The CFL has always been a pass-through league, but that hasn't stopped its running backs from putting up impressive numbers on the field.
Below are the top 20 CFL rushing leaders of all time. Notably, while this list features the third-highest paid player in the history of professional football, it does not include any active players. The closest would be William Stanback of the Ottawa Redblacks with 5,589 yards, which ranks him 35th all-time. Brady Oliveira of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is three spots behind him with 5,480 yards.
20) Willie Burden – 6,234 yards
Burden is the first name on this list, but don't get me wrong, his resume is extensive. The Longwood, North Carolina native had a fantastic 1975, finishing third in rushing yards for the season with 1,896 yards, good enough for third in yards per game for the season (118.5). Those numbers were enough to put Burden in the running for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award.
19) Lovell Coleman – 6,566 yards
The one-time CFL MOP winner had some fantastic years in the mid-60s. Between 1963 and 1965, the Hamtramck, Michigan native averaged nearly 1,500 yards per year during those three seasons, was named All-CFL in all three instances and was nominated for the MOP Award by the Calgary Stampeders. He also holds the record for most yards in a game with 224, which was set in 1965.
18) Robert Drummond – 6,706 yards
The Apopka, Fla. native is a Gray Cup winner and MVP, accomplishing both feats in 2000. Drummond also earned All-CFL honors in 1996 and 1997 and added another division star to his resume in 1999. He played a total of nine years north of the border with the Baltimore Stallions, Toronto Argonauts and BC Lions.
17) Troy Davis – 6,739 yards
Davis has the second most years in the CFL on this list (seven), but still ranks 17th. Spending time in Hamilton, Edmonton and Toronto, he was a three-time All-Star in the Eastern Division, all with the Tiger-Cats. The Miami, Fla. native also holds the Ticats' record for rushing yards in a season with 1,628, set in 2004.
16) John Cornish – 6844 yards
One of three Canadians on this list, Cornish is one of the nation's top soccer players north of the border. The New Westminster, British Columbia native has been named Most Outstanding Canadian three times and had a particularly fantastic 2013, rushing for 1,813 yards – the most ever by a Canadian in a single season and the fourth-most ever – en route to winning the Most Outstanding Player award.
15) Earl Lunsford – 6,994 yards
Lunsford played just six seasons north of the border, all with the Stampeders, but rushed for over 1,000 yards in five of them. The Stillwater, Oklahoma native ranks fifth in single-season rushing yards in league history (1,794 yards) and is also tied for the most rushing touchdowns in a single game (five). Lunsford was a one-time All-CFL selection.
14) Dick Shatto – 7,007 yards
The first player on the list with over 7,000 yards, Shatto spent 12 years in the CFL, all with the Argonauts. Although the Springfield, Ohio native never won the Most Outstanding Player award, he was nominated for the Toronto MOP Award for eight seasons and was a finalist in both 1958 and 1964. Shatto is also a member of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
13) Jim Evenson – 7060 yards
Like Lunsford, Evenson didn't play many years in the CFL, but was extremely effective in those years. The Hillsboro, Oregon native played seven years north of the border with the Lions and Ottawa Rough Riders, rushing for over 1,000 yards in a season four times. Evenson is a two-time CFL All-Star, winning the award in 1970 and 1971, as well as being a BC MOP Award nominee in those years as well as in 1968.
12) Tracy Ham – 8,043 yards
It's crazy to be in the top 12 in both passing and rushing yards, but here Ham is. The Gainesville, Florida native was one of the best dual-threat players the CFL has ever seen and also had the tenth-most passing yards of all time with 40,534 yards. The one-time SS also holds the record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback with 1,096 in 1990.
11) Dave Thelen – 8,463 yards
Thelen, who was also drafted to the MLB, is one of the best defensive players in CFL history. He played nine years in the league for Ottawa and Toronto, rushing for 1,000 yards in a season three times. The Hall of Famer was the league's MVP in 1960 and the Eastern Division leader in 1959 and 1965. Thelen is also fourth all-time in yards per game in a season (117.3), which he achieved in 1960.
10) Leo Lewis – 8861 yards
Lewis played 11 seasons in the league with three losses, all of which were with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He competed in six Gray Cups, winning four as part of a dynasty team with all-time greats Bud Grant and Kenny Ploen. The Des Moines, Iowa native has one of the highest yards per carry on this list (6.6) and was named All-CFL and Gray Cup MVP in 1962.
9) Normie Kwong – 9022 yards
The second Canadian on this list, Kwong terrorized the league throughout the 50s. The Calgary, Alta., native played 13 years in the CFL, all in his home province with Calgary and Edmonton. Kwong had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, leading the West Division in 1951, 1955 and 1956. He also ranked third among Canadians in rushing yards in a season with 1,437 in 1956. Kwong is a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
8) Geoffrey Reynolds – 9,213 yards
The former Stampeder was the best running back not only in the Western Division, but in the entire CFL throughout the mid-to-late 2000s. The Tyler, Texas native spent all eight of his seasons north of the border in Calgary, earning six straight All-West Division titles from 2005 to 2010. Reynolds also earned All-CFL selections four times, was an MOP finalist in 2009 and rushed for over 1,000 yards six times, fourth-most all-time.
7) Kelvin Anderson – 9,340 yards
Another fantastic running back for the Stampeders, Anderson spent eight seasons in the CFL, seven in Calgary and then one final year in British Columbia. The two-time MOP finalist (1998, 2001) rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season he played, which totaled the third-most all-time. The 1996 Most Outstanding Rookie was named All-West Division five times and All-CFL three times.
6) Charles Roberts – 10,285 yards
The Montclair, Calif., native is the first of six members of the CFL's 10,000-yard rushing club. The Roberts native played eight seasons in the league, the first seven in Winnipeg and the last in British Columbia. The Hall of Famer was named All-CFL every year he was a scorer – seven straight seasons from 2001 to 2007. He was also a four-time MOP nominee for Winnipeg and named a division finalist in 2006.
5) Andrew Harris – 10,380 yards
The Winnipeg, Man., native played 13 seasons for three CFL teams—the Lions, Bombers and Argonauts. Harris five-time Gray cup champion, two-time Gray Cup Most Valuable Canadian, one-time Gray Cup Most Valuable Player, five-time All-Tournament All-Star.CFL selection and six-time All-West Division selection. In his final season, he surpassed Roberts for fifth all-time in rushing yards.
4) Johnny Bright – 10,909 yards
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native's name is all over the CFL record books, especially in the playoff stats. Bright has appeared in four Gray Cups, won three, and has the most CFL playoff touchdowns ever with 20. The most outstanding player was the league's MVP three straight years during 1950 and had five straight seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing. Bright also ranks fourth in all-time 100-yard games with 36.
3) Damon Allen – 11,920 yards
Damon Allen, a pro quarterback, ranks in the top three in both passing yards and passing yards all-time. While running for nearly 12,000 yards on the ground, Allen also threw for a whopping 72,381 yards, second all-time. The four-time Gray Cup champion and one-time MOP was the all-time leading passer in professional football at the time of his retirement in 2007.
2) George Reed – 16,116 yards
Reed is one of the most recognizable names in league history, and his name is now included in the CFL's MOP award. The Vicksburg, Miss. native played 13 seasons in the CFL, all of them in Saskatchewan, and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 11 of them, an all-time best. Reed has the most rushing touchdowns of all time (134), the second most touchdowns of all time (137), and has won one Gray Cup and one MOP award.
1) Mike Pringle – 16,425 yards
The Los Angeles, California native played from 1992 to 2004 for the Edmonton, Sacramento, Stallions and Alouettes, but is best known for his time in Montreal. Pringle holds the single-season rushing yards record (2,065) and also has five of the top eight single-season rushing yards in CFL history. The seven-time All-CFL player also has the most rushing yards in history with 20,255 yards and has won two Gray Cups and two MOP awards. Pringle holds the records for most rushing touchdowns in a season (19) and most 100-yard rushing games ever (73).
