Of the 366 players who recorded rushing attempts during the NFL’s 2022 season, 13 came from Alabama high schools. But only one of them played a significant role in his team’s ground game.

Former Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa standout Brian Robinson Jr. overcame being shot twice two weeks before the season to lead the Washington Commanders with 797 rushing yards as a rookie.

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Robinson had two touchdowns among his 205 carries, and three other former Alabama prep stars ran for a touchdown as NFL wide receivers in 2022 – the Chicago Bears’ Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland), Pittsburgh Steelers’ George Pickens (Hoover) and Kansas City Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney (Blount).

The 13 players ran for 1,203 yards on 271 rushing attempts.

Jordan Howard (Gardendale) had 1 yard of that total as he had a single rushing attempt during his four snaps for the New Orleans Saints this season. Only two former Alabama high school players have more NFL rushing yards than Howard.

The 10 players from Alabama high schools with the most NFL rushing yards are:

1. Antowain Smith: 6,881 rushing yards

Buffalo Bills 1997-2000, New England Patriots 2001-03, Tennessee Titans 2004, New Orleans Saints 2005: The former Stanhope Elmore standout averaged 3.9 yards on 1,784 carries and scored 54 rushing touchdowns during his career.

Smith played only one season of high school football, and he worked for two years to aid his grandparents after finishing high school. After his grandmother died, he followed her advice to further his education. His return to football started at East Mississippi Community College, which led to two seasons at Houston before joining the Bills as the 23rd selection in the 1997 NFL Draft.

Smith ran for 1,124 yards in his second season with the Bills. In 2001, he topped that with 1,157 yards for the Patriots, and Smith had 92 rushing yards in New England’s 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI to cap that campaign. Smith ran for 83 yards and one touchdown in the Patriots’ 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII two years later.

2. Joe Cribbs: 5,356 rushing yards

Buffalo Bills 1980-83, 1985, San Francisco 49ers 1986-87, Miami Dolphins 1988, Indianapolis Colts 1988: The former Sulligent and Auburn standout averaged 4.1 yards on 1,309 carries and scored 27 rushing touchdowns during his career.

Cribbs might have been No. 1 had he not played two seasons in the USFL. He ran for at least 1,097 yards in three of his first four seasons with Buffalo, missing 1,000 yards only in the strike-shortened 1982 season. He was the AFC Rookie of the Year in 1980 and went to the Pro Bowl three times.

Cribbs came home to play for the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL in 1984. After two seasons, the USFL folded. Cribbs returned to the NFL — going straight from the USFL’s spring/summer season to the NFL’s fall kickoff in 1985 — but in four more seasons, he added only 1,310 yards to his NFL rushing total.

During his two seasons in the USFL, Cribbs ran for 2,514 yards and led the league in rushing in 1984, but those yards don’t count in his NFL total.

3. Jordan Howard: 4,362 rushing yards

Chicago Bears 2016-18, Philadelphia Eagles 2019-20, 2021, Miami Dolphins 2020, New Orleans Saints 2022: The former Gardendale and UAB standout has averaged 4.3 yards on 1,019 carries and scored 37 rushing touchdowns. Howard started his NFL career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and received a Pro Bowl invitation as a rookie.

Former Alabama prep standouts have produced 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons, with Howard’s 1,313 yards in 2016 topping the list. The other 1,000-yard seasons were turned in by Joe Cribbs with three, Antowain Smith and Bobby Humphrey with two apiece and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams with one.

4. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams: 4,038 rushing yards

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2005-10, St. Louis Rams 2011: The former Etowah and Auburn standout averaged 3.8 yards on 1,055 carries and scored 21 rushing touchdowns during his career. Williams was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005, when he ran for a career-high 1,178 yards.

5. Wilbur Jackson: 3,852 rushing yards

San Francisco 49ers 1974-79, Washington Redskins 1980-82: The former Carroll-Ozark and Alabama standout averaged 4.0 yards on 971 carries and scored 13 rushing touchdowns during his career. Jackson’s final three NFL seasons came when four of the top seven rushers on the high school list were active. Also playing at that time were Joe Cribbs, Rickey Young and Tony Nathan.

6. Rickey Young: 3,666 rushing yards

San Diego Chargers 1975-77, Minnesota Vikings 1978-83: The former Vigor standout averaged 3.6 yards on 1,011 carries and scored 23 rushing touchdowns during his career. Young was considered as much a threat coming out of the backfield as a receiver as he was as a runner. In 1978, he led the NFL with 88 receptions, which was the most for a running back in league history at the time.

7. Tony Nathan: 3,543 rushing yards

Miami Dolphins 1979-87: The former Woodlawn and Alabama standout averaged 4.8 yards on 732 carries and scored 16 rushing touchdowns during his career. Nathan finished his career with 49 more receiving yards than rushing yards and equaled his rushing TD total with 16 touchdown receptions.

8. Cid Edwards: 3,006 rushing yards

Los Angeles Rams 1968-71, San Diego Chargers 1972-74, Chicago Bears 1975: The former Selma standout averaged 4.3 yards on 698 carries and scored 15 rushing touchdowns during his career. A 230-pound fullback, Edwards was the first former Alabama high schooler to reach 3,000 rushing yards in the NFL.

9. Brad Baxter: 2,928 rushing yards

New York Jets 1989-95: The former Slocomb and Alabama State standout averaged 3.8 yards on 779 carries and scored 35 rushing touchdowns during his career. A 233-pounder, Baxter was the Jets’ fullback for six seasons.

10. Bobby Humphrey: 2,857 rushing yards

Denver Broncos 1989-91, Miami Dolphins 1992: The former Glenn and Alabama standout averaged 4.1 yards on 695 carries and scored 15 rushing touchdowns during his career. Humphrey’s first two NFL seasons were 1,000-yard campaigns.

Five other former Alabama high school players have more than 2,000 NFL rushing yards — Joe Childress (Robertsdale), Ronnie Coleman (Walker), Andra Franklin (Anniston), Bo Jackson (McAdory) and T.J. Yeldon (Daphne).

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.