Before we look at the best running backs in Cincinnati Bengals history, we begin with a look at some of the other notable and interesting players at the position.
The Cincinnati Bengals entering the 2018 season have a nice breadth of talent at the running back position, though they are less Jeremy Hill from recent years. But as we’re in the dead part of the offseason prior to training camp, it’s a time to look back at the history of the franchise.
And since we’ve already gone through the quarterbacks — the best best in franchise history — next up are the runners. This will include players designated as running backs, halfbacks, and fullbacks — all of which are similar enough to count together in their general role for the team for this exercise.
But before we get into the top five, let’s start with the leftovers of note.
The Interesting Extras
This will include not only some really good players who just miss out on the main list, but also players who may have been one-hit wonders or even just so bad they become noteworthy when recounting Cincinnati’s past.
Without further ado, here they are:
Paul Robinson
The first lead running back Cincinnati ever had. In that 1968 season, he also became the first-ever 1,000+ yard rusher for the franchise as well. It was a stellar season for Robinson, as he led the entire league in rushing attempts (238), rushing yardage (1,023), rushing touchdowns (8), and longest rush (87 yards).
It earned him First Team All-Pro honors, and his yardage still stands as one of just 21 1,000+ yard performances across franchise history. Unfortunately, that was by far his best season, as he would never approach that mark again, ending his Cincinnati career with under 2,500 yards in just over four seasons.
Essex Johnson
Johnson was around during that 1968 season, and ended up outlasting Robinson in Cincinnati. He would never reach the milestones set by Robinson’s 1968 season, but he would end up having more sustained success with the team. He was three yards away from having his own 1,000 yard season in 1973, and his 1972-73 proved to be a really strong two-year stretch (407 attempts, 1,822 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns). He was also a a decent pass catcher out of the backfield too: in 1972-73 he caught 57 passes for 776 yards and five touchdowns, and he ended his eight years in Cincinnati with over 1,500 receiving yards.
Charles Lee “Boobie” Clark
It’s about more than the nickname, I assure you. Clark was an important piece of the mid-70s rushing attack for Cincinnati. He was an even more proficient receiver out of the backfield than Johnson (four 20+ reception seasons in six Bengals seasons), while being right there with him on the ground (he had 988 rushing yards) and surpassing him as a scorer (25 rushing touchdowns with Cincinnati).
Harold Green
Green came pretty close to the main list, but he falls a clear tier below it. He was there for the final bit of success Cincinnati would experience before the start of the Bungles era in the 1990s, but his role wouldn’t become anything noteworthy until that first Bungles season. He would end up with 550+ rushing yards four times between 1991-95, with his 1992 season standing out (265 carries, 1,170 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 41 receptions — all his bests with the team).
He would end up with more yardage on the ground than only five Bengals ever (3,727 rushing yards in five seasons). The biggest issue for him though was just how bad the franchise was in the wake of longtime owner Paul Brown passing away (and the oft-inept Mike Brown taking over). After that 1990 season, Cincinnati went 21-59 during the remainder of Green’s Cincinnati tenure, including 3-13 three separate times.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Or as Chris Berman used to call him, “The Law Firm”. Green-Ellis was only with the team for two seasons, but his time with them was decently impactful. In 2012, he became one of only 10 Bengals to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season, and he was the main runner during two playoff runs for Cincinnati during the early 2010s.
Garrison Hearst
He’s much better known for his time with San Francisco, and his one season with Cincinnati was decent, but not memorable (225 carries, 847 rushing yards, no touchdowns). He would go one to be a really good runner for San Francisco though (5,535 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns in five seasons of play), and may have been able to make an even bigger mark had it not been for a two-year recovery from avascular necrosis (essentially a condition where bones decay/die due to lacking bloodflow) in his foot.
Ickey Woods
His name is Ickey, but his game was not — at least for one season. The last time Cincinnati won a playoff game was Woods’ first season, when the team came down to the wire in a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers. That season, Woods was able to not only surpass 1,000 yards on the ground, but lead the league in yards per carry (5.3) while plowing into the end zone for 15 rushing touchdowns.
In the playoffs, he was the only real reliable part of the offense throughout, with his 307 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns allowing Cincinnati to do well, despite consistent struggles by quarterback Boomer Esiason. Unfortunately, Woods appeared to have used up all his magic in one shot: he would only last three more seasons in the league, gaining just 459 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in the three subsequent seasons following his great rookie showing.
Giovani Bernard
Had this been a different era of football, Bernard may well be among the best runners in Cincinnati history. Unfortunately, while the game in this era has suited his style better, it also has managed to simultaneously give him less opportunities. Here’s what I mean: Cincinnati hasn’t ever had a runner who is a more productive receiving option than Bernard (in five seasons: 230 receptions, 2,060 receiving yards), but his limitations as a guy who can pound the ball effectively have never let him be a bell cow option.
This era is also one where only a select few players are even considered worthy of that level of touches anyway; instead, specialization is king, and more than ever before we see players (particularly runners) only play in specific roles. Bernard has always been used as part of a one-two punch, and while that’s been effective for him and his team, it places a ceiling on his own numbers in a way which won’t ever really let him have a great argument for being among the top at his position in franchise history.
Ki-Jana Carter
Many think of Akili Smith as the biggest draft mistake of Cincinnati’s Bungles years, but the selection of Carter was plenty damaging too. Selecting Carter meant the team missed out on tons of other top-end talent who may have actually helped the team win. By taking Carter, they missed out on excellent players elsewhere, including a stalwart left tackle (Tony Boselli), quarterbacks who would play in Super Bowls (Steve McNair and Kerry Collins), a wideout with gamebreaking speed who would play for 17 years (Joey Galloway), an edge rusher who picked up 100+ sacks (Kevin Carter), and one of the most dominating interior defensive linemen ever (Warren Sapp) — all of whom went in the top twelve selections.
Next: NFL 2018: Ranking all 32 starting RBs
Don’t hate Carter for his failings though, because injuries were to blame. He missed his rookie season due to a torn knee ligament in the preseason. It is questionable whether he ever truly recovered from that initial injury, but subsequent injuries to his left side (a torn rotator cuff in 1997, a broken wrist in 1998, and a dislocated kneecap in 1999) would leave him with only 35 games where he was active in five seasons with the organization.
Had injuries never been an issue, maybe the talents which led to his No. 1 overall selection would have him among the best runners in Cincinnati history (a hint at that: 31 games between 1996-1997 — the only prolonged healthy stretch of his career — he scored 15 rushing touchdowns). Unfortunately for Carter (and in turn, Bengals fans) though, we’ll never really know just how good he could have been.