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Who has the most career rushing yards in the Super Bowl? Can Christian McCaffrey ever crack this list? Joey Pollizze lists the top seven players who have the most rushing yards in Super Bowl history.
The times have certainly changed for running backs over the years. Teams used to have no problems paying their star running back. Now, that doesn't appear to be the case anymore.
That's because recent history shows that paying big money to running backs doesn't actually correlate to winning a Super Bowl. The highest-paid running back from the last eight Super Bowl winners was Leonard Fournette ($2 million) in 2020. The market has surely changed for this position group over the years.
However, a lot of old-school backs made a huge difference on the biggest stage. Can Christian McCaffrey bring back that same type of usage? Will he ever crack this list? Let's dive in and see which running backs have the most career rush yards in Super Bowl history.
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T7. Timmy Smith (204 Rush Yards)
Former Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys running back Timmy Smith might have only played three NFL seasons. But he has one of the greatest Super Bowl running back performances of all time in his one and only appearance in 1988.
Smith ran 22 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a Super Bowl XXII victory over the Denver Broncos. The rookie ran all over Denver's defense, and his 204 rush yards still stand as the most by a running back in one game in Super Bowl history. The dominant day from the Washington back was even more surprising, considering he only had 29 total rush attempts in the regular season.
Timmy Smith
Super Bowl XXIIIn the #HTTR/#HTTC rookie's first career NFL start, Smith rushes for Super Bowl record 204 yards — the only player to rush for over 200 yards in a Super Bowl.
He also scores his first two career touchdowns.
January 31, 1988pic.twitter.com/njypxVrZcS
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 31, 2024
T7. Thurman Thomas (204 Rush Yards)
Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas is tied with Smith for the most rush yards in Super Bowl history at 204. But Thomas needed four total appearances to reach that mark. The Bills made the Super Bowl in four straight years from 1991-1994, which helped the back land in the top seven on this list. However, he struggled on the ground in three of those four Super Bowl appearances.
His best game came in his first appearance in Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants when he ran 15 times for 135 yards and one touchdown. Although Buffalo winded up losing that game, Thomas did his best to keep the Bills in that contest. Over the next three Super Bowls, though, the Hall of Famer couldn't get anything going on the ground.
In Super Bowl XXVI against the then-Redskins, he rushed 10 times for 13 yards and one touchdown and then followed that up with an 11-carry, 19-yard, one-touchdown performance in Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas scored again in Super Bowl XXVIII in a rematch against the Cowboys but only had 16 carries for 37 yards.
5. John Riggins (230 Rush Yards)
Running back John Riggins is an example of how the times have changed at the position over the years. Riggins made two Super Bowl appearances with the then-Redskins in 1983 and 1984, and in those games, Washington leaned heavily on the Hall of Fame back.
In Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins, Riggins ran the ball 38 times for 166 yards and one touchdown. Those 38 rush attempts in Washington's 27-17 win are the most by a running back in Super Bowl history. Then, in Super Bowl XVIII, he saw 26 more carries for 64 yards and one touchdown in a blowout 38-9 loss against the Raiders.
In two Super Bowl appearances, Riggins saw a total of 64 carries for 230 yards and two touchdowns. The Hall of Famer averaged 115 rush yards per game on the biggest stage, and if he made at least one more Super Bowl, he would likely be in one of the top two spots on this list.
4. Terrell Davis (259 Rush Yards)
Like Riggins, Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis only played in two Super Bowls over his career, which came in 1998 and 1999. But Davis showed up big-time in those two appearances and helped carry the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
In Super Bowl XXXII against the Green Bay Packers, Davis put together one of the most dominating performances by a running back in Super Bowl history, rushing 30 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns. The Hall of Famer dealt with a severe migraine during the game, but he was able to battle through it to win Super Bowl MVP. Then, the following year in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Falcons, he ran 25 times for 102 yards and one touchdown.
The last time each position won the Super Bowl MVP:
- QB: Patrick Mahomes (2023)
- RB: Terrell Davis (1998)
- WR: Cooper Kupp (2022)
- TE/OL: N/A
- DEF: Von Miller (2016)
- ST: Desmond Howard (1997) pic.twitter.com/PF6696HF1q— Covers (@Covers) February 7, 2024
Davis played great in both Super Bowl appearances, taking 55 carries for 259 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. If quarterback John Elway didn't retire after the second Super Bowl win, the Hall of Fame back could have been higher up on this list.
3. Emmitt Smith (289 Rush Yards)
One of the greatest running backs to ever play the game in Emmitt Smith currently stands at third with 289 rush yards. Smith played in three Super Bowls over his 15-year career in 1993, 1994, and 1996.
Smith dominated on the ground in both Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII against the Bills. In the first one, he ran 22 times for 108 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers helped the Hall of Famer win his first and only Super Bowl MVP award. Then, in 1994, he had 30 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith's weakest performance, though, came two years later in Super Bowl XXX against the Steelers. He did see 18 carries, but he was only able to muster up 49 yards and one touchdown. In total, the Cowboys running back scored five times across those three Super Bowls to go with 289 yards on 70 carries.
2. Larry Csonka (297 Rush Yards)
Larry Csonka comes in second on this list with 297 rush yards and is the first fullback to make the rankings. The times were surely different back then, but the former Dolphin appeared in three Super Bowls over his career in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Csonka didn't get many opportunities in his first one in Super Bowl VI against the Cowboys, as he rushed nine times for 40 yards. But the fullback was much better in his next two games in Super Bowl VII against the then-Redskins and Super Bowl VIII against the Vikings. In 1973, the Hall of Famer ran 15 times for 112 yards, and the following year, he totaled 33 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Csonka was unstoppable in Super Bowl VIII, and he became the first back to win Super Bowl MVP in NFL history.
I’ve been asked to carry the Lombardi trophy to the stage of the Super Bowl LVIII champions. This also commemorates my 50 year anniversary as MVP of Super Bowl VIII. Quite an honor. Hope you’ll all stay tuned for postgame celebrations! #SuperBowlLVIII #73dolphins #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Tv0VwHjdfu
— Larry Csonka (@Larry_Csonka39) February 7, 2024
1. Franco Harris (354 Rush Yards)
There should be little surprise to see Steelers back Franco Harris at the top of this list. Harris totaled 354 yards across four Super Bowls in 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980.
Harris's best performance came in his first one in Super Bowl IX. In that contest, he had 34 carries (second-most all-time in the Super Bowl) for 158 yards and one touchdown. His dominating game earned him the Super Bowl MVP honors, one year after Csonka was the first back to do so.
In the other three appearances, Harris saw a ton of carries but couldn't do much with those opportunities. In Super Bowl X, he had 27 carries for 82 yards. In Super Bowl XIII, he had 20 carries for 68 yards and one touchdown, and in Super Bowl XIV, he carried the ball 20 times for 46 yards and two touchdowns. With four Super Bowl appearances and a ton of usage, the Hall of Famer also holds the record for most rush attempts (101) in Super Bowl history.
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