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[jamrock]

I'm surprised no-one mentions Earl Campbell or Derrick Henry. Do we have a bias against the big back?

Or the Bus, Jerome Bettis.

I give an honorable mention to Marcus Allen. Yeah, he was a Raider but also a San Diego guy. His stats would have been much better but Al Davis froze him out in his prime and he also split time with Bo Jack

[colorado]

Love the big back, what about Franco Harris

[sonorajim]

The Diesel, John Riggins.

[colorado]

The Diesel, John Riggins.

Mohawk and all

[colorado]

Larry Csonka This guy was an animal. Fullback/halfback

[Boltnut]

I'm surprised no-one mentions Earl Campbell or Derrick Henry. Do we have a bias against the big back?

When the Super Bowl came to San Diego, they set up an exhibit called "The NFL Experience" under a giant canvass tent (reminded me of Wringling Bros.). One of the displays was a plaster-of-paris mold of Earl Campbell's thigh. I could fit my whole torso in the casted mold. You don't realize the monster size of these guys until you're right next to them.

For comparison, Jim Brown played at the same weight as Earl Campbell (232 lb) but was 3 inches taller.
The Nigerian Nightmare played at 254 ils. The Bus was @252 lbs.

Riggins @230
Csonka @237
Franco @230

My best friend loved Riggins (wore #44) and modeled his run-style after him in high school. He stood 5-10, 220. Pretty big for HS football. He used to truck people.

Marcus Allen went to Lincoln HS... before my time as a HS football player. But I did get to play against his younger brother (Michael...?). Once, I shed Michael Allens' block and stuck Steve Taylor (Nebraska) on a QB option/keeper. That felt good!

[dmac_bolt]

My father will tell you that Jim Brown was the greatest RB of all time. I never saw him play... just old film clips. He looked pretty damn good to me! A 5.2 ypc average is really good... I could list a bunch of other career stats that would blow your mind. He was 6-2, 232 in an era where players were smaller. He was a man amongst boys.

The first truly dominant RB that I remember was OJ Simpson. He was a pure runner. Great vision and could cut, burst through a hole, or run you over. He averaged 4.7 ypc with some below average offensive lines. He wasn't utilized as a receiver. @212 lbs, he wasn't able simply out-physical defenders the way Jim Brown did.

Late 70's and early 80's brought us Emmit and Walter. Prolific RB's that played for all-around good teams. They were always on TV and always being talked about. Both played behind good offensive lines... the Cowboys offensive line was one of the great offensive lines. Emmit had a 4.2 ypc and Walter had a 4.4 ypc. I would put Walter over Emmit... but neither makes my Top-5 list.

I got to watch Marshall Faulk run @San Diego State. They ran him left, they ran him right, they ran him every play... he could not be stopped. In the NFL, the Colts and Rams turned him into one of the greatest multi-tool weapons ever. He's the only RB to amass 12,000 yards rushing and 6,000 yards receiving. By time time, defensive players have become much bigger and stronger... and RB's don't have the strength and speed advantage they once did. 136 total TD's.

I also got watch Barry Sanders live @the Holiday Bowl. Complete dominance! He was un-stoppable... even more so that Marshall Faulk in college. He used his size (or lack of size) to his advantage. At 5-8, 200 lbs, he disappeared behind blockers. His low center of gravity allowed him to start, stop, and change direction like no other RB before/since. His video game/joy stick like abilities were fun to watch. His 5.0 ypc is rare for a modern day RB. His high average is probably due to his start one-way, then reverse to the opposite direction style of running... it was like trying to catch a deer in the woods. Having said that, the Lions didn't use him in the passing game... and he didn't have strength/power all of the other RB's did. If you wanted to pick up a 3rd-and short... or needed a TD inside the 5 yard line... any of the other RB's would have gotten the nod over Barry.

Speaking of TD's... my boy LT was prolific! 162 TD's is 3rd all-time. Only Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith have more. If the goal is to score a TD (last time I checked... it still is) then LT is your man. He is the everything RB. He's got multi-tool capabilities (like Faulk). He has start, stop, cut abilities... no one can approach Barry... but the closest to Barry of any other RB. He can receive, pick up 3rd-and-short, he break a long run... inside, outside, up-side down. He was feared! Started off with bad OL's... had so-so compliments at WR... defenses stacked the box like like no other RB before him (outside of OJ and Walter)... and they still couldn't stop him. He had more power and strength than Faulk.

I'm going to add Eric Dickerson and Adrian Peterson to the list. Fast fluid-moving RB's that could hit the hole and explode for long runs. Both were very good cut-and-accelerate runners. Neither were the receiving threat of Tomlinson/Faulk. Neither were the TD machine that Tomlinson was... although Peterson did finish with 126 total TD's.

Final list:

1. Jim Brown
2. OJ Simpson
3. LaDanian Tomlinson
4. Marshall Faulk
5. Barry Sanders
6. Adrian Peterson
7. Eric Dickerson
8. Walter Payton
9. Emmitt Smith
10. Gayle Sayers (for what could-have-been)

Fun walk down memories lane. I’d argue that Walter and Barry both played on some really shit teams, most games there was nothing else defenses needed to key on other than them, and they still did it.

[dmac_bolt]

Or the Bus, Jerome Bettis.

I give an honorable mention to Marcus Allen. Yeah, he was a Raider but also a San Diego guy. His stats would have been much better but Al Davis froze him out in his prime and he also split time with Bo Jack

He obliterated my high school Kearny in the CIF single-handed. he scored 5 TDs: 4 offense, 1 defense

[Maniaque 6]

Fun walk down memories lane. I’d argue that Walter and Barry both played on some really shit teams, most games there was nothing else defenses needed to key on other than them, and they still did it.

I think E. Dickerson too !

[DerwinBosa]

Or the Bus, Jerome Bettis.

I give an honorable mention to Marcus Allen. Yeah, he was a Raider but also a San Diego guy. His stats would have been much better but Al Davis froze him out in his prime and he also split time with Bo Jack

I think Bettis is highly overrated. He crumbled in big games, and was saved by Ben Roethlisberger making that tackle against the Colts in the 2005 playoffs.

Marcus Allen was great.

[DerwinBosa]

The first truly dominant RB that I remember was OJ Simpson. He was a pure runner. Great vision and could cut, burst through a hole, or run you over. He averaged 4.7 ypc with some below average offensive lines. He wasn't utilized as a receiver. @212 lbs, he wasn't able simply out-physical defenders the way Jim Brown did.

He probably played with the worst teams of any all-time great running back.

Late 70's and early 80's brought us Emmit and Walter.

Emmitt Smith was drafted in 1990.

Great job, though.

I enjoyed watching a lot of other running backs in the 1980s and 1990s that are forgotten now. Joe Morris, O.J. Anderson, Neal Anderson (had the misfortune of replacing Walter Payton), Rodney Hampton, Roger Craig (should have been the 1988 MVP), Chris Warren, Dalton Hilliard, and of course Natrone Means and Marion Butts.

I also think Thurman Thomas and Curtis Martin don't get enough respect. I think Ricky Watters and Corey Dillon are more deserving of the Hall of Fame than a few running backs who are in there. Then there were Shaun Alexander, Eddie George, and Brian Westbrook. All outstanding at certain points of their careers.

I wonder what Chris Johnson would have been if he had played in an earlier era with smaller defensive linemen. He may have been an elite running back for longer than he was in this era (2008-2010).

[21&500]

Talk about a pure runner
anyone know Bo?!?