Texas Football Ranks State’s 10 Greatest Running Backs of All Time

LEWISVILLE, TX — Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has published its list of the state’s 10 greatest high school running backs of all time.

West Texas is represented with the No. 2 running back — Cedric Benson of Midland Lee.

Benson led the Rebels to three straight state championships from 1998 to 2000 while rushing for 8,423 yards. 

San Angelo fans were well aware of Benson’s exploits as he ran through the Central Bobcats in the first round of the playoffs in 1999 and 2000.

Benson went on to play at the University of Texas, where he posted four straight 1,000-yard seasons and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back in 2004.

Benson was then selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 4 pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. He had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Benson died at the age of 36 in a motorcycle crash in Austin in 2019.

The only player listed above Benson was Aledo’s Johnathan Gray, who rushed for 10,889 yards in an incredible four-year run from 2008-2011. He also led his school to three consecutive state titles.

The other running backs on the list were:

• No. 10 Kaegan Ash (Mount Enterprise, 2022-25)
• No. 9 Jacquizz Rodgers (Lamar Consolidated 2004-07)
• No. 8 Earl Campbell (John Tyler, 1970-73)
• No. 7 Robert Strait (Cuero, 1985-88)
• No. 6 Jerod Douglas (Converse Judson, 1991-93)
• No. 5 Rodney Thomas (Groveton, 1987-90)
• No. 4 Eric Dickerson (Sealy, 1975-78)
• No. 3 Kenneth Hall (Sugar Land, 1950-53)

Honorable-mention selections included Adrian Peterson (Palestine, 2002-03), Traylon Shead (Cayuga, 2006-09), Billy Sims (Hooks, 1972-74), Joe Washington Jr. (Port Arthur Lincoln, 1969-71) and Trey Williams (Spring DeKaney, 2009-11).

To take a look at their list and why they chose each running back, click here.