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They are the workhorses of the offense. They put their body on the line when they crash into three hundred pound linemen. They are running backs and to be among the best of them you have to have talent, skill, and determination. Here are the top four NFL running backs of all time.

4) Jim Brown- He is widely considered the first great running back to ever play the game on and off the field. He retired before the age of thirty and still left the game with the career rushing record (12,312 yards), rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126), and all-purpose yards (15,549 yards). Although these records have been broken by the likes of Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice, they stood for decades and will still continue to show Jim Brown's greatness. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1971 and continued on to become a actor and social activist. In 2002 The Sporting News named him the greatest football player ever.

3) Emmitt Smith- He holds the all time career rushing record with 18,355 yards, a record used to be held by Walter Payton and Jim Brown. Although he holds the record he his not considered the best running back of all time because he played on some of the greatest teams of all time. He played most of his career for the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys in the nineties. He retired on February 2005 and will be eligible for the Hall Of Fame in 2010. His 175 touchdowns are second only to Jerry Rice's 207 touchdowns. He was inducted into the college football Hall OF Fame on July 2007.

2) Barry Sanders- He would have owned the all time career rushing record if it hadn't been for his early retirement. He won the coveted Heisman Trophy given to the most outstanding college football player and the Rookie of the Year Award. He also won Offensive Player of the Year in 1994 when he posted 1,883 yards, 5.7 yards per carry average, and 283 receiving yards and NFL MVP in 1997 when he became the first since O.J. Simpson to post more than 2,000 yards. Throughout his short career he consistently rushed for more than 1,400 yards a season. He retired at the age of 30 and was inducted to the Hall OF Fame in 2004. His jersey number #20 was retired on Thanksgiving Day 2004.

1) Walter Payton- Nicknamed "Sweetness" he became arguably the best running back to ever play the game and the best to ever put on a Chicago Bears jersey. He won NFL MVP in 1997 after only two years in the pros and won the Super Bowl in 1985. He owned the all time career rushing record until Emmitt Smith broke it. He currently is second on the career rushing list and third on the career touchdown list. He was inducted into the Hall OF Fame in 1993. Walter Payton died on November 1, 1999 from liver complications. His legacylives on as he continues to inspire young running backs such as Ladainian Tomlinson and Ahman Green. The NFL gives the Walter Payton Man of The Year Award to NFL players who achieve in community service during a particular season.

Although all of the running backs on this list have retired and moved on with their lives their legacy continues to live on and inspire others.

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