Greatest Runningback of All-Time

[SuperSpck]

[FONT=&quot]I did a search on the forum and was SHOCKED we hadn't done a poll/thread like this.

Maybe I missed it, but on the eve of camp we'll get our juices flowing with this discussion.

Yard for yard, TD for TD, man for man, who is the greatest RB of all time?

Bring the facts if you got em, but remember most of these guys played behind some pretty great lines so I don’t wanna hear that tired excuse.

Here are the contenders (italicized means leader):

The Main Men[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Jim Brown[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 12,312 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 5.2 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 106 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 2,499 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 20 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Passing TD: 3 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: A sickly high average and an early exit. Power and speed.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Walter Payton[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 16,726 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.4 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 110 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 4,538 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 15 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Sweetness. Super smooth, all around wonder.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Barry Sanders[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 15,269 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 5.0 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 99 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 2,921 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 10 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Another early-walker, racked up huge stats on some of the worst teams in history. Freakish athlete and a lot of fun to watch.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Emmitt Smith[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 18,355 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.2 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 164 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 3,224 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD:11[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Mr Reliable. Not a burner, not an overly agile specimen, who was too small to play in the NFL (as we've all heard), but certainly someone who deserves respect for his vision. Remember his 1,193 hard-earned yards as a Cardinal if you've forgotten.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Eric Dickerson[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 13,259 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.4 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 90 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 2,137 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 6 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Big, brutal, and fast for his size. Had the single greatest season ever.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Curtis Martin[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 14101[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.0[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 90[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 3329 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 10[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Mr. Underrated great production and an exceptionally long career.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Marshall Faulk[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 12,279 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.3 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 100 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 6,875 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 36 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Most versatile RB on the list, great in both the running and passing game.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Dark Horses[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LaDainian Tomlinson[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 11,760 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.5 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 115 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 3,375 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 14 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Passing TD: 7 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Still playing, but may only have a handful of years left. With 1k per season will pass many names on this list and have a real case. Extraordinarily versatile evidenced by being a member of the 1000/1000 club and the most passing TD’s on the list. Most TD’s in a season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jerome Bettis[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 13,662 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 3.9 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 91 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 1,449 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: The most agile big man on the list, a graceful battering ram with a long career. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Marcus Allen[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 12,243 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 4.1 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 123 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 5,411 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 21 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Versatile and quick with a good average.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Terrell Davis[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 7607
Rushing AVG: 4.6[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 60[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 1280[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 5[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Two bad knees and insane production in a short career. A lot of people use the Emmitt Smith excuse (his line did a lot of work). [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Larry Csonka[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 8081
Rushing AVG: 4.3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 64[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 820[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 4[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: The perfect season and the rings.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Priest Holmes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 8172
Rushing AVG: 4.6[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 86[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 2962[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 8[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: One time most TD’s in single season (before broken by Tomlinson) and a good average in a short starting span.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Bo Jackson[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 2782
Rushing AVG: 5.4[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 16 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 352[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 2[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Bo knows production. The highest average in a minimum of four seasons, blazingly fast and powerful. Feel free to extrapolate the numbers to an average career. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tony Dorsett[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 12739
Rushing AVG: 4.3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 77[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 3554 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 13[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Another well rounded player.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Homer Horse[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Larry Centers[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: 2188[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing AVG: 3.6[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: 14[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: 6797[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: 28[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Second all-time in receiving yards by 78, and had 60 more receptions. AS A FB.[/FONT]

 

[SuperSpck]

I choose Barry, he was electric and just pure joy on the field. Factor in his small frame (but elephant thighs) and who couldn't root for him.

Like others on the list, you can claim he would have owned the yardage record, but in Barry's case it wasn't all stats, it was all-stud.

 

[vince56]

Beanie Wells.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Jim or Barry... Then Sweetness and Gayle. Then Earl Campbell, E Dickerson.... Then the rest.

I chose Barry.

 

[red desert]

Jim Brown. Next in line, Earl Cambell.

 

[lobo]

In LL they have the 9 run rule and end the games...that is what this is...JB was unbelievable...number 2 is not even listed..Mulli knows who I mean. Anyone who saw Brown play will vote for him..Walter and Sanders were fantastic but as hard to believe as it may seem to some of you younger guys, that is how good JB was? Anyone care to guess who a logical number 2 could be not on the list??

 

[az jam]

Jim Brown far and away the best. I'm old, I saw him play no one else is close.

 

[az jam]

O J Simpson should be on the list. We are talking about the best to play the game not about what happened after their career. In his prime he was one of the best. I would rank OJ in the top 5. Brown, Payton, Sanders, OJ & maybe Tomlinson.

 

[Shzm13]

I like Walter Payton, that man ran w/ authority. Earl Campbell too.

 

[SuperSpck]

OJ Simpson
[FONT=&quot]Rushing Yards: [/FONT]11236
[FONT=&quot] Rushing AVG: [/FONT]4.7
[FONT=&quot]Rushing TD: [/FONT]61
[FONT=&quot]Receiving Yards: [/FONT]2142
[FONT=&quot]Receiving TD: [/FONT]14
[FONT=&quot]The Case: Another well rounded and versitle player, but without the sex appeal of a major ad campaign (unless you count butterball turkey or AVIS) is part of the best of the rest crew.
Best known for his off field roles, as the hilarious Nordberg in the Naked Gun and probably being a double murder (guilty civil-y, not guilty criminally).[/FONT]

 

[40yearfan]

Payton. The best pure physical runner of them all.

 

[Pariah]

Walter Payton for me. I know you put the caveat up front that most of these guys ran with great lines, but for much of his career he didn't (I know, I know, neither did Sanders...but I think Payton was the more complete, steady and dependable back).

 

[Pariah]

Though I'd take Czonka as a compliment back every day of the week, too. The original "thunder" in the thunder and lightning backfield.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Brown was easily the best IMO, but Bo really had a shot had he not smashed the hip. Sanders got caught behind the LOS too much to be called the best. Brown owned everyone he played. The ypc is very telling.

 

[IAWarnerFan]

From the players I've seen play, I'd have to go with Walter Payton!

 

[Buckybird]

I go with what most NFL historians have said, Jim Brown. The main reason I vote him is because back in his time in the league most teams were basically run the ball and run it some more. He couldn't be stopped when they knew it was coming plus the NFL was so violate and nearly everything was legal in Brown's day. If I'm not mistaken Brown is also the only RB on the all-time list to average 100 yards a game for his career.

2. Barry Sanders-so smooth and electrifying
3. Eric Dickerson- injuries and $$$ kept him from being the best ever. A true stallion
4. Walter-his name said it all "sweetness"
5. Earl Campbell-the toughest runner I ever saw, even in college. Bum rode him until he broke down.

 

[Rockstar23]

#1 Barry Baby! Best vision ever.

 

[Black Jesus]

Haha Emmitt Smith is getting no love, he should be a top 5 easy. Where is OJ Simpson?

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Bo Jackson was the ultimate athlete.

If he had played football full time, without major injury, he would have shattered the NFL rushing record book in the same manner that Gretzky did with hockey.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Where is OJ Simpson?

Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.

 

[TucsonDevil]

I never saw it live, but Gayle Sayers was a smooth dancer out of the backfield. He was finesse before Payton perfected it. Jim Brown was great, but imho Earl Campbell perfected on Jim Brown, and then Bo one upped him! (it seems that A. Peterson is following in their footsteps).

But the Best? I have to go with Barry Sanders. Someone said he was caught too many times in the backfield... did you watch any games closely? His holes were closed before he got to them, and he was often stuck scrambling. He did the most with nearly nothing. He was the best.

Emmit, Terrell, Zonks, and others were good, but benefitted from great teams around them.

BTW, where is John Riggins on that list?

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Larry Centers !!!!

I would think it would be Jim Brown, But I am 30 and never have go to see the guy play, So It's hard to pick. Sanders is the greatest I have ever seen, But it seems Brown was better

 

[ajcardfan]

I think Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson are on a level above all the rest. I think Dickerson is always underrated in these discussions and I don't quite get that.

 

[Mulli]

I think Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson are on a level above all the rest. I think Dickerson is always underrated in these discussions and I don't quite get that.

Agree.

OT: Franco Harris ran out of bounds when he heard about this poll.

 

[Gaddabout]

Bo Jackson was the greatest athlete I've ever seen in any endeavor.