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3 Best NFL Running Backs to Come Out of Oklahoma

By Jason Schandl

The greatest NFL running backs to ever come out of Oklahoma, including Adrian Peterson.
The greatest NFL running backs to ever come out of Oklahoma, including Adrian Peterson. / Tom Dahlin/Getty Images
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The Oklahoma Sooners are one of the most stories programs in college football, and they've produced their fair share of elite NFL prospects and a handful of eventual NFL Hall-of-Famers.

With that in mind, here are the three best NFL running backs to ever come out of the University of Oklahoma.

3. Billy Sims

Billy Sims is one of the great "what could have been" stories in the NFL. He suffered a career-ending knee injury in 1984, half-way through just his fifth NFL season. He made an immediate impact in the pros, though, with at least 1,300 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in each of his first two NFL seasons. Ultimately he racked up 5,106 rushing yards while adding 2,072 through the air, scoring 47 touchdowns in 60 NFL games.

2. DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray didn't have an especially long career either, playing seven seasons, but his peak was outstanding. In 2014, his final season with the Dallas Cowboys, Murray led the NFL in rushing yards (1,845), rushing touchdowns (13) and yards from scrimmage (2,261). To date, those yards from scrimmage rank No. 14 among the highest single-season marks in NFL history.

1. Adrian Peterson

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Peterson checks the boxes for both longevity and a high peak, while overcoming a serious knee injury of his own. He was a first-team All-Pro three times in his first seven seasons before losing 2014 to a torn ACL, and he bounced back by leading the NFL in rushing in 2015. A.P. is one of only seven NFL players to have a 2,000-yard rushing season to his name (2,097 in 2012), and his 14,216 career rushing yards rank No. 5 in NFL history.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.