 1980 season. He retired after 1985, just his eighth season in the league. He now has trouble walking.

William Andrews

Career years: 1979-1983; 1986
Career stats: 5,986 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, 30 TDs
Injuries: Ligament, cartilage, and nerve damage in left knee; subseqent nerve problems in left foot

With 8,633 total yards, William Andrews is the Atlanta Falcons' career leader in yards from scrimmage. So why do few people remember this bruiser from Auburn? Perhaps it's due to the fact that he only lasted five seasons as the Falcons' featured back, playing on a forgettable series of Falcons teams that went a combined 37-36 during his peak years. His last full season was certainly his best, as Andrews finished second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,567 rush yards and 609 receiving yards, and for his effort was named to the All-Pro team. A torn ACL suffered the following preseason put him out of action for two years, and when Andrews finally returned in 1986 he played sparingly as he split time between running back and tight end.

Billy Sims

Career years: 1980-1984
Career stats: 5,106 rushing yards, 4.5 YPC, 42 TDs
Injuries: Torn ACL

Did you know that there was a Pro Bowler who wore No. 20 for the Detroit Lions before Barry Sanders? If you didn't, don't worry; while few remember Billy Sims, he was an outstanding talent whose legacy has been totally squashed by the legend who replaced him. After averaging 1,000 rush yards per season over his first four years in the league, Sims was well on his way to a fifth when he suffered a torn ACL during the Lions' Week 8 game against the Vikings. Despite an arduous rehab, he never set foot on an NFL field again as a player.

Bo Jackson

Career years: 1987-1990
Career stats: 2,782 rushing yards, 5.4 YPC, 16 TDs
Injuries: Broken and dislocated hip, avascular necrosis of left hip

There may never be a better pure athlete to play professional sports than Bo Jackson. While Bo only made one Pro Bowl and never rushed for 1,000 yards, that was more a function of splitting time with Hall of Famer Marcus Allen and playing Major League Baseball. Bo was an absolute beast who averaged 5.4 yards per carry over his four NFL seasons, and highlights of his runs are the stuff of legend. And, of course, he did all this while also hitting 20 home runs a season and making the MLB All-Star game as a member of the Kansas City Royals. His hip injury suffered in the playoffs against Cincinnati brought an unfortunate ending to what was shaping up to be one of the most memorable athletic careers in history.

Ickey Woods

Career years: 1988-1991
Career stats: 1,525 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, 27 TDs
Injuries: Torn left ACL, torn right ACL

Possessing a tremendous nickname and even better dance moves, Ickey Woods burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1988 as he ran for 1,066 yards and 15 TDs for the AFC Champion Bengals. At just 22 years old, it looked like Woods was going to be a fixture in the Bengals' backfield for years to come. Unfortunately, in the second game of the 1989 season he tore his ACL against the Steelers and was forced out of action for over a year. By the time he returned in 1990, he had lost his starting job and was a shell of his former self. He suited up for just nine games in 1991 after injuring his other knee in preseason, and he officially called it a career at the end of the year.

Barry Foster

Career years: 1990-1994
Career stats: 3,943 rushing yards, 4.3 YPC, 26 TDs
Injuries: Sprained ankle, sprained knee

The Steelers looked like they had stumbled upon something great with Barry Foster, a fifth round pick who emerged in his third season as an outstanding every down back. Bearing a tremendous workload (390 total carries), Foster rushed for 1,690 yards and 11 TDs in 1992 as the Steelers reached the playoffs before falling to the eventual AFC Champion Buffalo Bills. Foster got off to a strong start in 1993, but despite making the Pro Bowl he did not play after spraining his ankle in Week 9. He again battled injuries in 1994, and hobbled by a knee sprain, Foster was limited to 11 regular season games. Traded by the Steelers to the Carolina Panthers that offseason due to his exorbitant contract, Foster was cut in training camp after failing a physical and never played again.

Garrison Hearst

Career years: 1993-1998; 2001-2004
Career stats: 7,966 rushing yards, 4.4YPC, 30 rush TDs, 229 receptions, 2065 receiving yards, 9 receiving TDs
Injuries: Broken ankle, avascular necrosis in foot

Garrison Hearst had really begun to come into his own with San Francisco, making the Pro Bowl in 1998 as he finished third in the NFL with 1,570 rushing yards. However, during the 49ers' Divisional Round playoff game against Atlanta, he broke his ankle on the game's first play from scrimmage and nearly lost the foot altogether due to complications following surgery. Hearst did manage to come back after two years of rehab and produce an outstanding 2001 season as he rushed for over 1,200 yards, but his lack of burst caused him to be phased out by San Francisco during the next two seasons. After a forgettable year with Denver in 2004, he was out of the league.

Jamal Anderson

Career years: 1994-2001
Career stats: 5,336 rushing yards, 4.0 YPC, 41 TDs
Injuries: Torn right ACL, torn left ACL

At least we'll always have the "Dirty Bird." Jamal Anderson's signature dance may be his lasting legacy, as knee injuries cut short what looked like a very promising NFL career. The Falcons running back followed back-to-back 1,000-plus yards seasons in 1996 and 1997 with 1,846 yards (on a stunning 410 carries) in 1998 as he helped the Falcons reach the Super Bowl. Perhaps that heavy workload was too much, though, as he tore his right ACL during the team's Week 2 game in 1999. After returning and again posting a 1,000-plus yard season in 2000, Lewis was done for good after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Week 3 of 2001.

Ki-Jana Carter

Career years: 1995-1999; 2001-2004
Career stats: 1,144 rushing yards, 3.6 YPC, 20 TDs
Injuries: Torn left ACL, torn left rotator cuff, broken left wrist, dislocated right kneecap

Ki-Jana Carter was an absolute beast at Penn State, becoming a consensus All-American and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting as a junior. He was an ideal choice for the Bengals at No. 1 overall in the 1995 NFL Draft, getting a $7-plus million signing bonus that at the time was the largest ever handed to a rookie. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Carter tore his ACL in his first preseason game and was never really the same player. He never gained more than 464 yards on the ground in a season, playing double-digit games just three times and all 16 only once during his nine NFL seasons.

Terrell Davis

Career years: 1995-2002
Career stats: 7,607 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, 169 receptions, 1280 receiving yards, 65 total TDs
Injuries: Torn right ACL and MCL, arthroscopic surgery (both knees), lower left leg stress reaction

An unheralded sixth round pick who opened his first training camp with the Broncos at No. 6 on the running back depth chart, Terrell Davis won the starting job in a matter of weeks. He then proceeded to finish the regular season as the lowest-drafted player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie. Three consecutive years of 1,500-plus rush yards followed, culminating with his sublime 1998 season in which he gained 2,008 yards, scored 21 TDs, and was named NFL MVP. At just 26 years old, Davis appeared destined to be one of the best ever; however, he would never play a full season again. After tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 4 of 1999, he managed to play just five games in 2000 and eight in 2001 before retiring during the 2002 preseason.

Priest Holmes

Career years: 1997-2007
Career stats: 8,172 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, 94 TDs
Injuries: Sprained right knee ligaments, spinal column damage

Priest Holmes' career was full of odd slights. First, he went undrafted. Then, after rushing for 1,000 yards during the 1998 season with the Baltimore Ravens, he lost his starting job to Jamal Lewis. However, he proved the doubters wrong in 2001 as he won the NFL rushing title during his first season with Kansas City, and in 2003 he broke the NFL record for total TDs in a season (27). A hit by Shawne Merriman in 2005 effectively slammed the brakes on Holmes' career, though, as damage to the running back's spinal column forced him out of action for the rest of the 2005 season and all of 2006. While he returned briefly in 2007, Holmes re-injured his neck and retired mid-season.

Robert Edwards

Career years: 1998-2000; 2002
Career stats: 1,222 rushing yards, 3.9 YPC, 10 TDs
Injuries: Torn (or partially torn) left ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL, nerve damage

Looking to replace departed All-Pro Curtis Martin, the New England Patriots looked like they had found an ideal successor in Robert Edwards. The rookie out of Georgia ran for 1,115 yards as a rookie, setting high expectations for what many thought would be a lengthy, productive career. However, playing in the ill-fated "Rookie Flag Football Game" at the Pro Bowl, Edwards tore every ligament in his knee and did such extensive damage to the surrounding nerves that he was lucky the leg wasn't amputated. Amazingly, not only did he eventually walk and run again, but Edwards managed to come back with the Dolphins in 2002 as a third down back and then enjoy a modestly successful run in the CFL from 2005 to 2007.

Olandis Gary

Career years: 1999-2004
Career stats: 1,998 rushing yards, 4.0 YPC, 11 TDs
Injuries: Torn ACL

One of the seemingly countless running backs to replace Terrell Davis in Denver, Olandis Gary came in and in 1999, as a rookie, rushed for 1,159 yards over just 12 games. While it appeared Denver had found their next dominant rusher, Gary was injured during the Broncos' Week 1 contest in 2000 and was immediately replaced by Mike Anderson—who went on to gain 1,487 yards that season and supplant Gary as the starter even after Gary returned in 2001. After his injury, Gary would go on to rush for just 759 yards and four TDs over three seasons before retiring in 2003.

Deuce McAllister

Career years: 2001-2009
Career stats: 6,096 rushing yards, 4.3 YPC, 49 TDs
Injuries: Torn right ACL, torn left ACL

Deuce McAllister will always be fondly remembered by Saints fans as one of the best players in team history, and to this day he holds the franchise records for rushing yards and TDs. However, he could've done even more damage to the record books had it not been for his troublesome knees. McAllister rattled off three consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons from 2002 through 2004 before tearing his ACL in 2005, returning to 1,000-plus yard form in 2006 before agonizingly tearing the ACL in his other knee in 2007. After returning in a reduced role in 2008, McAllister was cut due to his salary prior to 2009 and did not play another NFL down (although he did return for the playoffs as a captain for the 2010 Super Bowl championship-winning Saints).

LaMont Jordan

Career years: 2001-2009
Career stats: 3,734 rushing yards, 4.2 YPC, 28 TDs
Injuries: Torn left MCL

LaMont Jordan was a late bloomer, someone who averaged just 66 carries per season during his first four years in the NFL, all of which were spent with the Jets as the backup to Hall of Famer Curtis Martin. His debut season in Oakland (2005) saw Jordan emerge as an offensive dynamo, as he gained over 1,000 yards on the ground and caught 70 passes in his first time as a starter. It looked like he had finally found a home in the NFL, until a torn MCL prematurely ended Jordan's 2006 season after nine games. The injury bug struck again in 2007, as a back injury knocked him out of action long enough to lose his starting job to Justin Fargas. After brief stints as a backup in New England and Denver, Jordan retired in 2009.

Brian Westbrook

Career years: 2002-2010
Career stats: 6,335 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, 41 rush TDs, 442 receptions, 3940 receiving yards, 30 receiving TDs
Injuries: Sprained ankle, torn triceps, broken ribs, foot sprain, knee strain, abdominal strain, multiple concussions

Unheralded out of Division I-AA Villanova, Brian Westbrook began to make his mark during his second NFL season. Given a chance to share carries with Duce Staley, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry that second season and scored 11 total TDs. He continued his rise from there, peaking in 2007 when he led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage and making the All-Pro team. However, repeated injuries to his legs and multiple concussions after that memorable effort began to slow Westbrook, who saw his production dip in 2008. He lasted just three more seasons after that career year before retiring following the 2010 season.

Clinton Portis

Career years: 2002-2010
Career stats: 9,923 rushing yards, 4.4 YPC, 75 TDs
Injuries: At least 10 concussions, partially dislocated shoulder, broken right hand, abdominal, groin injuries

It was never really one big injury that derailed Clinton Portis' incredibly promising career. His six 1,000-plus yard seasons are certainly an impressive total, but his falloff was so precipitous that one cannot help but wonder if he hadn't carried such a heavy workload what else he could have accomplished. During his healthiest years, Portis averaged about 320 carries per season, finishing in the top five in the NFL in attempts four times. All the knocks he picked up along the way began to accumulate, and over his final two seasons he managed to play in just 13 combined games and gain a total of 721 yards on the ground. After announcing his retirement in 2012, Portis joined a suit against the NFL over head injuries, claiming he suffered over 10 concussions during his career. Yikes.

Cadillac Williams

Career years: 2005-2011
Career stats: 4,038 rushing yards, 3.8 YPC, 21 TDs
Injuries: Torn right patellar tendon, torn left patellar tendon

Cadillac Williams showed incredible promise in his first year in the NFL, winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2005 as he ran for 1.178 yards and six TDs for the Buccaneers. That would really be the high point for him, though; his production declined sharply in 2006, as his yards per carry fell from 4.1 to 3.5 and he managed to score only one touchdown all season. The next year, Williams tore his patellar tendon during the Bucs' fourth game of the season and was out for over a full calendar year. When he was finally activated in 2008, he lasted six games before tearing the patellar tendon in his other knee, an injury which ended any hope he had of rediscovering his rookie season form.