1991 NFL Running Back Leaders
Every 1991 board running backs are read on, one page, top ten in each.
Emmitt Smith led all running backs in rushing yards in 1991, with 1,563. Thurman Thomas led in yards per carry (4.89), receiving yards (631), receiving yards per game (42.1) and yards from scrimmage (2,038). Barry Sanders led in rushing touchdowns (16) and rushing yards per game (103.2).
Rushing Every NFL rushing board →
The rate boards count qualified players only: 6.25 carries per team game.
Rushing Yards
YDS- 1 Emmitt Smith 1,563
- 2 Barry Sanders 1,548
- 3 Thurman Thomas 1,407
- 4 Rodney Hampton 1,059
- 5 Earnest Byner 1,048
- 6 Gaston Green 1,037
- 7 Christian Okoye 1,031
- 8 Leonard Russell 959
- 9 Mark Higgs 905
- 10 Marion Butts 834
- 1 Barry Sanders 16
- 2 Emmitt Smith 12
- 3 Brad Baxter 11
- 3 Gerald Riggs 11
- 5 Herschel Walker 10
- 5 Rodney Hampton 10
- 7 Robert Delpino 9
- 7 Christian Okoye 9
- 9 Kevin Mack 8
- 9 Rod Bernstine 8
Yards per Carry
Y/A- 1 Thurman Thomas 4.89
- 2 Kenneth Davis 4.84
- 3 Rod Bernstine 4.82
- 4 Terry Allen 4.69
- 5 Ricky Ervins 4.69
- 6 Harold Green 4.63
- 7 Christian Okoye 4.58
- 8 Fred McAfee 4.53
- 9 Barry Sanders 4.53
- 10 Marion Butts 4.32
Rushing Attempts
ATT- 1 Emmitt Smith 365
- 2 Barry Sanders 342
- 3 Thurman Thomas 288
- 4 Earnest Byner 274
- 5 Leonard Russell 266
- 6 Gaston Green 261
- 7 Rodney Hampton 256
- 8 Mark Higgs 231
- 9 Christian Okoye 225
- 10 Robert Delpino 214
- 1 Barry Sanders 103.2
- 2 Emmitt Smith 97.7
- 3 Thurman Thomas 93.8
- 4 Gaston Green 79.8
- 5 Rodney Hampton 75.6
- 6 Christian Okoye 73.6
- 7 Earnest Byner 65.5
- 8 Mark Higgs 64.6
- 9 Leonard Russell 59.9
- 10 Rod Bernstine 58.9
Receiving Every NFL receiving board →
The rate boards count qualified players only: 1.875 receptions per team game.
Receiving Yards
YDS- 1 Thurman Thomas 631
- 2 Robert Delpino 617
- 3 Leroy Hoard 567
- 4 Keith Byars 564
- 5 Ronnie Harmon 555
- 6 John Williams 499
- 7 Tony Paige 469
- 8 Steve Sewell 436
- 9 Merril Hoge 379
- 10 Vince Workman 371
Receptions
REC- 1 Keith Byars 62
- 1 Thurman Thomas 62
- 3 John Williams 61
- 4 Ronnie Harmon 59
- 5 Tony Paige 57
- 6 Robert Delpino 55
- 7 Merril Hoge 49
- 7 Emmitt Smith 49
- 9 Leroy Hoard 48
- 10 Neal Anderson 47
- 1 Leroy Hoard 9
- 2 Thurman Thomas 5
- 3 Vince Workman 4
- 4 Keith Byars 3
- 4 Neal Anderson 3
- 6 Gill Fenerty 2
- 6 Steve Sewell 2
- 6 Harry Sydney 2
- 6 Robert Wilson 2
- 6 James Brooks 2
- 1 Leroy Hoard 11.81
- 2 Steve Sewell 11.47
- 3 Robert Delpino 11.22
- 4 Thurman Thomas 10.18
- 5 Keith Henderson 10.10
- 6 Ronnie Harmon 9.41
- 7 Todd McNair 9.24
- 8 Keith Byars 9.10
- 9 Earnest Byner 9.06
- 10 James Brooks 8.70
- 1 Thurman Thomas 42.1
- 2 Robert Delpino 38.6
- 3 Anthony Johnson 38.2
- 4 Leroy Hoard 35.4
- 5 Keith Byars 35.3
- 6 Ronnie Harmon 34.7
- 7 John Williams 31.2
- 8 Tony Paige 29.3
- 9 Neal Anderson 28.3
- 10 Steve Sewell 27.3
Yards from Scrimmage
YScm- 1 Thurman Thomas 2,038
- 2 Barry Sanders 1,855
- 3 Emmitt Smith 1,821
- 4 Earnest Byner 1,356
- 5 Rodney Hampton 1,342
- 6 Robert Delpino 1,305
- 7 John Williams 1,240
- 8 Neal Anderson 1,115
- 8 Gaston Green 1,115
- 10 Ronnie Harmon 1,099