Trivia: Leader in Rushing Yards per Game over a 3-year Period

by Chase Stuart on March 22, 2015

Last year, I built a trivia question around the leaders in receiving yards per games over a 3-year period. Today, the same thing but for rushing.

Trivia hint 1	Select Show
It’s not Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, or Terrell Davis.

Trivia hint 2	Select Show
His team was good, but not great, posting a 0.619 winning percentage during this period, as he averaged 117.7 rushing yards per game.

Trivia hint 3	Select Show
The years were 1973-1975.

The table below shows every player to average at least 75 rushing yards per game over a 3-year period, with a minimum of at least 100 carries in each season.

entries per page

Search:

Rk	Name	Years	G	rush	rushyd	YPC	Rush Yd/G
1	O.J. Simpson	1973--1975	42	931	4945	5.31	117.7
2	Jim Brown	1963--1965	42	860	4853	5.64	115.5
3	Jim Brown	1958--1960	36	762	4113	5.4	114.3
4	Terrell Davis	1996--1998	47	1106	5296	4.79	112.7
5	Eric Dickerson	1984--1986	46	1075	5160	4.8	112.2
6	Eric Dickerson	1983--1985	46	1061	5147	4.85	111.9
7	O.J. Simpson	1975--1977	35	745	3877	5.2	110.8
8	Earl Campbell	1978--1980	46	1043	5081	4.87	110.5
9	Eric Dickerson	1986--1988	44	1075	4768	4.44	108.4
10	Earl Campbell	1979--1981	47	1102	5007	4.54	106.5
11	Shaun Alexander	2004--2006	42	975	4472	4.59	106.5
12	Barry Sanders	1995--1997	48	956	5106	5.34	106.4
13	Barry Sanders	1996--1998	48	985	5097	5.17	106.2
14	O.J. Simpson	1974--1976	42	889	4445	5	105.8
15	Walter Payton	1977--1979	46	1041	4857	4.67	105.6
16	Jim Brown	1957--1959	36	749	3798	5.07	105.5
17	Emmitt Smith	1993--1995	45	1028	4743	4.61	105.4
18	Walter Payton	1976--1978	44	983	4637	4.72	105.4
19	Jim Brown	1959--1961	38	810	3994	4.93	105.1
20	Tiki Barber	2004--2006	48	1006	5040	5.01	105
21	Barry Sanders	1993--1995	43	888	4498	5.07	104.6
22	Shaun Alexander	2003--2005	48	1049	5011	4.78	104.4
23	O.J. Simpson	1972--1974	42	894	4379	4.9	104.3
24	Emmitt Smith	1992--1994	45	1024	4683	4.57	104.1
25	Emmitt Smith	1991--1993	46	1021	4762	4.66	103.5
26	Eric Dickerson	1985--1987	42	979	4343	4.44	103.4
27	Priest Holmes	2002--2004	38	829	3927	4.74	103.3
28	Edgerrin James	1999--2001	38	907	3924	4.33	103.3
29	Adrian Peterson	2011--2013	42	835	4333	5.19	103.2
30	Barry Sanders	1994--1996	48	952	4936	5.18	102.8
31	Jim Brown	1962--1964	42	801	4305	5.37	102.5
32	Larry Johnson	2005--2007	40	910	4098	4.5	102.5
33	Jim Brown	1961--1963	42	826	4267	5.17	101.6
34	Adrian Peterson	2010--2012	43	839	4365	5.2	101.5
35	Barry Sanders	1992--1994	43	886	4350	4.91	101.2
36	Clinton Portis	2003--2005	44	985	4422	4.49	100.5
37	Clinton Portis	2002--2004	44	906	4414	4.87	100.3
38	Jamal Lewis	2002--2004	44	930	4399	4.73	100
39	Priest Holmes	2001--2003	46	960	4590	4.78	99.8
40	LaDainian Tomlinson	2002--2004	47	1024	4663	4.55	99.2
41	Jamal Lewis	2001--2003	48	1004	4757	4.74	99.1
42	Eric Dickerson	1987--1989	43	985	4258	4.32	99
43	LaDainian Tomlinson	2005--2007	48	1002	4751	4.74	99
44	LaDainian Tomlinson	2004--2006	47	1026	4612	4.5	98.1
45	Larry Johnson	2004--2006	42	872	4120	4.72	98.1
46	Ahman Green	2001--2003	46	945	4510	4.77	98
47	Edgerrin James	2003--2005	44	1004	4313	4.3	98
48	Terrell Davis	1995--1997	45	951	4405	4.63	97.9
49	Chris Johnson	2008--2010	47	925	4598	4.97	97.8
50	Ricky Williams	2000--2002	42	944	4098	4.34	97.6

Showing 1 to 50 of 304 entries

Finally, here’s the leader for the trailing three years for each three-year period since 1945:

Search:

Year	Player	G	Rush	Yards	YPC	Yd/G
2012--2014	DeMarco Murray	40	770	3629	4.71	90.7
2011--2013	Adrian Peterson	42	835	4333	5.19	103.2
2010--2012	Adrian Peterson	43	839	4365	5.2	101.5
2009--2011	Maurice Jones-Drew	46	954	4321	4.53	93.9
2008--2010	Chris Johnson	47	925	4598	4.97	97.8
2007--2009	Adrian Peterson	46	915	4484	4.9	97.5
2006--2008	LaDainian Tomlinson	48	955	4399	4.61	91.6
2005--2007	Larry Johnson	40	910	4098	4.5	102.5
2004--2006	Shaun Alexander	42	975	4472	4.59	106.5
2003--2005	Shaun Alexander	48	1049	5011	4.78	104.4
2002--2004	Priest Holmes	38	829	3927	4.74	103.3
2001--2003	Priest Holmes	46	960	4590	4.78	99.8
2000--2002	Ricky Williams	42	944	4098	4.34	97.6
1999--2001	Edgerrin James	38	907	3924	4.33	103.3
1998--2000	Fred Taylor	38	715	3354	4.69	88.3
1997--1999	Curtis Martin	44	1010	3911	3.87	88.9
1996--1998	Terrell Davis	47	1106	5296	4.79	112.7
1995--1997	Barry Sanders	48	956	5106	5.34	106.4
1994--1996	Barry Sanders	48	952	4936	5.18	102.8
1993--1995	Emmitt Smith	45	1028	4743	4.61	105.4
1992--1994	Emmitt Smith	45	1024	4683	4.57	104.1
1991--1993	Emmitt Smith	46	1021	4762	4.66	103.5
1990--1992	Barry Sanders	47	909	4204	4.62	89.4
1989--1991	Barry Sanders	46	877	4322	4.93	94
1988--1990	Eric Dickerson	42	868	3647	4.2	86.8
1987--1989	Eric Dickerson	43	985	4258	4.32	99
1986--1988	Eric Dickerson	44	1075	4768	4.44	108.4
1985--1987	Eric Dickerson	42	979	4343	4.44	103.4
1984--1986	Eric Dickerson	46	1075	5160	4.8	112.2
1983--1985	Eric Dickerson	46	1061	5147	4.85	111.9
1982--1984	Walter Payton	41	843	3701	4.39	90.3
1981--1983	George Rogers	35	756	3353	4.44	95.8
1980--1982	Earl Campbell	40	891	3848	4.32	96.2
1979--1981	Earl Campbell	47	1102	5007	4.54	106.5
1978--1980	Earl Campbell	46	1043	5081	4.87	110.5
1977--1979	Walter Payton	46	1041	4857	4.67	105.6
1976--1978	Walter Payton	44	983	4637	4.72	105.4
1975--1977	O.J. Simpson	35	745	3877	5.2	110.8
1974--1976	O.J. Simpson	42	889	4445	5	105.8
1973--1975	O.J. Simpson	42	931	4945	5.31	117.7
1972--1974	O.J. Simpson	42	894	4379	4.9	104.3
1971--1973	O.J. Simpson	42	807	3996	4.95	95.1
1970--1972	Larry Brown	38	775	3289	4.24	86.6
1969--1971	Floyd Little	37	639	2763	4.32	74.7
1968--1970	Leroy Kelly	40	650	2712	4.17	67.8
1967--1969	Leroy Kelly	41	679	3261	4.8	79.5
1966--1968	Leroy Kelly	42	692	3585	5.18	85.4
1965--1967	Gale Sayers	41	581	2978	5.13	72.6
1964--1966	Jim Taylor	41	646	2608	4.04	63.6
1963--1965	Jim Brown	42	860	4853	5.64	115.5
1962--1964	Jim Brown	42	801	4305	5.37	102.5
1961--1963	Jim Brown	42	826	4267	5.17	101.6
1960--1962	Jim Taylor	40	745	3882	5.21	97.1
1959--1961	Jim Brown	38	810	3994	4.93	105.1
1958--1960	Jim Brown	36	762	4113	5.4	114.3
1957--1959	Jim Brown	36	749	3798	5.07	105.5
1956--1958	Rick Casares	36	614	2477	4.03	68.8
1955--1957	Rick Casares	36	563	2498	4.44	69.4
1954--1956	Joe Perry	34	444	2270	5.11	66.8
1953--1955	Joe Perry	35	521	2768	5.31	79.1
1952--1954	Joe Perry	36	523	2792	5.34	77.6
1951--1953	Dan Towler	36	434	2627	6.05	73
1950--1952	Eddie Price	33	580	2422	4.18	73.4
1949--1951	Steve Van Buren	32	563	2102	3.73	65.7
1948--1950	Steve Van Buren	33	652	2720	4.17	82.4
1947--1949	Steve Van Buren	35	681	3099	4.55	88.5
1946--1948	Steve Van Buren	32	534	2482	4.65	77.6
1945--1947	Steve Van Buren	31	476	2369	4.98	76.4

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