Top ten Running backs....

[Guest gwf0704]

Same as the qb's :

 

1) Walter Payton - Sweetness wasnt just a great running back, he was a great football player.

 

2) Barry Sanders - Elusive, professional and had no offensive line to boot. And he always handed the ball to the official at the end of every td. Classy.

 

3) Emmitt Smith - Kind of like Aikman in which he profited from a great offensive line, though he's got the toughest heart of any running back.

 

4) OJ Simpson - The double murderer could run in his day and was an excellent sprinter.

 

5) Erik Dickerson - Was one of the fastest runners in the league as he left people behind.

 

6) John Riggins - Guy would run through you instead of away from you.

 

7) Thurman Thomas - Like Kelly, 4 straight Super Bowls, plus a great runner.

 

8) Gale Sayers - One of the first running backs who ran with elusive speed.

 

9) Franco Harris - One of the harder working running backs of the era.

 

10) Marshall Faulk - All around one of the best football players around today.

 

Just my 2 cents.....

[Guest Y2BigJ]

JIM BROWN,WTF?! How could you forget him

[Guest Vern Gagne]

No Earl Campell? Unlike Franco Harris who ran out of of bounds, the Tyler Rose ran over the defender.

[Guest DrTom]

I was kind of wondering where Jim Brown was, too...

 

1. Barry Sanders

2. Jim Brown

3. Walter Payton

4. Gale Sayers

5. MARSHALL MARSHALL MARSHALL~!

6. John Riggins

7. OJ

8. Eric Dickerson

9. Emmitt Smith

10. Earl Campbell

[Guest bob_barron]

Thurman Thomas? I know he was good but better then Jim Brown??

[Guest razazteca]

Thurman Thomas lost 2 Super Bowls by himself.....

 

2 Time 2 Time choker

[Guest RobJohnstone]

well, I am just going to list my top 10 backs from which I have seen during my era, because they only show higlights and such from the older days.

 

1. Barry Sanders

2. Marshall Faulk

3. Emmitt Smith

4. Jerome Bettis

5. Thurman Thomas

6. Terrell Davis

7. Curtis Martin

8. Edgerrin James

9. Priest Holmes

10. Hershall walker

 

I am only going back to when I started watching football. around 89 was when I started so there it is.

 

--Rob

[Guest bravesfan]

From what I've seen...

 

1. Gale Sayers

2. Walter Payton

3. Barry Sanders

4. O.J. Simpson

5. Jim Brown

6. Marshall Faulk

7. Eric Dickerson

8. Earl Campbell

9. Emmitt Smith

10. *EDIT*: my bad, I forgot Tony Dorsett.

 

I can't advocate putting Barry Sanders at #1, just because he tried to do too much on every play. When your team needs a few yards, you start doing some razzle-dazzle run and then be stuffed for negative yardage, it hurts people's opinion of him.

[Guest bravesfan]

well, I am just going to list my top 10 backs from which I have seen during my era, because they only show higlights and such from the older days.

 

1.  Barry Sanders

2.  Marshall Faulk

3.  Emmitt Smith

4.  Jerome Bettis

5.  Thurman Thomas

6.  Terrell Davis

7.  Curtis Martin

8.  Edgerrin James

9.  Priest Holmes

10.  Hershall walker

 

I am only going back to when I started watching football.  around 89 was when I started so there it is.

 

--Rob

Even from 1989-current, there's men like Marcus Allen, Ricky Watters, Earnest Byner and such that you left off for the likes of Priest Holmes, who was a waste of roster space up until a year ago.

[Guest RobJohnstone]

allen was old when I started watching. He was still good but my memory of him is not with the raiders but with the chiefs. Watters was a pussy and he gets no respect. Remember when he went to philly and refused to take routes over the middle, fuck him. I could care less that he had 6 td in a playoff game vs the giants, he can kiss my ass. Byner was ok, priest has more talent than him, baltimore just didn't know how to use him.

 

--Rob

[Guest phoenixrising]

My top ten:

 

1. Barry Sanders - We'll never see another runner like him. Never took a direct hit and had loads of moves. Every carry was an adventure with Barry - even a negative yardage play looked good. And he was a threat to go long every time he carried the ball.

 

2. Jim Brown - The best all-around back of all time. Ran with power, had good speed and even had good hands. If he had played a few more years his records would still be standing.

 

3. Walter Payton - Sweetness was the Bear offense for his entire career. One guy defenders didn't envy tackling, cause he gave out punishment as well as he took it.

 

4. Emmitt Smith - Gets a lot of grief because of his good line, but Smith was the main offensive star of the Cowboys' three championships in the 90's. Not the flashiest runner, he just got the job done.

 

5. Marshall Faulk - Decent with Indy, launched into superstardom when he joined the Rams in 1999 and helped them win a title. Can hurt you either carrying the ball or as a reciever out of the backfield, and a very sure TD inside the redzone.

 

6. Eric Dickerson - Combined power with deceptive speed, could bowl over defenders but also had breakaway ability.

 

7. Earl Campbell - The Tyler Rose revived football in Houston when he joined the Oilers, and his 199 yard game against Miami on a Monday Night is considered one of the best individual performances of all time.

 

8. Thurman Thomas - Like Faulk, was equally deadly as a runner and a reciever. Main star of the Bills four consecutive AFC Championship seasons.

 

9. Gale Sayers - Set the NFL on fire his rookie season with moves that even today still look awesome. Equally explosive on returns as well, he was a big-play threat from the backfield. A shame that he only got to play about four full seasons.

 

10. O.J. Simpson - I could make a cheap slasher joke, but the guy was definitely one of the best of all time and no top ten list of running backs would be complete without him.

[Guest DrTom]

Priest Holmes, who was a waste of roster space up until a year ago.

Keep in mind that Holmes did have a 1000-yard rushing season for the Ravens. He became the second back when Jamal Lewis was drafted. I wish the Ravens had tried to feature both of them; Holmes might not have left for KC in that case, and the Ravens would have had the position covered last year, when Lewis was out with the ACL tear.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

In terms of just running, Jim Brown is the best. But I'd take Payton, because he was more well rounded player. Brown didn't block, and he wasn't a good receiver.

[Guest gwf0704]

Actually I thought of Jim Brown but I never saw him play and replays show he was great, perhaps the best, but I have never seen enough of him, only by reputation. I actually caught an ESPN classic story on Gale Sayers which is why I had him on the list. Sorry to offend.....

[Guest YouDaFoo]

1. Walter Payton

 

THE BEST OVERALL RUNNINGBACK EVER! He could do it all! Run, catch, block, anything you want him to do, he will do it! Without a shadow of a doubt the best! R.I.P Sweetness

 

2. Jim Brown

 

WAY ahead of his time!

 

3. Earl Campbell

 

His accomplishments speak for himself!

 

4. Barry Sanders

 

The best pure running RB ever!

 

5. O.J. Simpson

 

The Juice was the man! Very atheltic!

 

6. Emmitt Smith

 

Good RB, but shoulda quit along time ago!

 

7. Bo Jackson

 

Very entertaining, and was the Michael Vick of his era!

 

8. Marshall Faulk

 

The best runningback right now!(Not this season tho)