The Houston Texans all-time leaders in rushing yards
The Houston Texans entered the NFL in 2002 and haven’t had many dominating running backs, at least many who showed long-term durability.
Today’s NFL is more of a work of running back by committee. Some teams work under the philosophy that they can just plug someone in at the position. The players on this list show that both a premier back, or someone you plug in, can have success.
The Texans have never placed much emphasis on running backs early in drafts. They’ve never selected a running back in the first round and only taken one in the second round twice.
One of those running backs taken in the second round is the fifth all-time on this list.
Houston Texans all-time leader in rushing yards – No. 5: Ben Tate
1,992 Rushing Yards
Ben Tate was drafted out of Auburn in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He missed his entire rookie season due to an injury.
In 2011, he was part of a potent running attack, adding 942 rushing yards to the 1,224 yards that the starter, Arian Foster racked up that season.
In 2013, he had another decent season filling in for the injured Foster, compiling 771 rushing yards. Over his three active years in Houston, Tate served mostly as a backup, only started nine times. He still produced 1,992 yards rushing and ten rushing touchdowns.
He also averaged 4.9 yards per carry with the Texans and an incredible 5.2 for his career. It is puzzling why someone with those numbers didn’t have a more prominent career.
After he left the Texans, he only played in 11 games for two teams in 2014 and hasn’t played in the league since.
Houston Texans all-time leader in rushing yards – No. 4: Alfred Blue
2,407 Rushing Yards
The Texans found a nice puzzle piece in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft when they selected Alfred Blue from LSU to replace Tate as the primary backup.
Like Tate, he seldom started, coming off the bench in 16 of his 72 career games. His biggest seasons weren’t quite as big as Tate’s, but four of his five seasons topped 400 yards, with his best season coming in 2015 when he rushed for 698 yards and two touchdowns.
His career average per carry with the Texans was a pedestrian 3.6, but he was a reliable, trustworthy backup because he didn’t fumble much. In his 742 touches, he only put the ball on the turf four times.
Last season, Blue left as a free agent, signed with the Jaguars, but got hurt and didn’t finish the season on a roster.
If healthy, there is a chance Blue has an opportunity to catch on as a backup somewhere else in the league in 2020.
Houston Texans all-time leader in rushing yards – No. 3: Lamar Miller
2,934 Rushing Yards
The Texans signed veteran Lamar Miller in 2016 to replace the injury-prone Foster, and Miller did not disappoint. He had a terrific first campaign in Houston, running for 1,073 yards and five touchdowns.
His consequent seasons weren’t quite as productive but still dependable. He ran for 888 yards in 2017 and 973 yards in 2019. He did bring some receiving skills as well. He averaged more than 30 receptions a year for the Texans, and 226 yards through the air.
Miller tore his ACL in the preseason and missed the entirety of the 2019 season. His contract expired, and he will look to make his way as a free agent in 2020.
His 2,934 yards rushing in three seasons, with 13 touchdowns, are very respectable. He will be only 29 years old for the 2020 campaign, and if his knee is healthy, there is little doubt he will find a team that needs depth before the season starts.
Houston Texans all-time leader in rushing yards – No. 2: Domanick Davis
3.195 Rushing Yards
Remember Domanick Williams? The Texans grabbed Williams, who played under the name Domanick Davis, in the fourth round of their second NFL draft ever in 2003 out of LSU.
For the next three years, he was the franchise workhorse out of the backfield. He tallied at last 230 carries in each of his three active seasons with Houston, including 302 in 2004. He ran for 1,031 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, earning him a spot on the 2003 All-rookie team.
He had 1.188 yards rushing in 2004 with 13 touchdowns and 976 yards with two touchdowns in 2005. He suffered a knee injury in game 11 of that 2005 campaign, and it, in effect, ended his career as he never played again.
He was also a beast in the passing game. In his 40 career games, he had 154 catches for 1,276 yards and five touchdowns.
Davis (Williams) is a big what-if in Texans’ history. If he hadn’t gotten hurt so early in his career, he showed the skill set to have been an exceptional running back, both as a runner and receiver.
Houston Texans all-time leader in rushing yards – No. 1: Arian Foster
6,472 Rushing Yards
How does someone as talented as Arian Foster slip through the cracks and not get drafted? Luckily, Houston saw something in the young man and signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 2009 NFL draft.
Mid-way through his rookie year, Foster was activated from the practice squad, and the rest is history. In his first full year, he led the league in rushing yards with 1,616 and in touchdowns with 16. He was fifth in the league with 1,244 yards in 2011, sixth in 2012 with 1,424, and then sixth again in 2014 with 1,246 yards.
After the 2012 season, Foster battled injuries for the rest of his career. He only played in 27 games over the next four seasons, and almost half of those (13) were in 2014.
Foster was also a productive receiver, catching 249 balls for the Texans and 14 touchdowns to go with his 54 rushing scores.
When healthy, Foster was a beast of a back, and he seldom fumbled. In 1703 touches in his Texans career, he only laid the ball on the ground 17 times.
Like Davis, he is another big what-if for the Texans. If he stays healthy a little longer, he probably pushes close to the 10,000-yard mark.
The Houston Texans haven’t had many great running backs yet, but they’ve had a couple who verged on greatness but were stopped by injuries more than opposing defenses. The Texans are still a young franchise, so there is plenty of time for their great running back to arrive.