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In pro football history, there have been just seven running backs to have rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. They are:

O.J. Simpson, 1973, Buffalo Bills, 2,003 Yards
Eric Dickerson, 1984, Los Angeles Rams, 2,105 Yards
Barry Sanders, 1997, Detroit Lions, 2,053 Yards
Terrell Davis, 1998, Denver Broncos, 2,008 Yards
Jamal Lewis, 2003, Baltimore Ravens, 2,066 Yards
Chris Johnson, 2009, Tennessee Titans, 2,006 Yards
Adrian Peterson, 2012, Minnesota Vikings, 2,097 Yards

Obviously these are all fantastic seasons, but there are wrinkles that make some of these players' feats all the more remarkable.

For instance: O.J. Simpson is the only running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14 game schedule. The other seven rushed for 2,000 yards in 16 game schedules. In fact, Adrian Peterson came the closest to 2,000 yards in 14 games, and he rushed for 1,812 yards.

Simpson's 1973 season is frankly astounding. He had THREE 200 yard games that season! In the 70s! He averaged 143.1 yards per game, more than ten yards more than the next guy. Again, this is in the 70s! Back then, the running game was leaned on far more than the passing game. And O.J. was on a team that had no one but him on it. They knew he was coming and could do nothing about it. Simply superb.

Simpson had 332 rushing attempts in that 1973 season. Barry Sanders meanwhile, had 335 in an additional two games, the fewest rushing attempts of a 2,000 yard rusher in a 16 game schedule. Sanders had only 293 rushing attempts through 14 games in 1997. As impressive as that is, Adrian Peterson blew him away. Sanders had 1,731 yards on 293 attempts through his first 14 games, but Peterson had 1,812 yards on 289 attempts through his first 14 games. Damn!

Eric Dickerson rushed for more yards in a single season than any other running back in NFL history, a record that still stands. Adrian Peterson came up just 8 yards short of tying the record.

By the way, did I mention that Adrian Peterson was putting up these crazy stats less than a year after tearing his ACL? Just a freak.

Another interesting fact, six of the seven running backs were chosen in the first round, five in the top ten, and four in the top five. O.J. Simpson is the only running back to be chosen number one overall in the draft and rush for over 2,000 yards. Terrell Davis is the only running back picked after the first round to rush for over 2,000 yards (he was chosen in the sixth round of the 1995 draft, 196th overall).

Every team to feature a 2,000 yard rusher has at least finished the year at 500. However, these teams usually don't fare well in the postseason, if they make it at all:

1973 Bills: 9-5, 2nd AFC East, missed playoffs
1984 Rams: 10-6, 2nd NFC West, made playoffs, lost in Wild Card round
1997 Lions: 9-7, 3rd NFC Central, made playoffs, lost in Wild Card round
1998 Broncos: 14-2, 1st AFC West, made playoffs, won Super Bowl XXXIII
2003 Ravens: 10-6, 1st AFC North, made playoffs, lost in Wild Card round
2009 Titans: 8-8, 3rd AFC South, missed playoffs
2012 Vikings: 10-6, 2nd NFC North, made playoffs, lost in Wild Card Round

For those keeping track, five of the seven teams made the playoffs, only one team won a playoff game. Kind of a weird disparity.

But even with the teams usually disappointing in the playoffs, these seven seasons are some of the most remarkable for individual players in NFL history. That can't be denied.