Who was the first NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season?

O. J. Simpson was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, finishing 1973 with 2,003 rushing yards for the Buffalo Bills.

Simpson reached the milestone in the final game of the season against the New York Jets, rushing for 200 yards. The achievement was especially remarkable because the NFL schedule then lasted 14 games rather than today’s longer regular season. Simpson averaged 143.1 rushing yards per game, an NFL single-season record associated with that shorter schedule.

His total also surpassed Jim Brown’s previous single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards, set in 1963. Eric Dickerson became the next player to top 2,000 yards, rushing for 2,105 in 1984, while Barry Sanders reached 2,053 yards in 1997.

The wording refers to rushing yards, not total yards from scrimmage. Simpson also produced 2,243 yards from scrimmage in 1973, but 2,003 was the landmark rushing total that first broke the barrier.