Adrian Peterson returned to Minnesota for the second time when Washington visited the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. The great running back picked up 76 yards on 14 carries in the 19-9 loss and moved from eighth place into sixth on the all-time rushing list, surpassing Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson. Looking at how the top 10 stack up.
10. Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards while playing for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos in a career that spanned 1977-88.
9. Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson starred for the Rams and Colts and spent time with the Raiders and Falcons after playing college ball at SMU. Dickerson rushed for 13,259 yards from 1983-93.
8. Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis played for both the Rams and Steelers in a career that went from 1993-2005. The former Notre Damer finished with 13,662 rushing yards.
7. LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson had a fantastic, Hall of Fame career with the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets. Tomlinson ran for 13,684 yards from 2001-11.
6. Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson continues to add yardage to his career total. The current Washington running back is at 13,701 career yards rushing … and counting.
5. Curtis Martin
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The running back next in line for Peterson to move by is Curtis Martin, who had a Hall of Fame career with the New England Patriots and New York Jets. From 1995-2005, Martin rushed for 14,101 yards.
4. Frank Gore
The venerable Frank Gore continues to pad his rushing yardage total. The current Buffalo Bill has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. He will bring 15,136 yards into Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
3. Barry Sanders
The remarkable Barry Sanders came from Oklahoma State to the Detroit Lions. Sanders played from 1989-98 and finished his career with 15,269 yards,
2. Walter Payton
The late, great Walter Payton played with the Chicago Bears from 1975-87. “Sweetness” rushed for 16,726 yards.
1. Emmitt Smith
The all-time leader in rushing yards is Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. The running back who played college ball at Florida starred for the Dallas Cowboys before finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals. From 1990-2004, Smith rushed for 18,355 yards.
