Greatest Running Back of all time

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

Barry sanders was the best running back of all time. Emmit smith was great... but you cant compare the two...sanders was on a horrible team his whole career and still did amazing and smith was on a team with a great offensive line from year to year and won superbowls.

 

[TheOtherSide 10+ year member]

Bo Jackson
Guy was a monster, would have been a top 3 greatest ever if he didn't break his hip.

I have to agree here. In terms of the BEST running back, Bo took the cake. In terms of best career as a running back, Sanders, Payton, Brown, Smith, Sayers in that order.

Here is a little idea why Bo was the best:

He was 2nd string most of his career behind Marcus Allen

He finished with an average of 5.4-5.5 yards per carry.

When he did the combine for the draft (or the similar version) he was listed at 6'1" 225-230# and ran a 4.12 40. (http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/LawTiger87/?action=view&current=5d06b892.jpg) Yeah, Deon Sanders ran it in 4.15 to give you an idea of his speed.

He was a baseball player...football was a hobby, a side sport to him.

He was able to hit the scoreboard in the Superdome with a football he threw. (No one had ever done it till then).

He amassed 220+ yards in a MNF game against Seattle (The Bosworth play)

His first 5 rushes in the NFL were 40+ yards (IIRC).

Oh, and he was just a freak of nature as well. I could see him having 20k yards if he could have played his entire career.

I guess I could just say he was one of the best Athletes ever. (Best thing I remember about Bo is him breaking bats over his knee when he struck out.)

And here's a college run: Roughly 71 yards in 7-8 seconds.

 

[CaliforniabOY5 10+ year member]

Maurice Clarett?

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

Maurice Clarett?

Only if he has a cheeseburger.

 

[JayRich 10+ year member]

Barry Sanders

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

I think you have to look at it in terms of how much the RB contributed to his team's success. Using that criteria, Herschell Walker is clearly the man. Dallas couldn't have been a dynasty in the 90's without him.

No one really said what the criteria was for this but I don't think you can go by a team's success. There have been plenty of GREAT players in the history of the league that were drafted by losing organizations so I couldn't see judging the RB by his team's success. I say you go by physical ability (speed and agility) and vision (the ablility to see the hole then hit it before it closes). Barry Sanders had the vision to hit the holes and physical ability to make EVERYONE miss him.

And where are you getting Herschell Walker?? I would choose Emmitt Smith before him. In my opinion of course.

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

Kevin Glover, Herman Moore, Robert Porcher, Chris Speilman, Stephen Boyd
Can't recall off the top of my head if guys like Benny Blades and Johnny Morton were pro-bowlers, but they were clearly good players. The Lions were good in the early 90's. In 91 they won 12 games and went to the NFC Championship game, and in 94 they were good and got upset by the Packers.

The Lions did have a good line and whoever said Sanders had to run East to West because of a bad line, is just silly. That was Sanders game. When Bobby Ross forced to go between the tackles he quit.

I agree. Barry would of been unstoppable if he would of actually ran the designed plays, instead of trying to outrun the defenders to the outside. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

Roger Craig?

I got his autograph one time when I was a little kid. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

what ever happened to priest holmes...i watch football but dont really follow every team. i just know he got hurt, larry johnson stepped in and i havent heard of holmes since.

probably paying for his 3 illegitimate kids //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

BWAHAHAHA! That was funnAy!

Why was that funny??//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

No one really said what the criteria was for this but I don't think you can go by a team's success. There have been plenty of GREAT players in the history of the league that were drafted by losing organizations so I couldn't see judging the RB by his team's success. I say you go by physical ability (speed and agility) and vision (the ablility to see the hole then hit it before it closes). Barry Sanders had the vision to hit the holes and physical ability to make EVERYONE miss him.
And where are you getting Herschell Walker?? I would choose Emmitt Smith before him. In my opinion of course.

Well good -- you actually support my position. I think my whole statement about Herschell is way over your head. Not surprising really. You = dumbass.

 

[rtillaree 10+ year member]

Sanders

Brown

Smith

Jackson

Simpson

Sayers

Payton

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

a player has the right not to play....after all is said and done i dont think any players want to end up a cripple like earl campbell