Some football fans consider Emmitt Smith to be the greatest running back ever to play in the National Football League. He is, after all, the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards. A workhorse for the Dallas Cowboys from 1990-2002, his best season came in '95 when he racked up 1,773 yards on the ground. However, it only checks in at No. 21 on the list of best individual rushing seasons of all time. Check out the eye-popping single-season numbers these five backs posted.
5. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (2,006 yards) — The speedy Johnson, who has made the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons in the league, blew up for an NFL-best 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009. His 2,509 yards from scrimmage and 125.4 yards per game both led the league, too. Johnson "fell off" to 1,364 rushing yards last season, but remains one of the league's most explosive running backs.
4. Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (2,008 yards) — A three-time Pro Bowl back, Davis led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 1998 with 2,008 and 21, respectively. His averages of 5.1 yards per rush and 125.5 yards per game both led the league, too. However, a worn down Davis never was the same after 1998; he rushed for 1,194 the next three seasons combined.
3. Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (2,053 yards) — Many football fans consider Sanders to be the best running back in NFL history. He showed why in 1997 by dashing his way to 2,053 yards and 11 touchdowns. It was the fourth time he lead the league in rushing. Sanders abruptly retired two years later with career totals of 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns on the ground. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
2. Jamaal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens (2,066 yards) — Lewis exploded for a league-high 2,066 yards in 2003 by averaging a league-leading 129.1 yards per game. He abused the Cleveland Brown that year by rushing for a combined 500 yards and four touchdowns in two games against them. Lewis never rushed for more than 1,364 yards before or after his breakout season. In fact, he had a combined 1,912 rushing yards over the next two years.
1. Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (2,105 yards) — Dickerson led the league in rushing four times, including in1984 when he had a season for the ages. The second overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, he led the league in rushing yards with 2,105, scored 14 touchdowns and averaged a mind-boggling 131.6 yards per game on the ground. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Dickerson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
More NFL content from this Yahoo! Contributor:
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Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who proudly wears his Rodney Hampton jersey on Sundays during the football season. He grew up in Queens, N.Y. rooting for the Giants despite being surrounded by Jets fans.
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