most rushing yards by a running back before age 30

Barry Sanders has the most career rushing yards by a running back younger than 30, with 13,778 yards.

NAMERUSH YDSGPATTYPCRUSH YDS/GRUSH TDREC YDSRECTRGAVGREC YDS/GREC TD
1Barry Sanders
B. Sanders
13,778
137
2,719
5.1
100.6
95
2,632
315
8.4
19.2
10
2Emmitt Smith
E. Smith
12,566
140
2,914
4.3
89.8
125
2,609
415
6.3
18.6
9
3LaDainian Tomlinson
L. Tomlinson
11,760
127
2,657
4.4
92.6
126
3,801
510
698
7.5
29.9
15
4Walter Payton
W. Payton
11,625
130
2,666
4.4
89.4
78
3,088
328
9.4
23.8
9
5Edgerrin James
E. James
11,607
128
2,849
4.1
90.7
77
3,260
418
563
7.8
25.5
11
6Eric Dickerson
E. Dickerson
11,226
105
2,450
4.6
106.9
82
1,633
202
8.1
15.6
4
7Jerome Bettis
J. Bettis
10,876
136
2,686
4.0
80.0
53
1,220
170
57
7.2
9.0
3
8Marshall Faulk
M. Faulk
10,395
135
2,367
4.4
77.0
87
5,984
628
422
9.5
44.3
33
9Curtis Martin
C. Martin
10,361
124
2,604
4.0
83.6
71
2,704
377
277
7.2
21.8
8
10Adrian Peterson
A. Peterson
10,190
104
2,054
5.0
98.0
86
1,715
208
291
8.2
16.5
5
11Steven Jackson
S. Jackson
10,138
131
2,396
4.2
77.4
56
3,324
407
550
8.2
25.4
8
12Jamal Lewis
J. Lewis
10,107
122
2,399
4.2
82.8
58
1,791
213
287
8.4
14.7
4
13LeSean McCoy
L. McCoy
10,092
133
2,185
4.6
75.9
66
3,378
441
566
7.7
25.4
15
14Clinton Portis
C. Portis
9,923
113
2,230
4.4
87.8
75
2,018
247
338
8.2
17.9
5
15Thurman Thomas
T. Thomas
9,729
123
2,285
4.3
79.1
54
3,622
371
9.8
29.4
20
16O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson
9,626
105
1,997
4.8
91.7
57
1,786
159
11.2
17.0
12
17Derrick Henry
D. Henry
9,349
118
2,011
4.6
79.2
89
1,458
155
202
9.4
12.4
3
18Eddie George
E. George
9,166
115
2,485
3.7
79.7
60
2,008
241
230
8.3
17.5
10
19Ezekiel Elliott
E. Elliott
9,130
135
2,139
4.3
67.6
74
2,718
368
483
7.4
20.1
14
20Marshawn Lynch
M. Lynch
9,112
127
2,144
4.3
71.7
74
1,979
252
340
7.9
15.6
9
21Frank Gore
F. Gore
8,839
116
1,911
4.6
76.2
51
2,631
315
457
8.4
22.7
10
22Earl Campbell
E. Campbell
8,764
99
2,029
4.3
88.5
73
718
115
6.2
7.3
0
23Chris Johnson
C. Johnson
8,737
113
1,927
4.5
77.3
51
2,154
296
406
7.3
19.1
9
24Shaun Alexander
S. Alexander
8,713
106
1,969
4.4
82.2
96
1,435
200
290
7.2
13.5
11
25Corey Dillon
C. Dillon
8,583
112
1,972
4.4
76.6
48
1,510
198
223
7.6
13.5
5
StatMuse has game-level data for rushing yards going back to the 1960 season.

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More Lions Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

4,564

Goff

Jared Goff

RUSH

1,223

Gibbs

Jahmyr Gibbs

REC

1,401

St. Brown

Amon-Ra St. Brown
Team Rankings

PPG

28.3

4th

OPP PPG

24.3

22nd

RUSH YDS/G

120.1

14th

PASS YDS/G

268.6

3rd

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLTPCT
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
Lions Lions
9
8
0
.529
9
8
0
.529
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM
Thu
9/17
@
8:15 PM
Sun
9/27
@
1:00 PM
Sun
10/4
@
8:20 PM
Sun
10/11
@
4:25 PM
Last Game
DET Lions

9 - 8

19

Final

16

CHI Bears

11 - 6

Sun 4 Jan 2026

NFL 2025 Leaders

NFL 2025 Rankings

NFL Fantasy 2025

NFL 2025 Betting

NFL 2025 Standings

AFC EastWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Bills Bills - w
12
5
0
.706
7
10
0
.412
Jets Jets - e
3
14
0
.176
AFC NorthWLTPCT
10
7
0
.588
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
5
12
0
.294
AFC SouthWLTPCT
13
4
0
.765
12
5
0
.706
Colts Colts - e
8
9
0
.471
3
14
0
.176
AFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
11
6
0
.647
6
11
0
.353
3
14
0
.176
NFC EastWLTPCT
11
6
0
.647
7
9
1
.441
5
12
0
.294
4
13
0
.235
NFC NorthWLTPCT
Bears Bears - y
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
9
8
0
.529
Lions Lions - e
9
8
0
.529
NFC SouthWLTPCT
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
NFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Rams Rams - w
12
5
0
.706
49ers 49ers - w
12
5
0
.706
3
14
0
.176

NFL 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Sun
10/12
@
29-27
Sun
10/12
@
27-30
Sun
10/12
@
25-19
Sun
10/12
@
10-20
Sun
10/12
@
18-27

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Wed
9/9
@
8:20 PM
Thu
9/10
@
8:35 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM