Los Angeles Rams: 15 greatest running backs of all-time

Here are the 15 greatest running backs of all time for the Los Angeles Rams.

Throughout their history as an organization, even during the time spent in St. Louis and Cleveland, the Los Angeles Rams have been fortunate enough to see plenty of great running backs suit up for them.

Whether it happened to be Marshall Faulk being part of “The Greatest Show on Turf”, or simply Eric Dickerson rushing for 3,913 yards to go along with 32 touchdowns during his first two years in the league, the Rams have had some of the best running backs the NFL has ever seen.

Even in present day, Todd Gurley had a ton of potential after taking home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during the 2015 season. However, what he’s been able to accomplish over the last two years has been truly amazing.

One year after failing to record a single 100-yard rushing game as a result of a poor offense in 2016, Gurley quickly turned things around when Los Angeles hired Sean McVay as their new head coach in 2017

Just how much did Gurley flourish in McVay’s offense? Well, the former Georgia star finished the 2017 season with 2,093 yards from scrimmage to go along with 19 total touchdowns. This shows why he finished as the runner-up to Tom Brady for the NFL MVP award only a year ago.

To top it off, Gurley finished his 2018 campaign in similar fashion by recording 1,831 yards from scrimmage to go along with 21 total touchdowns. He didn’t even play the final two games of the regular season, as the Rams were already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture.

In the long run, chances are that Gurley is going to finish with numerous team records for the Rams. He only seems to be scratching the surface of what is sure to continue being a promising career in Los Angeles.

As for what this means with Gurley in terms of the greatest Rams running backs of all-time, let’s see where he fits into the top-15. Here are the 15 greatest running backs in Rams football history.

Willie Ellison is the perfect example of knowing that patience can pay off in a big way with the right approach. Just look at  how long it took to for him to eventually win the starting job with the Rams.

Back in 1967, Los Angeles had high expectations for Ellison when the Rams selected him in the second round of the draft. Ellison was a very impactful player in college while at Texas Southern.

During his first four seasons with the Rams, Ellison had some decent performances. However, he wasn’t the consistent starter, as he was losing touches to Larry Smith in the Los Angeles backfield. Smith was selected in the first-round of the 1969 NFL Draft, so you can understand why there was a platoon of sorts with the Rams running backs.

Even though Ellison would only spend two more years with the Rams after taking over the starting role in 1971, he rushed for 1,000 yards and four touchdowns that campaign. He made his first and his only career trip to the Pro Bowl in that 1971 season. Ellison left the Rams after the 1972 season to spend his final two years in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring.

In six years with the Rams, Ellison rushed for 2,901 yards and 20 touchdowns. It may not seem that impressive to current day NFL players, but also was a bigger deal during Ellison’s time in the league.

One can only imagine how different these numbers would have looked had he had more carries during those first four NFL seasons with the Rams. At least Ellison was still able to make the most of the situation while with Los Angeles.

The Rams were beyond thankful to see things not work out for Charles White when he was with the Cleveland Browns. After his first four years in the league, the former tailback at USC joined the Rams ahead of the 1985 NFL season.

Despite high expectations during the 1980 NFL Draft when he was selected in the first round, White just never seemed like a good fit in Cleveland. As a result, the numbers from his first four NFL seasons were basically a disappointment. Keep in mind he won the 1979 Heisman Trophy while at USC.

A former first-round running back rushing for just 942 yards with nine touchdowns during a four-year span. It shows just how frustrating it was to watch White in Cleveland. Luckily, things turned around for the better when he came to Los Angeles, although it did take some time.

After two seasons with the Rams, White finally had the breakout season he desperately needed. In 1987, he led the league with 1,374 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns on 324 carries. He was named to the Pro Bowl, as well as the All-Pro First-Team for the only time in his career. White played one last year with the Rams in 1988 before being out of the league.

Substance abuse derailed what should have been a promising career for White. However, he did have his best professional season in the same stadium he once starred at in college for USC as a member of the 1987 Rams.

Believe it or not, Elroy Hirsch‘s story with the Rams is a bit of a wild one. He was originally selected by the Rams when they were in Cleveland back in 1945. However, he denied to return to the University of Wisconsin once he was discharged from the military.

To top it off, Hirsch would end up playing in the AAFC instead of the NFL from 1946 to 1948 as a member of the Chicago Rockets. And once things failed to work out with the Rockets as a result of contract issues, Hirsch would eventually try to join the Green Bay Packers in 1949. The Rams stepped in to point out they had the rights to his contract and he joined Los Angeles.

Frustrating or not at the time, this seemed to work out for the best for both Hirsch and the Rams. Hirsch would go on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Rams, as one of the better receiving threats of his era.

Without question there were plenty of exciting seasons involving Hirsch as a member of the Rams. That being said, it’s difficult to top off what he was able to accomplish in 1951. He led the league with 66 catches for 1,495 yards with 17 touchdowns. Those are outstanding numbers for even today’s pass-heavy game.

By then, the Rams realized Hirsch was more valuable as a receiver than running back. For the sake of this list, it still seems fitting to mention him as a top player at the position for franchise’s all-time list, even though he only briefly played primarily as a running back for the Rams.

During the 1959 NFL Draft, the Rams held the No. 2 pick. They decided to focus on running back by going with Dick Bass. This ended up working out well for the Rams seeing how Bass spent his entire career with the team.

Even though it appeared to take some time for Bass to adjust to playing in the NFL, the Rams started to see some of the best results beginning in 1962. This marked the first season of back-to-back Pro Bowls for Bass out of the Los Angeles backfield.

Not only was that season the first time in which Bass broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark, but he also managed to find the end zone a total of eight times, twice as a receiver. Overall, Bass finished his career with the Rams by rushing for 5,417 yards to go along with 34 touchdowns.

Bass may only have seen been part of one playoff game during his career, but at least he still has plenty to be proud of from the numbers he finished with in regular season games as a member of the Rams.

Los Angeles never would have selected Bass that high in the draft if the team didn’t believe he was capable of being successful in the NFL. There’s no question he ended up living up to the hype as a member of the Rams for the entire 1960s.

Greg Bell is another one of those players who didn’t start his career with the Rams. However, they’re certainly glad he ended up joining the team when he did, even if it was less than three full seasons.

Originally, Bell started his career off as a member of the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo used a first-round pick on him back in the 1984 NFL Draft to give them another weapon to work with in the backfield. It worked out well for the Bills, seeing how he rushed for 19 combined touchdowns during his first three seasons in the league.

However, nothing compares to the ridiculous numbers Bell put together during his first two full seasons with the Rams. He rushed for 2,349 yards and 31 touchdowns from 1988 to 1989. Bell led the league in touchdown runs in both of those years with 16 and 15, respectively.

One can only imagine how different things would have been for the Rams if Bell had ended up playing with the team longer. At least the time he did spend with them is better nothing, right?

When seeing how Bell led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during both of those seasons, it was clear the Rams were fortunate enough to have quite the special running back. When it comes to being on a list like this, Bell is certainly worthy of the No. 11 spot.

Jim Bertelsen is one of those players who was fortunate enough to spend his entire career as a member of the Rams. Although, it was a shame that it only lasted from 1972 to 1976. Still, just like a few other running backs already mentioned on this list, the Rams are glad that he was able to be part of the team. This is especially true when looking at his Pro Bowl season in 1973.

Back in 1972, the Rams used a second-round pick on the former Texas star. After starting seven of 14 games as a rookie, it was in Bertelsen’s sophomore campaign, as mentioned before, that stood out the most from his brief career with Los Angeles.

Normally, a running back finishing with 854 rushing yards with four touchdowns on 206 carries wouldn’t seem like that big of a deal. However, keep in mind the game was much different during the 1970s, meaning these numbers were pretty impressive for Bertelsen.

Only five years in the NFL seems rare for just about any player. It really is a shame the Rams couldn’t have gotten more out of Bertelsen instead of his football career coming to an end after 1976. Then again, at least nothing can take away from the fact that Bertelsen finished his five-year career with 2,466 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Not bad for only half a decade in the league.

Looking back, Jerome Bettis is one of those players the Rams most likely wish would have been around for much longer than he was. The former Notre Dame star would go on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career after leaving the Rams.

Even though most of the success Bettis came across during his career came from the 10 years spent with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Rams will always be considered the team that got his career moving in the right direction.

Bettis is part of the list of Rams players who actually spent time on the team in both Los Angeles and St. Louis, even if the time in St. Louis was only for one season.

Los Angeles felt confident enough in Bettis after using the No. 10 pick on him during the 1993 NFL Draft. He rushed for 1,429 yards with seven touchdowns during his rookie campaign, which quickly backed up their confidence in him as a tailback.

If only things didn’t become rocky after that third NFL season for Bettis before he was traded to the Steelers. It’s tough not to think how things would have been different on offense for the Rams all those years.

But once again, at least nothing can take away from the fact that it was the Rams who helped Bettis launch his stellar Pro Football Hall of Fame career. Nothing can ever change that.

Keeping the trend going of running backs with shorter NFL careers than most players tend to see, Cleveland Gary is another one of those guys who only had a five-year career with the Rams. Although, he left fans with plenty to be proud of.

As a rookie, Gary didn’t really bring that much excitement to the table. He only appeared in 10 games and rushed for 163 yards to go along with a touchdown on 37 carries.

Obviously, this was far from what the Rams expected from Gary when Los Angeles selected him in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft. At least when it came to Gary’s sophomore campaign, the running back certainly made up for his disappointing rookie season.

It was one thing for Gary finish his second NFL season with 808 rushing yards, but it was another for him to lead the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns. That stands out the most. Even though Gary took another step back in 1991, at least he was able to get back on track the following year with 1,125 rushing yards and seven scores in 1992

Gary’s career may have finished with the Miami Dolphins, but the Rams will always appreciate the impact made, especially those two seasons in the early 1990s.

Throughout his career, Cullen Bryant was always one of those players who could do a little bit of everything for the Rams. Whether it was lining up in the backfield or simply hauling in receptions in the passing game, he did it all for Los Angeles.

Thanks to an impressive career at Colorado, Los Angeles decided to use a second-round pick on Bryant in 1973. The rest is history.

After the Rams used him more on special teams during his first two NFL seasons, 1975 was when Bryant finally started to come around for the team in ground game. He rushed for 467 yards to go along with two touchdowns during his third year in the league out of Colorado.

The following two seasons may not have been as impressive for Bryant, but from an overall perspective, he was one heck of a contributor for the Rams during his playing days. Just look at the three-year span from 1978 to 1980 where he rushed for 2,084 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns. It’s easy to see why Los Angeles loved having him around for all those years.

Even more exciting, there were plenty of great years in which Bryant was lucky enough to be part of the team. Despite all those playoff games during the 1970s and early 1980s, Bryant never won a Super Bowl in his decade with the Rams.

When considering he was one of the greatest players to be part of the UCLA program at the time, it was easy to understand why the Rams were so high on Wendell Tyler. He was still available in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft, so the Rams selected the local kid out of UCLA to help bolster their football team.

Unfortunately when it comes to running backs in the NFL, teams always don’t get what they originally expected. And even though it took a little bit longer for Tyler to finally make the necessary impact Los Angeles was looking for on offense, there’s no question it was well worth the wait.

The 1979 season was the year when Tyler finally elevated his game to a whole new level for the Rams. He rushed for 1,109 yards on 218 carries to go along with 10 trips into the end zone, one of those receiving.

Watching Tyler finish his career as a member of the rival San Francisco 49ers was a tough pill for some Los Angeles fans to swallow. At least there were plenty of memorable moments for them to cherish during his six years with the team. Without question, the 12 touchdowns and 1,074 rushing yards put together during the 1981 season ranks right near the top of the list.

Just how good was Lawrence McCutcheon for the Rams during his eight seasons with the team? Well, when seeing how McCutcheon would go on to earn five trips to the Pro Bowl after his rookie season in 1972, that certainly proves it. McCutcheon ended up with one of the biggest steals from the 1972 NFL Draft, as he fell all the way to the third round that year.

As mentioned earlier, running backs can be tough to figure out when it comes to potential in the NFL. However, McCutcheon easily lived up to the hype, as his numbers will back that up.

During that five-year span in which he made the Pro Bowl every season, McCutcheon rushed for 5,523 yards to go along with 23 touchdowns. This shows once again just how much of a steal he truly was as a former third-round pick by the Rams.

Even though McCutcheon bounced around to a few different teams towards the end of his career, his best playing days were always from his time with the Rams. Just like Cullen Bryant, it would have been even better if McCutcheon actually won a Super Bowl during his glory days in Los Angeles. Their only trip to the Super Bowl resulted in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Workhorse is probably the best way to describe Steven Jackson as an NFL player. Just look back at all the times he was an absolute nightmare for opponents as the Rams’ bell-cow back.

Starting off his career as a backup to Marshall Faulk may not have been the scenario Jackson was looking for when joining the NFL. That being said, how many times do young running backs get to learn from one of the best there ever was?

In a way, Jackson learning from Faulk to start off his career before eventually replacing the Pro Football Hall of Famer worked out pretty well for the Rams’ star running back.

Right away, Jackson showed plenty of potential as a rookie after rushing for 673 yards with four touchdowns. Considering his production could have been higher without Faulk in the picture, those are pretty solid stats nonetheless.

Without question, one of the most impressive statistics from Jackson’s career was the fact that after his rookie campaign, he would go on to break the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the next eight seasons.

Losing Jackson to the Atlanta Falcons prior to the 2013 season after he decided to opt out of his contract was tough to see happen. It is also understandable from a contending standpoint. At least with 10,138 rushing yards from his time with the Rams, Jackson still sits on top of the franchise all-time list.

Over the last two seasons, to say Todd Gurley has worked his way into the conversation of one of the top running backs in the league. You cannot overlook what kind of role he’s played in helping the Rams have one of top offenses in the league.

In a way, it’s kind of crazy how quickly things can change for a fan base like Los Angeles when seeing how some were ready to give up on Gurley after his disappointing sophomore campaign, even though it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Luckily, the risk by the Rams to name Sean McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history has worked out wonderfully over the last two years. The best part is, this seems like only the beginning for Gurley in this offense.

Sooner or later, it feels it’s only a matter of time before Gurley adds an NFL MVP award or Super Bowl ring to his collection. He came in second for NFL MVP to Tom Brady of the New England Patriots in 2017.

Even more exciting, thanks to the Rams making the wise decision to reward Gurley with a hefty extension back in the offseason, the offense looks to be in great shape for years to come. Gurley will only be 25 years old at the start of the 2019 NFL season.

Rams fans have seen plenty of favorites over the years. However, it’s safe to say Eric Dickerson may be on top of the list when seeing how involved he remains with the team, particularly after the club moved back to Los Angeles.

Trading Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of the 1987 season was tough to deal with. He was one of the top running backs in the 1980s. At least he will always have his mark as one of the greatest running backs to ever suit up for the Rams.

Whether it was finishing his rookie season with 1,808 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns or simply that he’s one of only seven running backs to break the 2,000-yard rushing mark, the beginning of Dickerson’s career was absolutely incredible.

Not only is Dickerson considered one of the best players to ever play running back for the Rams, but also the NFL in general. He’s also one of the more talented players to play for the Colts organization, too.

Fans can only imagine how different things would have been if the two parties didn’t end up dealing with contract issues. That being said, they do say everything happens for a reason.

So when seeing how Dickerson was able to put up the ridiculous numbers that he did in Rams uniform, while continuing to be a key part of the organization, this really did turn out for the best at the end of the day.

As crazy as the idea of the Rams trading Eric Dickerson when they did, at least the organization made up for it down the road when they acquired Marshall Faulk from the same Indianapolis Colts before the 1999 season.

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Faulk recorded 2,227 yards from the line of scrimmage in 1998 and 10 total touchdowns in his last season in Indianapolis. It was easy to understand why St. Louis was so thrilled to land him when the Rams did.

So how did things turn out for Faulk during his first season as a member of the Rams? No one needs to remind fans just how exciting it was to see Faulk part of “The Greatest Show on Turf”.

During the 1999 season, he became part of the Rams’ offensive headlining duo with NFL MVP quarterback Kurt Warner.

Winning the Super Bowl that season over the Tennessee Titans was truly amazing. It seemed to come out of nowhere for the Rams. There’s no question the argument can be made this magical season for the Rams never would have happened without Faulk be added in the offseason.

Even more impressive, Faulk go on to win NFL MVP honors himself the following year. It doesn’t happen all that often anymore for a running back to win the award. But with how Faulk recorded 6,765 yards from scrimmage during his first three years with the Rams, on top of 59 total trips into the end zone, seeing him on top of this list isn’t a surprise one bit. He’s one of the best offensive playmakers with the ball in his hands in NFL history.