I admit that I am very biased when it comes to the answer to this question because I actually got to watch him play first in Oklahoma State and then with the Detroit Lions but I think the best running back to ever play the game was Barry Sanders.

The guy was simply incredible to watch run the ball and it was more incredible because he was not a bruising back who could run over people like a Jim Brown type back. Sanders was small and therefore had to constantly run around people and he did it to the tune of over 15,000 yards in his career. Sanders was so good that he managed more than 1,400 yards in his rookie season. Had he not retired at a relatively young age, there is a pretty good chance it wouldn’t even be a debate.

The answer to this question has been debated for years and will always be debated because it's very subjective. One could go on total yards rushing and touchdowns and say Emmitt Smith with 18,355 yards and 164 rushing touchdowns from 1990 through 2004, but I don't see anyone talking about him being the best, most dominant running back of all time. He racked up the yards on some excellent Dallas Cowboys teams and was extremely durable but wasn't scary as in defenses had to worry about him taking it all the way from anywhere on the field.

Jim Brown is still considered by many to be the most dangerous running back in the history of the NFL. He played just 9 years from 1957 through 1965 but ran for 12,312 yards at a time when the league only played 12 games per season. He was bigger than many defensive players, strong and very fast.

Walter Payton is another that has to rank at the top. He had a very physical, punishing style of running and finished with 16,726 yards and 110 rushing touchdowns.

Barry Sanders would have enormous rushing totals had he not stepped away from football early. He is third all time in rushing yards with 15,269 in just 10 seasons. Had he played for as many years as Emmitt Smith, most likely he's at thw 20,000 yards or more plateau. He was the kind of back who could take it the length of the field on any play. He accumulated these stats on many bad Detroit Lions teams.