Heisman Trophy Winners: Top 20 NFL careers of all time
We have finally cracked the top five. Marcus Allen comes in at the fifth spot on the list even though it’s pretty much an even battle for No. 1 from here on out.
Marcus Allen was recruited at USC to play defensive back, but then-head coach John Robinson believed he was good enough to play tailback, therefore moving him to the offensive side of the ball. Allen flourished at the position during his junior year when he finally earned the starting role. He did average over 5.5 yards per carry on minimal attempts over his freshman and sophomore years, though.
Allen rushed for over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior, paving the way for his Heisman-winning senior season in 1981 in which he ran for 2,342 yards and 22 touchdowns. After taking home a wealth of hardware in his senior season, Allen made the jump to the NFL as the 10th overall selection in 1982.
Playing his first 11 years with the Los Angeles Raiders, Allen looked like one of the best running backs out there, seemingly putting up over 700 yards per season with ease through the first half of his career. He then rounded out his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with three career 1,000-yard seasons.
Six Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro selections, Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP awards, one Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP later, Allen is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He finished with 12,243 yards and 123 rushing touchdowns over his career.
Next: 4. O.J. Simpson, USC