Top 10 Running Backs in Houston Texans History

The running back position has undergone a change in recent years. Once considered the most important position for any team that truly wanted to win, the position has been downplayed by some, but not as much as others would like to believe.

Sure, the days of a running back carrying the ball 25-35 times a game are over, but a super-talented running back is still valuable if he’s versatile. Sure, players like Jerome Bettis may not work in the NFL anymore, but players who can carry the ball are still valuable. As long as they can catch a pass.

Dual-threat running backs were once rare, but they’re now the goal at the position. And it’s a position the Houston Texans haven’t had much success with.

They’ve had all sorts of guys, from your prototypical power running backs to your bell cow superstars to your new modern-day dual-threat types. While Texans history isn’t littered with all-time greats at the position like some other teams, the best of the best here could hold a candle to some of the very best. At least for a while.

To determine the best running backs in Texans history, we look at running back-centric stats like rushing yards and attempts, yards per carry, touchdowns, etc. We also look at running back-adjacent stats like receiving yards and touchdowns and, if applicable, return numbers.

If a player’s rushing stats stand out on their own, that’s enough. But if we’re trying to sift through players who have similar numbers and whose importance levels to the franchise are fairly similar, then we’ll look beyond those numbers alone to focus on receiving stats and all-purpose yards.

Of course, we’ll also look at Pro Bowl selections, All-Pro nods and other individual accolades.

10. Jonathan Wells

Few Texans running backs have been as disappointing as Jonathan Wells, a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State. The thunderous running back never reached the next level of production and struggled to top 500 yards in a season.

Although he never surpassed the 529 rushing yards he accumulated as a rookie, he has 1,167 rushing yards, which ranks 11th in franchise history. He also ranks eighth with 1,647 rushing yards.

9. Vonta Leaching

It may seem odd that a man with two touchdowns during his time with the Houston Texans would make this list, but Vonta Leach was once considered one of the best fullbacks in the game. He spent five seasons with the team, paving the way for Arian Foster in 2010, when he earned his first Pro Bowl nomination. He was also named to the All-Pro team in his final year with the Texans.

Veach was one of the league’s best pure blockers, and his teammates took advantage. Among all backs, he ranks eighth in career receiving yards with 518. Not bad for a back.

8. David Johnson

It may not be a great feeling to see David Johnson on the roster, given how he joined the organization, but he still put up some solid numbers in his two seasons. He ranks 13th in club history with 919 rushing yards, and he’s seventh in receiving yards by a running back with 539. Among all Texans running backs, he’s 10th in total yards with 1,458.

Add in his nine touchdowns and Houston’s poor history of stellar running backs, and you can see why Johnson is ranked so highly.

7. Dameon Pierce

If it wasn’t for a bad year 2, Dameon Pierce would be a little higher.

Already seventh all-time among Texans running backs with 1,846 total yards, Pierce has plenty of opportunities to move up the rankings. He’s also ninth all-time in Texans history with 1,355 rushing yards, knocking former quarterback David Carr one spot off the list. While he didn’t inspire much confidence after his 2023 campaign, fans remain optimistic that Pierce can take the next step in his development and move up the rankings even further.

6. Ben Tate

Ben Tate had a fantastic rookie season for the Houston Texans in 2011, recording 942 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but he never repeated that success in his three total seasons with the team.

He still ranks fifth in club history with 1,992 career rushing yards, and is sixth among running backs in all-purpose yards. He is also in the top 10 in rushing touchdowns, albeit with only 10.

This rookie season was one of hope and optimism, and that’s one of the main reasons he’s on the list.

5. Ron Dayne

The arrival of a former Heisman Trophy winner like Ron Dayne wasn’t the biggest win for the team that many thought it would be. After a poor showing with the Denver Broncos, he wasn’t even considered a big signing.

In 2006, Dayne returned to form, sharing playing time with Wali Lundy, rushing for 612 yards and five touchdowns. Both led the team. In his sophomore season, he did even better, rushing for 773 yards and six touchdowns, while sharing playing time with Ahman Green and Darius Walker. He ranks eighth in club history with 1,385 rushing yards and sixth in touchdowns with 11.

4. Steve Slaton

Following in the footsteps of one-year prodigies, Steve Slaton entered the team as a rookie in the 2008 campaign, replacing Ron Dayne in the lineup. The third-round pick out of West Virginia University rushed for 1,282 yards in his first season. He is the only player in team history, other than Arian Foster, to still rank in the top five in rushing yards in a single campaign.

Slaton is sixth in career rushing yards, fifth in career rushing touchdowns and fourth in career all-purpose yards for the franchise. He had 377 receiving yards in 2008 and 417 receiving yards in 2009 with five additional touchdowns.

Had he been more consistent and healthier, Slaton could have set many records that would still stand today.

3. Lamar Miller

We’ve finally reached the top of the proverbial mountain when it comes to Houston Texans running backs, starting with Lamar Miller. From 2016 to 2018, Miller had three excellent seasons for the Texans. He never rushed for fewer than 888 yards and regularly averaged 4.0 yards or more per carry. He still ranks third in Texans history in rushing yards for the club, with 2,934, and third in rushing touchdowns among all running backs (fourth quarterback all-time when counting).

Still a solid wide receiver, he racked up 678 receiving yards in three seasons, which ranks third in franchise history for all-purpose yards by a running back. He would eventually make the Pro Bowl in 2018 with Houston, but unfortunately, he would tear his ACL in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys and never return to form.

2. Domanick Williams

Whether you call him Domanick Davis or Domanick Williams, you know you’re talking about one of the best running backs in the game for a short while.

Williams became the first player in Houston Texans history to pass for 1,000 yards, rushing for 1,031 yards in his second year of the club’s existence. As a rookie, he not only set the record, but he also threw for eight touchdowns on the ground. He also showed versatility, catching 47 passes for 351 yards. His sophomore year was even better, with 1,188 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 588 receiving yards and one passing touchdown.

He seemed like an all-time player in the making, but a knee injury in 2005 ruined his season and his career. He stalled in his senior year with 976 rushing yards in just 11 games. He was on pace to have his best season in terms of yards, but a knee injury put an end to that.

He still remains second in club history with 3,195 rushing yards, 23 touchdowns and 4,585 all-purpose yards.

1. Arian Foster

It was always going to be Arian Foster.

With the Houston Texans, he leads the way in almost every category. First in rushing yards with 6,472. First in rushing touchdowns with 54. First in games played with 76. First in attempts with 1,454. The only player in Texans history to surpass 1,000 carries. First in receiving yards of any Houston running back with 2,268, as well as first in receiving touchdowns with 14.

Unsurprisingly, he also leads the team in rushing yards with 8,741. Add to that his 68 total touchdowns and you can see why Foster easily wins the MVP award. He is the only Texans running back to have four 1,000-yard rushing seasons, which is also among the five most impressive seasons in team history. His single-season rushing records of 1,616 yards and 16 touchdowns remain the best marks for any Texans running back.

He was also able to accumulate four Pro Bowl appearances and one All-Pro selection. That makes him the first running back in Texans history to accomplish both, and he has three more Pro Bowl nominations than anyone else. (He technically shares the honor of being the first Texans running back to be selected to the Pro Bowl with Vonta Leach, though Leach was selected to the Pro Bowl as a fullback.)

Regardless of his position, Foster is tied for sixth in club history with four Pro Bowls, sharing the honor with Duane Brown, Laremy Tunsil and DeAndre Hopkins.