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**Official** Top Ten RBs of All Time Series (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter GregR_2
- Start date
I could make the same argument for Gale Sayers, and to a certain extent, Earl Campbell. A lot of people place the top backs from the 60s, 70s and early 80s are on a pedastal, but when you look at the stats and watch the highlights, they're great but many compare to today's top players who have little chance of making the list. A player like Adrian Peterson has done nearly as much in his career as Campbell did, and a player like Jamaal Charles is one good season away from matching Gale Sayers. But, nobody is going to stick their neck out for AD over Campbell, and I bet nobody will stick their neck out for Charles over Sayers in 2 years. If you can put Sayers in your top 10, you can't scoff at Bo Jackson (Bo would have matched Sayers's rushing numbers if he had 2,000 more yards... and he'd have had close to 500 carries to do it). If you can eliminate Bo, you can eliminate Sayers. And, you can eliminate Campbell too, because there are at least 10 excellent RBs who put up better numbers over their career (Brown, Payton, Sanders, Smith, LT, Faulk, Dickerson, OJ, Dorsett, Marshall Faulk). I just think the older players are remembered as being more special than they were, and perhaps having more longevity.Agree with all of that, however he doesn't belong on any greatest ever list unless it's a list for potential.Bo Jackson had the best combination of power, speed and quickness that I've ever seen. He never played a complete season because he was playing baseball, and he got injured very early in his career, but he averaged 5.4 yards per carry over his short career, and I think he's the best overall rb that I've ever seen. HE can't be considered the greatest, because he had such a short career, played so few games But I think he had a superior skill set to any RB I've ever seen, and I'd rather have a peak bo jackson over a peak anyone else on that list.This is sound Logic.'RobertBobson said:
Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis and about 83 other RBs had similarly impressive starts to their careers. In Portis' first two years he carried the ball more times for more yards at a higher YPC with a ####load more TDs than Bo had for his entire career - and he did it without fumbling 20 times. No sane person would take him over an alltimer in his prime like OJ Simpson or Ladanian Tomlinson.Bo Jackson had the best combination of power, speed and quickness that I've ever seen. He never played a complete season because he was playing baseball, and he got injured very early in his career, but he averaged 5.4 yards per carry over his short career, and I think he's the best overall rb that I've ever seen. HE can't be considered the greatest, because he had such a short career, played so few games But I think he had a superior skill set to any RB I've ever seen, and I'd rather have a peak bo jackson over a peak anyone else on that list.This is sound Logic.'RobertBobson said:
RobertBobson
Footballguy
I don't know that it's fair to say that Sayers is remembered as more special than he was. At the time, he was more than special, he was unique. There had never been a running back like him, so the impact of his talent on the imagination of people was even greater than someone like Barry. Objectively, Charles might be faster, quicker, more dynamic. he's certainly doing it in a tougher era. But more special? There's no way a player now can be as special as Sayers or Brown were then, because they were such quantum leaps ahead of the rest of the league. There will never be a player that is THAT much more dominant than the league. I think the closest things we've seen to it in my life time are Randy Moss at his physical peak, Lawrence Taylor, and Deion Sanders. But even then, the gap between them and the players that came before them was much smaller than the gap between Brown and Sayers and the players that came before them.
PatsFanCT
Footballguy
I'm thinking maybe as low as #8.
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
I can't believe people still put Jim Brown #1. The order should be Barry, Payton and then Brown. Barry's production was similar to Brown's despite playing in the most difficult decade to run in judged by YPC (the 1990's), spending most of his career and offense without FBs and TEs on the field (when he finally got a standard offense he ran for 2000 yards), he never got to play with a QB that made a pro bowl or all pro team, and never got to play with another HOFer.
Jim Brown played in a era that didn't have PEDs, wasn't fully integrated, didn't attract the best athletes, and could hardly be considered professional since most players had to hold down jobs in the offseason. Not to mention, Championship teams in Brown's era got beat by college all star. The 1962 Packers with 10 HOFers and what some people consider the greatest coach ever got beat by college kids. The competition during that era was poor compared to the modern game. Brown looks dominant because he got so many more carries. Literally, the entire league, other than Packers and Browns, were RBBC. It is easy to lead the league in yards if you are taking 50-80 more carries than the *2nd* place guy. If you look at Brown's YPC each you would find that amongst the top 10 rushers each season he only led or tied in YPC 2 times. Barry led or tied 4 times.
Also, Barry not being an every down back is a myth. One of the biggest around. No RB in the history of the game took a higher percentage of his teams non-QB carries. He was the only non-QB to score a rushing TD for the Lions in 5 different seasons - no other RB comes close to this. Only Marshall Faulk caught a higher percentage of his team's RB passes. If Barry wasn't an every down back where are all the other carries, receptions, and TDs these other RBs have? The answer is simple - they don't exist. If Barry is a poor goal line RB then so is Walter Payton. Payton often had less rushing TDs than the sum of the other non-QBs on his team. If anything, Payton got his number called less on the goal line than Barry.
If anything Barry was the most misused RB the NFL has ever seen. Only a team coached by Wayne Fontes would design running plays where Barry had a guy that he had to make miss.
Jim Brown played in a era that didn't have PEDs, wasn't fully integrated, didn't attract the best athletes, and could hardly be considered professional since most players had to hold down jobs in the offseason. Not to mention, Championship teams in Brown's era got beat by college all star. The 1962 Packers with 10 HOFers and what some people consider the greatest coach ever got beat by college kids. The competition during that era was poor compared to the modern game. Brown looks dominant because he got so many more carries. Literally, the entire league, other than Packers and Browns, were RBBC. It is easy to lead the league in yards if you are taking 50-80 more carries than the *2nd* place guy. If you look at Brown's YPC each you would find that amongst the top 10 rushers each season he only led or tied in YPC 2 times. Barry led or tied 4 times.
Also, Barry not being an every down back is a myth. One of the biggest around. No RB in the history of the game took a higher percentage of his teams non-QB carries. He was the only non-QB to score a rushing TD for the Lions in 5 different seasons - no other RB comes close to this. Only Marshall Faulk caught a higher percentage of his team's RB passes. If Barry wasn't an every down back where are all the other carries, receptions, and TDs these other RBs have? The answer is simple - they don't exist. If Barry is a poor goal line RB then so is Walter Payton. Payton often had less rushing TDs than the sum of the other non-QBs on his team. If anything, Payton got his number called less on the goal line than Barry.
If anything Barry was the most misused RB the NFL has ever seen. Only a team coached by Wayne Fontes would design running plays where Barry had a guy that he had to make miss.
While I did vote Jim Brown #1 and Barry #2, I do have to say very
Brown always looked like a man among boys. I have considered that was because he played in by far the weaker division, but I have not looked into it as much as I should have. You bring up some very valid points. I may have to reconsider my #1 RB of all time.
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Agree. and now that the lockout is over and people are coming back to the forum, I would think that you would see Barry pass up Payton.
sn0mm1s
Footballguy
It is 56-56 and Sanders had significantly more 1st place votes.
SaintsInDome2006
Footballguy
Brown Payton and Sanders usually go 1.2.3 in some order in 95% of any lists anywhere.
Rounding out the Top 5 ususally gets tougher.
Rounding out the Top 5 ususally gets tougher.
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PatsFanCT
Footballguy
I know a lot of of people put stock in stats, numbers, rings, etc. I put all my stock in my eyes. I'm 45 y/o. Too young to see Jim Brown or Gale Sayers, but old enough to remember OJ, Sweetness, Dickerson, Allen, Campbell, etc, etc. as well as all the great RB's in the last three decades. Nobody, in my entire life has ever made me awe, WOW, and holy s*** myself, more than Barry Sanders. I seriously doubt I will ever see another RB like him ever again, and am still very, very pissed off that he never played out his career. Although I understand his reasoning, he really could have set himself up to be the undisputed, GOAT and made these polls all about the second best RB of all time.Barry Sanders was, without a doubt in my mind, the greatest RB that ever played the game.While I did vote Jim Brown #1 and Barry #2, I do have to say very
RobertBobson
Footballguy
If OJ wasn't a double murderer the four spot would be a lot easier, I think. Juice's on the field accomplishments get overshadowed by what a scumbag he is.
