Steven Jackson has always had great respect for the history of the game of football, particularly the NFL's storied past at the position he plays, running back. As he's climbed the ranks of the game's greats and moved into the Top 16 rushers all-time, making him part of the fraternity, SJ's respect for the legends in front of him has only grown.

But while Steven's place among the game's all-time elite is secure, as is the legacy of those who came before him, what he's worried about is the future of the running back position. Now more than ever, perception of running backs has changed, and that doesn't sit well with the league's No. 16 all-time leading rusher. So SJ39 created an organization to raise awareness for running backs everywhere: Save The Running Back.

The organization's website, SaveTheRunningBack.org, pays homage to the great workhorse running backs in NFL history: Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and others. On his new site, Steven included the first of several public service announcements imploring franchises and coaches to preserve the idea of the every-down running back—one, like Steven, who can shoulder a 20-plus carry load every Sunday.

SaveTheRunningBack.org, which also allows fans to send a pre-written message to their favorite franchise, went live on Monday, and football fans and media members were quick to take up No. 39's cause.

Rana Cash at Sporting News called it “funny, odd and brilliant” while sharing SJ’s cause:

“His Save The Running Back video campaign is a bit of dry humor, but the decline in the value put on rushers can't be ignored, either,” Cash wrote. “The campaign's website serves a dual purpose: promoting the Steven Jackson Foundation, which promotes education and healthy living for the youth. No one's laughing at that.”

Andrew Ross of Sports Illustrated’s Fan Sided loves the franchise contact feature:

“Of all the features that the website has to offer, the coolest one has to be the way it allows you to contact your franchise in regards to how they view their running back(s),” he wrote. “All you have to do is put in your email, name and the team you want to contact – and boom – the deed is done.”

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com knows that STRB is more than just a video:

“We figured this was just a one-off "Funny Or Die"-style video starring a guy with some free time,” Hanzus wrote. “But if you check out the website, it's clear Jackson is all in on turning #STRB into a thing. Good luck to him.”

For The Win’s Nina Mandell makes a point that S-Jax also raised during the Super Bowl:

"Jackson of course has the perfect illustration of his point," she wrote, "after all, if the running back position had gotten more respect at the end of the Super Bowl would New England have won the game?"

Fans, running backs and writers also took to Twitter to support the cause, contact their favorite franchises and players, and spread awareness for backs everywhere.

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