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San Diego Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson reached the coveted 10,000 yard career rushing total during the 2007 NFL season. Tomlinson's has been mentioned as one of the greatest running backs in National Football League (NFL) history because he accomplished the 10,000 milestone faster than any other running back in NFL history.

Some day Tomlinson will be mentioned in the same sentence as Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown. But he needs at least another two years of achieving at his current level to warrant such a distinction.

The following five running backs are my nominations for the greatest in NFL history:

Eric Dickerson

At 6' 3" and 220 pounds, Eric Dickerson played eleven seasons for the Los Angles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. His crowning achievement was setting the single season NFL rushing record of 2105 yards, a record that still stands today.

He is one of the greatest running backs in NFL history because of his patented fluid running style, which was aided by his uncanny peripheral vision. He not only had the ability to read blocks two or three players deep in front of him, but he avoided tacklers that were pursuing from the side and behind.

In his second season out of SMU, Dickerson continued began his demolition of the NFL record book. He gained 100 yards twelve times during his second season, a record he took from O J Simpson. He followed that season with four consecutive 1000 yard seasons with the Rams before being traded to the Colts where he continued his elevated level of play.

Dickerson was labeled soft by some football pundits, but his career number of carries belies that assessment. As a Ram, he was a workhorse runner who tirelessly stayed in games long before the era of the third down specialty back.

Dickerson entered the Hall of Fame in 1999 with over 13,000 yards rushing and ninety touchdowns during his vaunted career.

Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders was simply the most titillating running back to watch in NFL history. His electrifying moves frustrated opponents and dazzled the legions of fans that packed the Pontiac Silverdome, home of the woeful Detroit Lions.

Sanders made his legacy by constantly squirming out of trouble after seemingly being enveloped by defensive players. His signature lateral moves made the weekly ESPN highlight reel. He had no choice but to improvise. He entered the league playing behind the worst offensive line in the league. The Lions never upgraded the O-line during Sander's twelve years of gravity defying

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