Two of the top three players in the NFL with the most all-purpose yards in the 2024 season were former Alabama running backs. Derrick Henry had 2,114 all-purpose yards for the Baltimore Ravens, and Jahmyr Gibbs has 1,929 all-purpose yards for the Detroit Lions to finish behind Saquon Barkley’s 2,283 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles.
All those yards were scrimmage yards – on rushing attempts and receptions. But all-purpose yards also can include special-teams yards picked up on kickoff and punt returns (along with the occasional run after recovering a teammate’s fumble).
One of the players among the 10 from Alabama high schools and colleges with the most NFL career all-purpose yards fits that classic profile of that statistic so completely that he’s unique in NFL history.
During his 12 NFL seasons, former Auburn running back James Brooks collected 7,962 rushing yards, 3,621 receiving yards, 2,762 kickoff-return yards and 565 punt-return yards.
No other player in NFL history can match Brooks’ output in all four statistical categories.
The other nine players among the Alabama-roots top 10 in all-purpose yards are wide receivers who got the bulk of their yards on receptions or running backs who got most of their yards on rushing attempts.
Former West Alabama wide receiver Tyreek Hill started out as an exception. As a rookie, he was an All-Pro returner, led the NFL in punt-return yards and had two punt-return touchdowns and one kickoff-return TD in 2016. Hill has returned seven punts in the past six seasons and doesn’t have a kickoff return since 2016. But his early work allowed him to become the 10th player in league history with 10,000 receiving and 1,000 punt-return yards – and he’s the only one of those players who also has at least 500 rushing yards.
The top 10 players with Alabama football roots in NFL all-purpose yards include:
1. Terrell Owens, Benjamin Russell High School: 16,276 all-purpose yards
San Francisco 49ers 1996-2003, Philadelphia Eagles 2004-2005, Dallas Cowboys 2006-2008, Buffalo Bills 2009, Cincinnati Bengals 2010: 251 rushing yards, 15,934 receiving yards, 78 kickoff-return yards and 13 fumble-recovery yards
2. James Brooks, Auburn: 14,910 all-purpose yards
San Diego Chargers 1981-1983, Cincinnati Bengals 1984-1991, Cleveland Browns 1992, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992: 7,962 rushing yards, 3,621 yards receiving yards, 2,762 kickoff-return yards and 565 punt-return yards
3. Julio Jones, Foley High School, Alabama: 13,884 all-purpose yards
Atlanta Falcons 2011-2020, Tennessee Titans 2021, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022, Philadelphia Eagles 2023: 163 rushing yards, 13,703 receiving yards and 18 fumble-recovery yards
4. Tyreek Hill, West Alabama: 13,397 all-purpose yards
Kansas City Chiefs 2016-2021, Miami Dolphins 2022-2025: 819 rushing yards, 11,098 receiving yards, 384 kickoff-return yards, 1,036 punt-return yards and 60 fumble-recovery yards
5. Derrick Henry, Alabama: 13,068 all-purpose yards
Tennessee Titans 2016-2023, Baltimore Raven 2024: 11,423 rushing yards, 1,651 receiving yards and minus-6 fumble-recovery yards
6. Shaun Alexander, Alabama: 10,981 all-purpose yards
Seattle Seahawks 2000-2007, Washington Redskins 2008: 9,453 rushing yards, 1,520 receiving yards and 8 fumble-recovery yards
7. Roddy White, UAB: 10,882 all-purpose yards
Atlanta Falcons 2005-2015: 19 rushing yards and 10,863 receiving yards
8. Mark Ingram, Alabama: 10,237 all-purpose yards
New Orleans Saints 2011-2018, 2021-2022, Baltimore Ravens 2019-2020, Houston Texans 2021: 8,111 rushing yards, 2,125 receiving yards and 1 fumble-recovery yard
9. Amari Cooper, Alabama: 10,068 all-purpose yards
Oakland Raiders 2015-2018, Dallas Cowboys 2018-2021, Cleveland Browns 2022-2024, Buffalo Bills 2024: 10,033 receiving yards, 41 rushing yards, 41 punt-return yards and minus-6 fumble-return yards
10. Stephen Davis, Auburn: 9,608 all-purpose yards
Washington Redskins 1996-2002, Carolina Panthers 2003-2005, St. Louis Rams 2006: 8,052 rushing yards, 1,494 receiving yards and 62 kickoff-return yards
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X@AMarkG1.
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