Here is my list. Remember i'm ranking these professional running backs since 1970 not just by numbers but by blocking ability, pass catching ability, play making ability, great plays, athleticism etc. Remeber some of these guys only have stats for fourteen game seasons. here is my list in order
1. Barry Sanders (the best I have ever seen)
2. Sir Walter Peyton(Just Sweet)
3.O.J. (a little controversal, but hey)
4.Eric Dickerson (what a great runner)
5.Gayle Sayers (retired in 71, so he makes the list, his career was cut short)
6.Emmit Smith (hard to argue with his numbers)
7.Marcus Allen (gotta bleed the silver and black)
8.Tony Dorsett
9.Earl Campbell (best bruiser back ever)
10.JOhn Riggins (i'm running out of names. riggins probably doesn't belong here, but I can't think of others.) help me out. maybe ottis anderson, tomlinson (perhaps, or faulk. something to run wiht
11.Larry Csonka
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\"life is simple, it comes down to two things; Luck and genetics. and if you think about it genetics is luck\"
I didn't see a lot of those players actually play. I can see their stats, but that's not always fair. Here is my take on the ones that I did see:
1. Barry Sanders
2. Walter Payton
3. Eric Dickerson
4. Curtis Martin
5. Marcus Allen
6. Emmitt Smith
7. Jerome Bettis
8. LaDainian Tomlinson (young, I know, but MAN!)
9. Thurman Thomas
10. Edgerrin James
1. Barry Sanders (Most exciting by far - never had an OL)
2. Walter "Sweetness" Payton (So talented - run/catch/throw he could do it all)
3. Emmitt Smith (All Time Rushing Leader, must I say more?)
4. Eric Dickerson (Still holds single season record)
5. O.J. (unbelievable)
6. Marcus Allen
7. Jerome Bettis
8. Bo Jackson
9. Thurman Thomas
10. Curtis Martin
1. Walter Payton. Sweetness. The best all-rounder that has ever played the game (with the exception maybe of Jim Thorpe). And incredibly nice 'normal' guy (yeah, I met him).
1. Emmitt- he has the record.
2. Barry- If he would have played longer
3. Marshall Faulk- Probably the best 4 year span in history for a RB
4. Walter Payton
5. O.J. Simpson
6. Marcus Allen
7. Curtis Martin- the consistency factor
8. Eric Dickerson
9. Adrian Peterson- Don't laugh, the best RB prospect in years
10. Priest Holmes- imagine if he would have stayed healthy in 2002 and 2004
11. Maurice Clarett
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1. Barry. I think it has to be Barry. The things he did mad me dizzy just watching him, and he didn't ever have the benefit of a great O-line, either. He did it, week in and wek out, for the LIONS (!!!!) and never complained. Class act off the field and on it, just like...
2. Walter Payton. Sweetness. I still remember "Nobody Does it Better"...some of you older guys know what I mean....
3. OJ...with the football, he was amazing. Without it, he can kill you....
4. Wilbert Montgomery....if he can run the Eagles to the Superbowl, he has to make the list.
The one reason Barry is not at the top of my list:
He has more negative yardage runs than anyone else in NFL history. Granted he made up for them, but I would rather have a solid 3-4 yards every carry with the occasional long run instead of either a big gainer or a loss.
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Quoth David Banner: "Like a pimp"
It's not a beer belly. It's a gas tank for a sex machine.
Originally posted by FishrCutB8: I don't think you blame that on Barry. The Packers aren't the only ones with cheese as a logo item, but Detroit trademarked Swiss Cheese....
Definitely not. I remember watching Lions games (just to see Barry, not being from Detroit) and watching him get hit as he was handed the ball on many occasions. My brother and I used to go crazy yelling at the TV, berating the non-existent offensive line of the Lions. Wouldn't surprise me if Barry also had the record for most yardage gained after being hit in the backfield first.
But his tendency to dance when a back like Emmitt would charge through...... Oh it's useless. Barry was fun to watch, but Emmitt will be #1 in yards for a LONG LONG time.
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Quoth David Banner: "Like a pimp"
It's not a beer belly. It's a gas tank for a sex machine.
Emmitt was blessed with an amazing line, Barry was cursed with a terrible line. Barry retired early, and if he would've kept playing (IMHO) would have picked up 20,000 yards career. The year before he retired Barry ran for 2,053. In his ten years in the league he never had a season where he ran for under 1,000 yards. And never once was his rushing average under 4.3 yards per carry. If he ran for 5 more years like Emmitt did, there is no way anyone would have ever caught him. I mean it took Emmitt 12 years to break Sweetness' record, it would've taken Barry 11 and he had no signs of slowing down. He just lost the fire to play.
I would really like to be able to say thank you to Barry for putting in all those hard years in Detroit, and giving me the pleasure of seeing the most exciting and to me #1 back ever play the game of football.
PS. I think it's funny how there's only 1 position in all of football where there is no argument who is the best player to play that position, WR.
Originally posted by zhuangshi: I think it's funny how there's only 1 position in all of football where there is no argument who is the best player to play that position, WR.
Rice works harder than any WR in practice and off-season. That's why he's ageless.
All of the comments about Barry having no line could also apply to Walter for most of his careeer (the last two years excepted). The Bears were an awful team from 1976 through the early '80s and had no O line to speak of. The reason I bring up Walter again is that the original premise was best OVERALL.... while I agree Barry may have been the best runner, Walter could pass and catch and block like a demon. At the time, he was one of the best blocking backs in the business, always caught the ball, and had a number of touchdown passes in his career (he even played QB for the Bears!). Plus, he never, ever ran out of bounds and always fought for the extra yard at the end of a run. For those reasons, he tops Barry on my list of best overall RB.
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Quote:
Originally posted by RockHard: </font><blockquote>quote:</fon t><hr />Originally posted by zhuangshi: I think it's funny how there's only 1 position in all of football where there is no argument who is the best player to play that position, WR.
Originally posted by nbjjku: The one reason Barry is not at the top of my list:
He has more negative yardage runs than anyone else in NFL history. Granted he made up for them, but I would rather have a solid 3-4 yards every carry with the occasional long run instead of either a big gainer or a loss.
Note all the comments about the lacking of a front line. You can't always get away from three guys breaking through before you even get the rock. Give him Smith's front line from the C-Boys and there's no telling what he would have done. Sanders hands down.
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