Oakland Raiders: Top Ten Running Backs In Team History
No. 1: Marcus Allen
Forget about who he played for after leaving the Raiders, Marcus Allen was the greatest running back the Raiders ever had. As a matter of fact, he the best football player the ever put on the silver-and-black Raiders uniform.
You can even make a case that Allen is the best football player the NFL has ever seen if you look at what he did and how.
He and O.J. Simpson made running with the football look the prettiest of any running backs I’ve ever seen. He caught the ball well out of the backfield and he could run routes down the field well enough that you could line him up at receiver.
LaDainian Tomlinson threw more touchdowns than any running back, but Allen could throw the ball deep down the field like a quarterback.
If that isn’t good enough, Allen moved to fullback to block for Bo Jackson when he went to the Raiders, like Kenny King did for him. That’s the same versatility and whatever-the-team-needs-me-to-do mentality that Raiders running backs are traditionally known for.
And we can’t forget the third-and-1, fourth-and-1 and goal-line situations Allen also made his money on.
Allen is No. 1 on the Raiders all-time rushing list, No. 5 on the Raiders receiving list and No. 2 behind Tim Brown in touchdowns. He was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1982, the MVP of Super Bowl XVIII and NFL MVP in 1985 with the Raiders.
He also went to six Pro Bowls, was 1st-team All-Pro twice and was 2nd-team All-Pro once in his illustrious career.
He also won a Heisman Trophy and college and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year but not with the Raiders.