NFL greats Eric Dickerson, Derrick Henry, Billy Sims and Herschel Walker dot list of top ball carriers.
Ken Hall of Sugar Land (Texas) was the all-time national high school rushing king for nearly 60 years, so it shouldn't be a surprise he's the lone player to appear three times on our look back at national rushing leaders for every year going all the way back to 1946. Hall led the nation in rushing as a sophomore in 1951 with 3,160 yards, as junior with 3,458 yards and as a senior with 4,045 yards in 1953.
Aside from John Giannantonio of Netcong (N.J.) and his listed total of 4,756 yards in 1950 (more likely closer to 3,000 yards) and future Super Bowl I standout Max McGee, who had 3,048 yards in 1949, few running backs rushed for more than 3,000 yards until 1989 when Brad Hocker of Archie (Mo.) rushed for 3,084 yards. Every year since, the leading rusher in the nation has had at least 3,000 yards rushing.
One reason is postseason play. Most states did not have playoffs until the 1970s. Texas has had postseason play since the early 1920s and thus the Lone Star State has been a frequent home of the nation's leading rusher, including Hall and future NFL greats Eric Dickerson and Billy Sims. Other familiar names on the list include Derrick Henry of Florida in 2012, Herschel Walker from Georgia in 1979, Major Ogilvie from Alabama in 1976 and Shaun Alexander from Kentucky in 1994.
With some states now playing as many as 16 total games including playoffs, running backs have surpassed the 2,000-yard mark each year by the hundreds. By comparison, John Medanich of Pecos (Texas), the first player on our list in 1946, rushed for 1,834 yards to lead the nation. In 2019, that total would have placed him at No. 273 nationally.
The list begins in 1946 because that's when newspapers began to reliably report season rushing totals on a regular basis. Prior to that year, rushing totals were spotty and certainly not comprehensive enough to establish a national leader for each year.
National leaders were determined using the National High School Football Record Book by Doug Huff (2001), the Cal-Hi Sports Almanac by Mark Tennis and Nelson Tennis (2008), Joe Lee Smith's Texas High School Football website, The Georgia High School Football Historians Association website, state association websites and research via newspapers.com.
Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry led the nation with 4,261 yards while at Florida's Yulee High School in 2012.
Photo by Gray Quetti
2019 — Jalen White,
Daleville (Ala.), 3,519
2018 — Christian Hunter,
Kaiser (Fontana, Calif.), 3,839
2017 — Elijah Davis,
Heritage (Lynchburg, Va.), 3,603
2016 — Eric Melesio,
Norte Vista (Riverside, Calif.), 4,459
2015 — DeShawn Smith,
Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville, Fla.), 3,715
2014 — Dominick Bragalone,
South Williamsport (Pa.), 4,704
2013 — Arkeel Newsome,
Ansonia (Conn.), 3,867
2012 — Derrick Henry,
Yulee (Fla.), 4,261
2011 — Johnathan Gray,
Aledo (Texas), 3,910
2010 — Kevin Parks,
West Rowan (Mt. Ulla, N.C.), 3,794
2009 — T.J. Stinde,
Lexington (Ill.), 3,325
2008 — Zach Barket,
Schuylkill Haven (Pa.), 4,187
2007 — Jordan Roberts,
Scott (Madison, W. Va.), 3,826
2006 — Ryan Mathews,
West (Bakersfield, Calif.), 3,396
2005 — Quan Warley,
Thomasville (N.C.), 3,304
2004 — Gerald Jones,
Pawnee (Okla.), 3,776
2003 — Michael Hart,
Onondaga (Nedrow, N.Y.), 3,489
2002 — Austin Scott,
Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 3,846
2001 — Tyler Evans, McLeod West * (McLeod, Minn.), 3,673
2000 — Tyler Ebell,
Ventura (Calif.), 4,484
1999 — Jermaine Marshall,
Kilpatrick (Malibu, Calif.), 3,586
1998 — Vincent Neclos,
Hendersonville (N.C.), 3,380
1997 — John Bordenkircher,
Dixon (Calif.), 3,416
1996 — Travis Henry,
Frostproof (Fla.), 4,087
1995 — Wes Danaher,
Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), 3,569
1994 — Shaun Alexander,
Boone County (Florence, Ky.), 3,166
1993 — Mike Bohn,
Roncalli (Indianapolis), 3,165
1992 — Alex Smith,
Franklin County (Brookville, Ind.), 3,024
1991 — David Dotson,
Valley View (Moreno Valley, Calif.), 3,523
1990 — Rodney Thomas,
Groveton (Texas), 3,701
1989 — Brad Hocker,
Archie (Mo.), 3,094
1988 — Brett Law,
Sheridan (Ind.), 2,597
1987 — Robert Strait,
Cuero (Texas), 3,515
1986 — Michael McKnight,
Chillicothe (Texas), 2,588
1985 — Kelso Williams, Cottonwood * (Avoyelles Parish, La.), 2,970
1984 — Steve Greene,
Littlefield (Texas), 2,885
1983 — Mark Higgs,
Owensboro (Ky.), 2,858
1982 — Edwin Simmons,
Hawkins (Texas), 2,935
1981 — Anthony Byerly,
Newton (Texas), 3,074
1980 — Kent Fiebelkorn, Hoffman/Kenston * (Minn.), 3,062
1979 — Herschel Walker,
Johnson County (Wrightsville, Ga.), 3,167
1978 — Eric Dickerson,
Sealy (Texas), 2,642
1977 — Clifford Bailey,
Tahoka (Tahoka, Texas), 2,397
1976 — Major Ogilvie,
Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.), 2,504
1975 — Steve Tate,
Luther (Okla.), 3,383
1974 — Billy Sims,
Hooks (Texas), 2,885
1973 — Billy Sims, Hooks (Texas), 3,080
1972 — Doug Simcik,
Northglenn (Colo.), 2,704
1971 — Art Owens,
Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2,408
1970 — Jimmy Lisle,
Rule (Texas), 2,166
1969 — Frank Jones,
Bath County (Owingsville, Ky.), 3,361
1968 — Ed Lee Renfro,
Sonora (Texas), 2,452
1967 — Jim Calip,
Hobart (Okla.), 2,245
1966 — Mickey Cureton,
Centennial (Compton, Calif.), 2,504
1965 — Pat Sheehan,
Lee (San Antonio), 2,201
1964 — James Haywood,
Clifton (Texas), 2,177
1963 — Herbie Phelps, Old Kentucky Home * (Bardstown, Ky.), 2,833
1962 — Steve Herron,
Rotan (Texas), 2,635
1961 — Mitchell Jett, North Cumberland * (Va.), 2,512
1960 — Bert Gravitt,
Denver City (Texas), 2,443
1959 — Bill Cavin,
Brady (Texas), 2,210
1958 — Donald Davis,
Stamford (Texas), 2,121
1957 — George Telesh,
Clifton (N.J.), 2,747
1956 — Ronnie Bull,
Bishop (Texas), 2,400
1955 — Veon Scott, Chillicothe (Texas), 2,419
1954 — Joe Holcomb,
Freer (Texas), 2,482
1953 — Ken Hall, Sugar Land * (Texas), 4,045
1952 — Ken Hall, Sugar Land (Texas), 3,458
1951 — Ken Hall, Sugar Land (Texas), 3,160
1950 — John Giannantonio, Netcong * (N.J.), 4,756
1949 — Max McGee,
White Oak (Texas), 3,048
1948 — Jim Cairns,
Fresno (Calif.), 2,027
1947 — Glenn Lippman,
El Campo (Texas), 2,256
* School closed
