In his ninth NFL season, Derrick Henry cemented his legacy as one of the league’s all-time great running backs. He rushed for 1,921 yards, which stands as the 11th-highest single-season total in NFL history. This performance further solidified his place atop Alabama’s all-time NFL rushing leaderboard, a position he claimed from Shaun Alexander on the final Sunday of the 2023 regular season.
That game also marked Henry’s last with the Tennessee Titans, concluding an eight-year tenure in which he became one of the most dominant running backs in franchise history. Following the season, Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. With his new team, he continued his success and pushed his career rushing total to 11,423 yards, placing him 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
Alabama’s NFL Rushing Legacy Sees Major Changes
The 2024 NFL season brought significant shifts in Alabama’s rankings for career rushing yards among former Crimson Tide players. Najee Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting running back, climbed from ninth to fifth on Alabama’s all-time NFL rushing list, continuing his steady rise in the league. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts made history by breaking into the top 10, becoming the only quarterback on the list. His addition forced former Alabama and NFL running back Bobby Humphrey off the Crimson Tide’s prestigious leaderboard.
In addition to Henry and Harris, two other former Alabama standouts—Josh Jacobs and Jahmyr Gibbs—crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark during the 2024 season. Jacobs, already a well-established rusher, solidified his fourth-place ranking on Alabama’s all-time list, while Gibbs, still early in his career, showed immense promise by amassing 2,357 rushing yards in just two seasons. If he continues on this trajectory, he could soon find himself among the program’s greatest NFL ball carriers.
The Impact of Alabama Alumni on the 2024 NFL Season
Beyond individual accolades, former Alabama players made a collective impact on the NFL’s rushing landscape in 2024. A total of 16 Crimson Tide alumni registered at least one rushing attempt throughout the season. Together, they accumulated an impressive 8,250 rushing yards and scored 87 touchdowns on 1,706 carries. These numbers highlight Alabama’s continued dominance in producing top-tier running backs, as former Tide players accounted for 12.7% of the total rushing yards recorded in the NFL during the regular season.
Henry, now with the Ravens, played a key role in Baltimore’s offense, including their postseason push. His ability to maintain his elite rushing production year after year has made him not just one of Alabama’s greatest NFL running backs, but one of the best in league history.
Top 10 Alabama Alumni in NFL Career Rushing Yards
- Derrick Henry – 11,423 yards (Tennessee Titans 2016-23, Baltimore Ravens 2024)
- The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner has been a dominant force in the NFL. Over his career, he has averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 2,355 attempts and has found the end zone 106 times.
- Henry won the NFL rushing title in 2019 with 1,540 yards and followed that up with a historic 2,027-yard season in 2020, making him just the eighth player in league history to surpass 2,000 yards in a single season.
- Despite missing nine games in 2021 due to a foot injury, Henry still managed to finish ninth in the league in rushing yards. Over the past three seasons, he has been a top-two rusher in the NFL.
- Shaun Alexander – 9,453 yards (Seattle Seahawks 2000-07, Washington Redskins 2008)
- Alexander, a former NFL MVP, was one of the league’s top running backs in the early 2000s.
- In 2005, he led the league in rushing with 1,880 yards and scored a then-record 27 rushing touchdowns, earning him the MVP award.
- From 2001 to 2005, he consistently produced, rushing for at least 1,175 yards in each of those seasons.
- Mark Ingram – 8,111 yards (New Orleans Saints 2011-18, 2021-22; Baltimore Ravens 2019-20; Houston Texans 2021)
- The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner had a lengthy and productive NFL career, averaging 4.5 yards per carry on 1,817 attempts while scoring 65 rushing touchdowns.
- Ingram recorded three 1,000-yard seasons (2016, 2017, and 2019), proving to be a consistent and reliable back throughout his career.
- Josh Jacobs – 6,874 yards (Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2019-23, Green Bay Packers 2024)
- Jacobs has been a workhorse since entering the league, averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 1,606 attempts.
- He has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in four of his six seasons, winning the NFL rushing title in 2022 with 1,653 yards.
- Najee Harris – 4,312 yards (Pittsburgh Steelers 2021-24)
- Harris has quickly risen in the ranks of Alabama’s top NFL rushers, averaging 3.9 yards per carry on 1,097 attempts.
- In 2024, he became just the 14th player in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons.
- Kenyan Drake – 3,866 yards (Miami Dolphins 2016-19, Arizona Cardinals 2019-20, Las Vegas Raiders 2021, Baltimore Ravens 2022-23, Green Bay Packers 2023)
- Throughout his career, Drake proved to be a versatile weapon, averaging 4.4 yards per carry on 869 attempts while scoring 33 rushing touchdowns.
- Wilbur Jackson – 3,852 yards (San Francisco 49ers 1974-79, Washington Redskins 1980-82)
- Jackson, a standout high school player before heading to Alabama, averaged 4.0 yards per carry on 971 attempts.
- He was a key contributor to Washington’s victory in Super Bowl XVII.
- Eddie Lacy – 3,614 yards (Green Bay Packers 2013-16, Seattle Seahawks 2017)
- Lacy burst onto the NFL scene with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2013 and 2014.
- He averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 857 attempts and scored 23 touchdowns during his career.
- Tony Nathan – 3,543 yards (Miami Dolphins 1979-87)
- Nathan was known for his versatility, excelling as both a rusher and receiver.
- While he totaled 3,543 rushing yards, he also recorded 3,592 receiving yards, making him one of the most balanced offensive players of his era.
- He was the NFL’s All-Pro kickoff returner as a rookie and played a key role in the Dolphins’ offense throughout the 1980s.
- Jalen Hurts – 3,133 yards (Philadelphia Eagles 2020-24)
- The only quarterback on Alabama’s all-time rushing list, Hurts has become one of the most dangerous dual-threat signal-callers in NFL history.
- With 55 career rushing touchdowns, he ranks third all-time among quarterbacks. His postseason success is also notable, as he holds the record for the most playoff rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (10).
Alabama’s Ongoing NFL Dominance
With four active players already in the top 10 and rising stars like Jahmyr Gibbs on the horizon, Alabama’s influence in the NFL rushing game remains strong. The school continues to produce elite talent, and its alumni’s contributions to professional football are undeniable. As Henry, Harris, Jacobs, and Hurts continue their careers, the rankings could see even more movement in the coming years.
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