Best RB in football history

[Xaiveir]

I want to know who you think is the best RB in football history. If you were starting a franchise, and could take ANY running back, Who would you take, and why?

Emmit, Sanders, Brown, Sayers, LT, ?

[Phlegm]

Jim Brown is the best. He has the speed to blow past people and the strength to run over people.

[Tikker]

Jim Brown was miles better than anyone else at the time, but I think Walter Payton is still my favourite(and the most complete back)

I think my list would be in this order


Jim Brown (bigger stronger faster than anyone in his era)
Walter Payton (most complete back of all time imo, run, block, catch, pass even)
Barry Sanders (Most nimble guy ever, if he'd been on a real team would have 3000 yards rushing in a season np)
Ladainian Tomlinson (hybrid between Payton and Sanders imo)
Emmit Smith (Payton JR. never got the credit for being as good a blocker as he was)
Jerome Bettis (probably best power back the league has seen)

[Lyion]

Jim Brown is the greatest football player, ever. Not just RB.

Payton is next on my RRB list, perhaps with the biggest heart. Sweetness is my favorite player of all time. Like LT, he was a great person, in addition to being a complete football player.

LT is in year 6. The next 3 years will determine his legacy. He's possibly the most complete player in the league right now.

[Phlegm]

I would put Bo Jackson second after Jim Brown if he didn't get injured.

[Lionking]

I like the order That Tikker has 'em ranked. However, I would probably put Dickerson ahead of Bettis. I also agree with Phlegm about Bo.

[Tikker]

I like the order That Tikker has 'em ranked. However, I would probably put Dickerson ahead of Bettis. I also agree with Phlegm about Bo.

I really dislike Eric Dickerson for some reason, probably his constant whining about money

Bo Jackson had the potential to be on the list, but didn't have a career worthy of it tho(ps he had less than 2800 career yards)

Hell, Terrel Davis almost did that in a season, and he's no where near my list

[Evermore]

Franco Harris >>> Bettis

you guys are leaving out some of the old school backs..

[Evermore]

Jim Brown
Barry Sanders
Walter Payton
Larry Csonka
Gale Sayers
Emmitt Smith
Curtis Martin
Eric Dickerson
Marcus Allen
Jim Thorpe
Marshall Faulk
Edgerrin James
Terrell Davis
Jerome Bettis
O.J. Simpson
Tony Dorsett
Franco Harris
Frank Gifford
Tiki Barber
LaDainian Tomlinson
Priest Holmes
Jamal Lewis
Joe Perry
Jim Taylor
Charley Trippi
Doak Walker
John Riggins
Marion Motley
Hugh McElhenny
Lenny Moore
Ollie Matson
Leroy Kelly
Earl Campbell
Paul Hornung
John Henry Johnson
Cliff Battles
Tony Canadeo
Bill Dudley
Harold (Red) Grange
Joe Guyon
Clarke Hinkle

/discuss

[Lionking]

Franco Harris >>> Bettis

you guys are leaving out some of the old school backs..

I'm not a fan of Franco's career yards per carry of 4.1, though I also wouldn't have Bettis that high on the list.

[Tikker]

Franco Harris >>> Bettis

you guys are leaving out some of the old school backs..

and yet you listed Bettis higher than Harris too


ps, there's no way that Terrel Davis, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk, Larry Csonka, Jim Thorpe or Eric Dickerson should be higher than Bettis

ps, you have Tiki Barber above Tomlinson

are you retarded?

[Tikker]

Franco Harris >>> Bettis

you guys are leaving out some of the old school backs..

I'm not a fan of Franco's career yards per carry of 4.1, though I also wouldn't have Bettis that high on the list.

I have Bettis on the list because he's by far, the most successful "big" back

[Arlos]

I think Jim Brown easily for #1, and put me into the Barry Sanders at #2 camp. There is *NO* running back, ever, with his ability to turn a simple run that most backs would take for 2-3 yards, and bounce it out and go the distance for a TD. He was on some HISTORICALLY bad Lions teams, where everyone on the field KNEW he was the only option for the offense, and the D would stack 9 men in the box, and he'd still break runs for 20, 30 yards, or even longer. I can only imagine how ridiculous his numbers would've been if he'd been on a REAL team instead of the Lions.

As for Evermore's huge list, one name left off of there is Roger Craig, who was the workhorse for the 9ers throughout much of the 80s, and was the first player ever to rush for > 1000 yards and get > 1000 yards receiving in the same season (and he actually had like 1500 rushing yards). Now, I'm not saying that Craig deserved to be near the top of the list, but he deserves to be ON it.

I also disagree with Tikker about Bettis being the "greatest power back the league has seen". Earl Campbell was all Bettis was and more back in the 70s. Definitely a better power back than Bettis ever was. There were a lot of games where Campbell looked like a man playing with boys, just absolutely bowling over people week in and week out.

-Arlos

[Lionking]

Your comments about the Lions make me very sad because they are so very true.

[Arlos]

You don't mind, then, if I continue to despise the Lions for refusing to trade Barry? That's why he retired, he was tired of losing, wanted to go elsewhere but didn't want to officially demand a trade. He made it very clear, however, that he'd happily cancel retiring if the Lions would trade him to an actual contending team. The Lions refused, so he stayed retired. The man could've easily gone another 4-5 years on a good team, and I blame the Lions for preventing us from seeing the weekly brilliance he would've provided for that span of time.

-Arlos

[Lyion]

I really dislike Eric Dickerson for some reason, probably his constant whining about money

It seemed like he fumbled every other play, in addition to being a self absorbed cocksucker off the field.

Sanders was a great back, but I'd still put him far behind Brown and Sweetness. Payton played on more shit teams in Chicago than Sanders did in Detroit.

Sanders was a lot like Vick. A guy with an awesome amount of talent, but also somewhat of a coach killer. Give me a guy who hits the hole hard and runs with power over a juker, even one as supremely gifted as Sanders was. Sanders was always good for one or two big runs, but the 15 other 2 5 yard loss runs hurt his team tremendously.

[Phlegm]

My top five:

Jim Brown
Barry Sanders
Walter Payton
Earl Campbell
OJ Simpson

Bo Jackson would be number 2 if he didn't get injured.

[Alphonso]

OJ

[numatu]

Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell

I've always looked at those guys at the top of the class. Any others are on a different lower tier.

[Jay]

Walter Payton is the best. And yeah, I rank him above Barry Sanders. Barry was good, Barry had yards, however, Barry doesn't have a ring. Also, I think he attempted a lot of what would have been incredible breakaways but because he took certain risks, when he got stopped it was more detrimental to the team overall (not that he ever really had a decent squad).

Emmitt is definately the absolute best out of all of them. In ballroom dancing that is.

[Evermore]

that list was an internet list and is not in any order. i was pointing out all the talent you guys overlooked. Shit Paul Horuing i would have listed WAY higher then where he is there. that guy still holds some NFL records.

[Tikker]

I also disagree with Tikker about Bettis being the "greatest power back the league has seen". Earl Campbell was all Bettis was and more back in the 70s. Definitely a better power back than Bettis ever was. There were a lot of games where Campbell looked like a man playing with boys, just absolutely bowling over people week in and week out.

-Arlos

so where is Campbell on the all time rushing list?
20th give or take?

[Tikker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m92llJyCsN4

Says all you need to know about bettis making the list

[Phlegm]

Earl Campbell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IMJvUgLCXE

[Phlegm]

Here's the Sporting News 100 greatest football player of all time. Earl Campbell is number 33.

1. Jim Brown
2. Jerry Rice
3. Joe Montana
4. Lawrence Taylor
5. Johnny Unitas
6. Don Hutson
7. Otto Graham
8. Walter Payton
9. Dick Butkus
10. Bob Lilly

11. Sammy Baugh
12. Barry Sanders
13. Deacon Jones
14. Joe Greene
15. Gino Marchetti
16. John Elway
17. Anthony Munoz
18. Ray Nitschke
19. Night Train Lane
20. John Hannah


21. Gale Sayers
22. Reggie White
23. Ronnie Lott
24. Jim Parker
25. Merlin Olsen
26. O.J. Simpson
27. Dan Marino
28. Forrest Gregg
29. Roger Staubach
30. Jack Lambert


31. Lance Alworth
32. Marion Motley
33. Earl Campbell
34. Alan Page
35. Bronko Nagurski
36. Mel Blount
37. Deion Sanders
38. Eric Dickerson
39. Sid Luckman
40. Raymond Berry


41. Bart Starr
42. Willie Lanier
43. Larry Wilson
44. Terry Bradshaw
45. Herb Adderley
46. Steve Largent
47. Jack Ham
48. John Mackey
49. Bill George
50. Willie Brown

51. Randy White
52. Bobby Layne
53. Tony Dorsett
54. Chuck Bednarik
55. Art Shell
56. Mike Singletary
57. Roosevelt Brown
58. Bruce Smith
59. Fran Tarkenton
60. Paul Warfield

61. Ken Houston
62. Gene Upshaw
63. Steve Young
64. Ted Hendricks
65. Joe Schmidt
66. Bobby Bell
67. Buck Buchanan
68. Emmitt Smith
69. Willie Davis
70. Emlen Tunnell


71. Lenny Moore
72. Marcus Allen
73. Kellen Winslow
74. Mel Hein
75. Mike Webster
76. Sam Huff
77. Steve Van Buren
78. Jim Otto
79. Larry Little
80. Red Grange


81. Darrell Green
82. Brett Favre
83. Franco Harris
84. Dwight Stephenson
85. Charley Taylor
86. Jack Christiansen
87. Rod Woodson
88. Jim Thorpe
89. Elroy Hirsch
90. Mike Ditka


91. Art Monk
92. Dan Fouts
93. Mike Haynes
94. Fred Biletnikoff
95. Troy Aikman
96. Joe Namath
97. Lem Barney
98. George Blanda
99. Lou Groza
100. Charlie Joiner