Derrick Henry passes three Hall of Famers on career rushing list in Ravens win over Jets
Henry is now 12th on the NFL's all-time rushing list, passing three Hall of Famers including Marcus Allen
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
2 min read
Derrick Henry did something something pretty special during the Ravens' Week 12 matchup with the New York Jets. During Sunday's 23-10 win, Henry passed Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James and Marshall Faulk on the NFL's all-time list. Henry is now 12th on the all-time list and is just 19 yards away from passing Jim Brown, arguably the greatest running back of all-time.
Earlier this season, Henry became only the 17th player of the 12,000-yard club, which is especially notable as every eligible member of that club is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also recently passed Hall of Famer Walter Payton for fifth all-time in career touchdown runs.
NFL all-time career rushing list
| Player | Yards |
|---|---|
1. Emmitt Smith** | 18,355 |
2. Walter Payton** | 16,726 |
3. Frank Gore | 16,000 |
4. Barry Sanders** | 15,269 |
14,918 | |
6. Curtis Martin** | 14,101 |
7. LaDainian Tomlinson** | 13,684 |
8. Jerome Bettis** | 13,662 |
9. Eric Dickerson** | 13,259 |
10. Tony Dorsett** | 12,739 |
11. Jim Brown** | 12,312 |
| 12. Derrick Henry | 12,294 |
13. Marshall Faulk** | 12,279 |
14. Edgerrin James** | 12,246 |
15. Marcus Allen** | 12,243 |
16. Franco Harris** | 12,120 |
17. Thurman Thomas** | 12,074 |
18. Fred Taylor | 11,695 |
19. Steven Jackson | 11,438 |
20. John Riggins** | 11,352 |
** -- Pro Football Hall of Fame members
Allen and Faulk are two of just three players in NFL history with at least 12,000 career rushing and 5,000 career receiving yards. Allen, in addition to his versatility, is also one of the most prolific scorers in league history having retired as the NFL's career leader with 123 touchdown runs. As a member of the Raiders, he ran for two scores against Washington in Super Bowl XVIII en route to winning game MVP honors.
Marcus Allen breaks out an incredible 74 yard TD run on a busted play in Super Bowl XVIII with Pat and John on the call for CBS. Allen had 191 yards/2 TDs and was named MVP. pic.twitter.com/1yngTjmxXb
— FB_Helmet_Guy (@FB_Helmet_Guy) July 2, 2024
Arguably the most versatile back in league history, Faulk became the second player in history to go over 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving in 1999, the same season he helped lead the Rams to the franchise's first Super Bowl win. He would win league MVP honors the following year.
While he was never on a Super Bowl-winning team, James nonetheless received a ring from former Colts owner Jim Irsay following the team's win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. The gesture was a symbol of James' immense impact on the Colts despite his departure the prior offseason. James, who won two rushing titles during his first two seasons in the NFL, did help lead the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl berth in 2008.
Next up for Henry is Brown, who in 1964 led the Browns to their most recent NFL title, was the league's career rushing leader at the time of his retirement despite playing only nine seasons. In those nine seasons, he won a whopping eight rushing titles in addition to being an eight-time All-Pro and three-time league MVP.
3x MVP
— NFL (@NFL) May 19, 2023
1964 NFL champion
9x Pro Bowler
8x first-team All-Pro
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1971
NFL 100 All-Time Team
Jim Brown will forever be one of the greatest to play the game we love. pic.twitter.com/JXF5dBlA38
While rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest running backs is history, Henry also makes a case as the best running back of his generation. A five-time Pro Bowl player, Henry is just one of nine players to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Last year, his first with the Ravens, Henry led the NFL in rushing touchdowns for a third time while setting the single-season record for rushing yards gained by a player over the age of 30.
