Heaviest running backs in NFL history
 

The perceived size of Derrick Henry made me wonder about the largest running backs ever.

When I say 'running backs', I'm talking about guys who were really running backs, not the occasional hungry pig defensive tackle or blocking fullback.

So I went to our friendly pro-football-reference site, and sorted all running backs with 500+ career carries by weight. This uses the PFR weight, so I don't know if it's peak-year weight or last-year weight or rookie weight. It's just weight.

27 running backs with 500+ career carries are listed over 240 pounds, which is a smaller number than I expected. Without further ado, I present them in this thread in ascending order to build suspense.

#24-27 - The 242 Pounders

Donnell Bennett, 1994-2001, 1941 Yards, 102 Games Played
LaMont Jordan, 2001-2009, 3734 Yards, 114 Games Played
Duce Staley, 1997-2006, 5785 Yards, 114 Games Played
Barry Word, 1987-1994, 2897 Yards, 72 Games Played

We know a couple of these guys. Marty liked big backs and I cannot lie.

Marion Motley:thumb:

Bettis has to be near the top

#21-23 - The 243-pounders

Jim Braxton, 1971-1977, 2769 Yards, 74 Games Played
Michael Bush, 2008-2014, 3250 Yards, 89 Games Played
Mike Tolbert, 2008-2017, 2649 Yards, 143 Games Played

I didn't think of Tolbert and Bush as some of the largest running backs ever. I remember Braxton was really big for his era, though I didn't remember him getting a lot of carries with O.J. Simpson around.

Craig "Iron head" Heyward was 290 or more

Okoye had to have been at least 250 lbs.

#19-20 - The 244-pounders

Bam Morris, 1994-1999, 3320 Yards, 62 Games Played
Michael Turner, 2004-2012, 7338 Yards, 134 Games Played

Like I said, Marty liked big backs.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5IuZlImP-o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

#14-18 - The 245-pounders

Keith Byars, 1986-1998, 3107 Yards, 175 Games Played
Boobie Clark, 1973-1980, 3032 Yards, 94 Games Played
Ron Dayne, 2000-2007, 3722 Yards, 96 Games Played
Jamal Lewis, 2000-2009, 10607 Yards, 131 Games Played
Natrone Means, 1993-2000, 5215 Yards, 88 Games Played

Byars ended up more of a tight end, but he was a running back at first. I was curious as a child about Boobie's nickname.

I would've thought Dayne was bigger.

Jamaal Lewis was a productive guy for his size.

And of course who can forget Natrone?

I think Okoye played at about 260.

#12-13 - The 247-pounders

LeGarrette Blount, 2010-2018, 5759 Yards, 116 Games Played
Derrick Henry, 2016-2019, 3833 Yards, 62 Games Played

Henry seems so much bigger than Blount. I think there's some optical illusion about Henry.

#10-11 - The 248-pounders

Mike Alstott, 1996-2006, 5088 Yards, 158 Games Played
Marion Butts, 1989-1995, 5185 Yards, 104 Games Played

We had a lot of big running backs in the AFC West during the Marty years.

#9 - 250 pounds

Eddie Lacy, 2013-2017, 3614 Yards, 60 Games Played

It's funny because he was fat.

#8 - 251 pounds

Cookie Gilchrist, 1962-1967, 4293 Yards, 65 Games Played

His name was 'cookie'. I like that.