Running backs tend to take a backseat when Super Bowl games reach the final tense moments.
Quarterbacks? Wide receivers? Tight ends? They're the ones moving the ball in crunch time. But a select number of running backs have bucked that trend by chewing up valuable real estate in NFL championship games – none better than late Pittsburgh Steelers' great Franco Harris.
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the 10 players that have racked up the most rushing yards in Super Bowl history.
All-Time Super Bowl Rushing Yards Leaders
| Rank | Player | Appearances | Rushing Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Franco Harris* |
4 | 354 |
| 2 |  Larry Csonka* |
3 | 297 |
| 3 |  Emmitt Smith* |
3 | 289 |
| 4 |  Terrell Davis* |
2 | 259 |
| 5 |  John Riggins* |
2 | 230 |
| T6 | Timmy Smith |
1 | 204 |
| T6 |  Thurman Thomas* |
4 | 204 |
| 8 |  Roger Craig |
3 | 198 |
| 9 |  Marcus Allen* |
1 | 191 |
| 10 |  Antowain Smith |
2 | 175 |
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
Editor's Note: Super Bowls below are listed as part of the NFL season, not the date the game was played. For example, Super Bowl IX took place on Jan. 12, 1975, but was the last game of the 1974 NFL postseason.
1. Franco Harris (354 yards)
- Super Bowl IX (1974): 158 yards
- Super Bowl X (1975): 82 yards
- Super Bowl XIII (1978): 68 yards
- Super Bowl XIV (1979): 46 yards
Harris may have been born in Fort Dix, N.J., but his football legacy belongs to Pittsburgh.
The six-foot-two, 230-pound backfield fortress made his Super Bowl presence known in a major way, racking up 158 yards and a touchdown in his NFL championship debut as the Steelers upended the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 at Super Bowl IX. And while he was held to an average of just over 65 yards in his subsequent three Super Bowl appearances, that hard-earned real estate was enough to earn him top spot on the all-time rushing yard list.
His yards-per-carry average might not impress, but the Steelers don't win four Super Bowls in a six-year span without Harris' heroics.
2. Larry Csonka (297 yards)
- Super Bowl VI (1971): 40 yards
- Super Bowl VII (1972): 112 yards
- Super Bowl VIII (1973): 145 yards
Lost in the pomp of the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 season – still the only one of its kind in NFL history – is that the Dolphins were sensational the year before and the year after, as well. Csonka was a pivotal part of Miami's three consecutive Super Bowl trips.
The Hall of Fame running back had just 40 rushing yards in the Dolphins' 24-3 loss to Dallas at Super Bowl VI, but helped Miami finish off a perfect 1972 with 112 yards in a 14-7 Super Bowl win over Washington, then rumbled for 145 yards and two scores as the 'Fins vanquished Minnesota 24-7 at Super Bowl VIII.
There might never be another running back more revered in Miami than the Sundance Kid.
3. Emmitt Smith (289 yards)
- Super Bowl XXVII (1992): 108 yards
- Super Bowl XXVIII (1993): 132 yards
- Super Bowl XXX (1995): 49 yards
The accolades you could heap upon Smith are too many to count – but you can believe this one probably means more to him than most.
Smith took full advantage of his three Super Bowl trips (all in a four-year span of his incredible Hall of Fame career), racking up the third-most rushing yards in NFL championship history while adding a Super Bowl-high five rushing touchdowns. His best performance came at Super Bowl XXVIII, as he rolled up 132 ground yards while finding the end zone twice in a 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills.
As of now, there's never been a more prolific running back in Super Bowl history – and Smith might have that distinction for a while longer.
4. Terrell Davis (259 yards)
- Super Bowl XXXII (1997): 157 yards
- Super Bowl XXXIII (1998): 102 yards
We can only wonder what could have been with Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who only played four full-ish NFL seasons but was sensational pretty much the entire time.
That greatness – including a 2,000-yard rushing season – extended to the Super Bowl, where Davis averaged an absurd 129.5 rushing yards per appearance while scoring three ground TDs (all coming in a 31-24 win over Green Bay at Super Bowl XXXII). He added 152 all-purpose yards (102 rushing, 50 receiving) in a 34-19 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.
Davis shone bright in his limited time in the league, and nowhere was that more apparent than when the NFL championship was at stake.
5. John Riggins (230 yards)
- Super Bowl XVII (1982): 166 yards
- Super Bowl XVIII (1983): 64 yards
It wasn't until returning from a contract dispute that cost him an entire season that running back John Riggins really turned on the jets, going from solid starting rusher to offensive menace.
Riggins overcame a dismal regular season with a playoff run for the ages, racking up an unbelievable 610 rushing yards in four postseason games (including a then-NFL record 166 in the Washington Redskins' 27-17 win over Miami at Super Bowl XVII). He rumbled for a league-best 24 rushing scores the following year, and extended his run of 100-yard rushing games in the playoffs to six before "only" adding 64 yards and a touchdown as Washington fell 38-9 to the L.A. Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII.
Riggins finished with 62 regular-season TDs in 64 games with Washington following his holdout. Looks like everybody won.
T6. Timmy Smith (204 yards)
- Super Bowl XXII (1987): 204 yards
If we ever put together a list of the unlikeliest Super Bowl heroes, Timmy Smith will be at the very top.
Smith started just nine NFL games, finishing with 602 yards on 190 carries and three touchdowns. But his name is forever etched in the history books for his performance at Jack Murphy Stadium on Jan. 31, 1988, when he blasted Denver's defense for 204 rushing yards and two scores in Washington's 42-10 drubbing of the Broncos.
Just how out-of-nowhere was Smith's performance? His previous high for yards per game was 107 – one of only two career 100-yard matchups for Smith outside of that wild Super Bowl explosion.
T6. Thurman Thomas (204 yards)
- Super Bowl XXV (1990): 135 yards
- Super Bowl XXVI (1991): 13 yards
- Super Bowl XXVII (1992): 19 yards
- Super Bowl XXVIII (1993): 37 yards
Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas will always own a piece of the Super Bowl record books as the first (and so far only) back with rushing touchdowns in four straight Super Bowls.
But if there's one blemish on the Hall of Fame rusher's otherwise sterling career, it's that he struggled to make an impact outside those TDs in each of his final three NFL championship appearances. Granted, he wasn't the only one to blame, but managed only 69 rushing yards on 37 carries in the Bills' three Super Bowl losses from 1991-93.
Still, finding the end zone is the name of the game – and no running back was more consistent at scoring TDs in the Super Bowl than Thomas.
8. Roger Craig (198 yards)
- Super Bowl XIX (1984): 58 yards
- Super Bowl XXIII (1988): 71 yards
- Super Bowl XXIV (1989): 69 yards
We could spend this entire space debating whether running back Roger Craig should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (he should, by the way), but let's instead focus on how Craig was an integral part of the San Francisco 49ers' incredible success in the mid-to-late 1980s.
He was one of the first rushers who regularly caught passes like a receiver (racking up more than 2,000+ scrimmage yards twice), and used that versatility to maximum effect at the Super Bowl. Craig averaged 66 rushing yards and 71 receiving yards in his three NFL title game appearances, scoring four combined touchdowns as San Francisco went 3-0 in those contests.
Craig might not have finished with elite rushing numbers, but his dominance as a pass-game threat remains one of the most underappreciated things in NFL history.
9. Marcus Allen (191 yards)
- Super Bowl XVIII (1983): 191 yards
Like Timmy Smith, Marcus Allen lands on this list by virtue of one very big Super Bowl performance. But that's where the similarities end.
Allen is one of the most decorated running backs in league history, with an MVP award, a rushing title, six Pro Bowl selections and more than 12,200 career rushing yards to his credit. And though he only reached the Super Bowl once, he made it one to remember for Raiders fans, scoring on runs of five and 74 yards (!) to earn Super Bowl XVIII MVP honors.
That he has remained in the top 10 on this list for more than 40 years on the strength of that single-game showing is a testament to just how great it was.
10. Antowain Smith (175 yards)
- Super Bowl XXXVI (2001): 92 yards
- Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003): 83 yards
Antowain Smith had a decent but unspectacular regular season NFL career, finishing with nearly 7,000 yards but never contending for a Pro Bowl or All-Pro spot.
Still, when you're the New England Patriots' starting running back in the Tom Brady era, you're going to eat a little. And Smith did exactly what the Pats' backfield needed in his two Super Bowl showings, rushing for a combined 175 yards and a TD to help New England escape with wins at Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII.
