Top five NFL Running backs of all time.
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Scruffy
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lavender said:
Well, there's a legitimate argument that Emmitt played for some O-lines that created holes that Dom Deluise could have run through.
But judged on his performance over the last two years, I'd say he merits being placed above Earl Campbell and OJ Simpson.
Yeesh.
Purple Haze
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1. Walter Payton
2. Jim Brown
3. Bronko Nagurski
4. Barry Sanders
5. O.J. Simpson
Sweetness isn't just the greatest runningback ever, he's the greatest football player ever, and then Dick Butkus. (No, I'm not a Bears fan)
2. Jim Brown
3. Bronko Nagurski
4. Barry Sanders
5. O.J. Simpson
Sweetness isn't just the greatest runningback ever, he's the greatest football player ever, and then Dick Butkus. (No, I'm not a Bears fan)
gridiron
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And now for my two cents..
1) Jim Brown
2) Walter Payton
3) Barry Sanders
4) Emmit Smith
5) Marshall Faulk
Yes.. I realize Faulk is still playing the game.. But you've gotta give the boy credit.. He's one of the greatest running backs that ever played the game.. I mean, the way he can read and react off the defense and find holes to run through.. That takes skill.. And speed? Forget about it.. Soon as he sees daylight coming out of the tunnel, he's gone..
-Grid
1) Jim Brown
2) Walter Payton
3) Barry Sanders
4) Emmit Smith
5) Marshall Faulk
Yes.. I realize Faulk is still playing the game.. But you've gotta give the boy credit.. He's one of the greatest running backs that ever played the game.. I mean, the way he can read and react off the defense and find holes to run through.. That takes skill.. And speed? Forget about it.. Soon as he sees daylight coming out of the tunnel, he's gone..
-Grid
Purple Haze
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Oh please enough about Emmit Smith, great running back? Yes. One of the greatest ever? Come on. Maybe the greatest Cowboy ever.
Herschel Walker was a curse. I can prove it.
Herschel Walker was a curse. I can prove it.
BodyBuilderNH
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I cannot believe only one of you has Marshall Faulk listed!!!
RawHumor
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Cowboys... ugh...
One thing that makes Emmit great is how he played through pain in some of the situations he played in. If he's not one of the 5 best running backs he's sure one of the toughest.
I don't think anyone's better than Payton, although he played on a GREAT team with a great defense. If you've got the defense then you're going to get more opportunities on offense. I do remember him beating the beloved Packers one game as a quarterback because the Packers had knocked the bears first two qb's out of the game. Of course, that was when the Packers went 8-8 every year.
Sanders has moves that no man should be able to have and played on horrible teams. Who knows if he had been on a good team if he'd have been better or how much so.
Earl Campbell was truly a load and was fun to watch. He could go through a pile and come out on his feet.
Jim Brown, OJ, and Bronko were all before my time, and it's tough to compare players then to now, because they've gotten bigger at every position.
One thing that makes Emmit great is how he played through pain in some of the situations he played in. If he's not one of the 5 best running backs he's sure one of the toughest.
I don't think anyone's better than Payton, although he played on a GREAT team with a great defense. If you've got the defense then you're going to get more opportunities on offense. I do remember him beating the beloved Packers one game as a quarterback because the Packers had knocked the bears first two qb's out of the game. Of course, that was when the Packers went 8-8 every year.
Sanders has moves that no man should be able to have and played on horrible teams. Who knows if he had been on a good team if he'd have been better or how much so.
Earl Campbell was truly a load and was fun to watch. He could go through a pile and come out on his feet.
Jim Brown, OJ, and Bronko were all before my time, and it's tough to compare players then to now, because they've gotten bigger at every position.
Purple Haze
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Football and baseball are apples and oranges.
Babe Ruth swung the bat all by himself. He did participate on some championship teams, but that's not why he was great.
Winning the Super Bowl is a good thing if you're fortunate enough to be on a team that does so. Judging a player's career on Super Bowl wins is stupid and something people like to do anyway, but still that's a team effort and doesn't apply as far I'm concerned, but I'll play anyway. The Super Bowl goes back to the twenties, except they didn't call it that until 1967. They called it the NFL Championship Game. I think Nagurski played in a whole bunch of these, not that it matters.
If you want to compare numbers, that's okay too. Simpson played twelve and fourteen game seasons, so did Brown and Payton, I don't know how many yards per carry Smith has, but he sure has a kajillion attempts. I'll have to look it up.......maybe. There have been a lot of great runningbacks over the years, Smith doesn't belong in the top five.
Faulk is damn good, isn't he? Good receiver too.
Babe Ruth swung the bat all by himself. He did participate on some championship teams, but that's not why he was great.
Winning the Super Bowl is a good thing if you're fortunate enough to be on a team that does so. Judging a player's career on Super Bowl wins is stupid and something people like to do anyway, but still that's a team effort and doesn't apply as far I'm concerned, but I'll play anyway. The Super Bowl goes back to the twenties, except they didn't call it that until 1967. They called it the NFL Championship Game. I think Nagurski played in a whole bunch of these, not that it matters.
If you want to compare numbers, that's okay too. Simpson played twelve and fourteen game seasons, so did Brown and Payton, I don't know how many yards per carry Smith has, but he sure has a kajillion attempts. I'll have to look it up.......maybe. There have been a lot of great runningbacks over the years, Smith doesn't belong in the top five.
Faulk is damn good, isn't he? Good receiver too.
ginslinger
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no killers on my list...
i also can't believe u left out faulk, dickerson and sayers... have u ever seen an nfl game?
1. Dickerson
2. Payton
3. Faulk (and he isn't done yet)
4. Sanders
5. sayers
it isn't always about stats, sometimes u have to look beyond that and notice greatness...
just my opinion worth about 0...
i also can't believe u left out faulk, dickerson and sayers... have u ever seen an nfl game?
1. Dickerson
2. Payton
3. Faulk (and he isn't done yet)
4. Sanders
5. sayers
it isn't always about stats, sometimes u have to look beyond that and notice greatness...
just my opinion worth about 0...
Paendragon
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Rushing yardage isn't the sole mark of a great running back. A lot of the guys pplaying now have a chance at surpassing the Greats. Like Curtis Martin for instance, who's only the second running back in history to compile 1,000 in each of his first 7 seasons. he's a great back, and might come close to setting the all-time record. But is he one of the top 5? I doubt it. I have another question, why isn't Eric Dickerson on any of those lists?
Purple Haze
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Re: Cowboys... ugh...
Payton played on a shitty Bears team for most of his career. They were great for maybe two or three seasons.
RawHumor said:
Payton played on a shitty Bears team for most of his career. They were great for maybe two or three seasons.
Paendragon
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Smith still played on a great team during all those record setting years. Payton, Sanders, or even Dickerson didn't have that benefit. When you faced them, you keyed on them, and they still ran all over you. I'm not saying Smith isn't one of the best, that would be absurd. I'm just saying he had a lot of help. They won three Super Bowls because they had a great TEAM, not just a great running back. Plus one of the best O-lines of their day.
Purple Haze
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Most Rushing Touchdowns (career) -- 148
Most Rushing Touchdowns (season) -- 25
These records are impressive, even though most of them were one yard runs.
Most Rushing Touchdowns (Super Bowl) -- 5
Most Rushing Touchdowns (postseason) -- 19
Most Touchdowns (postseason) -- 21
Most Points (postseason) -- 126
Most Games with 100+ Yards Rushing (postseason) -- 7
These are only a testament to how good the Cowboys were as a team. Many great runningbacks didn't get the same opportunity. So what?
Most Consecutive and Total 1000 Yard Seasons -- 11
All or most of these were 16 game seasons. Still impressive. Not top five material.
Most Rushing Touchdowns (season) -- 25
These records are impressive, even though most of them were one yard runs.
Most Rushing Touchdowns (Super Bowl) -- 5
Most Rushing Touchdowns (postseason) -- 19
Most Touchdowns (postseason) -- 21
Most Points (postseason) -- 126
Most Games with 100+ Yards Rushing (postseason) -- 7
These are only a testament to how good the Cowboys were as a team. Many great runningbacks didn't get the same opportunity. So what?
Most Consecutive and Total 1000 Yard Seasons -- 11
All or most of these were 16 game seasons. Still impressive. Not top five material.
