In a two-game span in the 2006 NFL season, Shaun Alexander went from No. 3 to No. 1 in NFL rushing yards among players from Alabama high schools and colleges.
On Sept. 17, 2006, Alexander ran for 89 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries in the Seattle Seahawks’ 21-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and Stephen Davis ran for 16 yards on five carries in the St. Louis Rams’ 20-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
At the end of that day, the former Alabama running back had 7,957 career rushing yards, and the former Auburn running back had 7,891. That left only James Brooks ahead of Alexander in the Alabama-roots rushing rankings. Only 5 yards ahead, the former Auburn standout couldn’t add to his total because he had played his last game during the 1992 season.
With 47 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries in Seattle’s 42-30 victory over the New York Giants on Sept. 24, 2006, Alexander surpassed Brooks. He also broke his left foot and missed the next six games.
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Alexander remained the Alabama-roots rushing leader until the final Sunday of the NFL’s 2023 season. When Derrick Henry ran for 153 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries in the Tennessee Titans’ 28-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 7, he overtook Alexander.
How long will Henry remain the rushing leader for players from Alabama high schools and colleges?
The former Alabama All-American has 9,502 rushing yards after eight NFL seasons. The only other active player among the Alabama-roots top 10 is Josh Jacobs (Alabama), who pushed Ronnie Brown (Auburn) out of the rankings by reaching 5,545 rushing yards through five seasons in 2023.
Two players from Alabama high schools and colleges were among the 12 in the NFL with 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2023. Henry had 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns on 280 rushing attempts, and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (Alabama) had 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns on 255 carries.
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The 10 players with Alabama football roots who have the most NFL rushing yards include:
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry carries the football during an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 7, 2024, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/John Amis)
1. Derrick Henry, Alabama: 9,502 rushing yards
Tennessee Titans 2016-2023: Has averaged 4.7 rushing yards on 2,030 carries with 90 rushing touchdowns. Four-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro and NFL rushing leader in 2019 and 2020 with five 1,000-yard seasons.
2. Shaun Alexander, Alabama: 9,453 rushing yards
Seattle Seahawks 2000-2007, Washington Redskins 2008: Averaged 4.3 yards on 2,187 carries with 100 rushing touchdowns. One-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, 2005 NFL MVP and 2005 NFL rushing leader with five 1,000-yard seasons.
3. Mark Ingram, Alabama: 8,111 rushing yards
New Orleans Saints 2011-2018, 2021-2022, Baltimore Ravens 2019-2020, Houston Texans 2021: Averaged 4.5 yards on 1,817 carries with 65 rushing touchdowns. Three-time Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard seasons.
4. Stephen Davis, Auburn: 8,052 rushing yards
Washington Redskins 1996-2002, Carolina Panthers 2003-2005, St. Louis Rams 2006: Averaged 4.1 yards on 1,945 carries with 65 rushing touchdowns. Three-time Pro Bowler with four 1,000-yard seasons.
5. James Brooks, Auburn: 7,962 rushing yards
San Diego Chargers 1981-1983, Cincinnati Bengals 1984-1991, Cleveland Browns 1992, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992: Averaged 4.7 yards on 1,685 carries with 49 rushing touchdowns. Four-time Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard seasons.
6. Antowain Smith, Stanhope Elmore High School: 6,881 rushing yards
Buffalo Bills 1997-2000, New England Patriots 2001-2003, Tennessee Titans 2004, New Orleans Saints 2005: Averaged 3.9 yards on 1,784 carries with 54 rushing touchdowns. Two-time Super Bowl champion with two 1,000-yard seasons.
7. William Andrews, Auburn: 5,986 rushing yards
Atlanta Falcons 1979-1983, 1986: Averaged 4.6 yards on 1,315 carries with 30 rushing touchdowns. Four-time Pro Bowler with four 1,000-yard seasons.
8. Rudi Johnson, Auburn: 5,979 rushing yards
Cincinnati Bengals 2001-2007, Detroit Lions 2008: Averaged 3.9 yards on 1,517 carries with 49 rushing touchdowns. One-time Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard seasons.
9. Cam Newton, Auburn: 5,628 rushing yards
Carolina Panthers 2011-2019, 2021, New England Patriots 2020: Averaged 5.0 rushing yards on 1,118 carries with 75 touchdowns. Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro and the 2015 NFL MVP.
10. Josh Jacobs, Alabama: 5,545 rushing yards
Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2019-2023: Has averaged 4.2 yards on 1,305 carries with 46 touchdowns. Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro and the 2022 NFL rushing leader with three 1,000-yard seasons.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.