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Top 10 Elusive Runners of All Time (1 Viewer)

TheLastDispatch

TheLastDispatch

Footballguy
Sorry if there's already a thread on this. I looked back a few pages but didn't see anything.

NFL Network came out with a list of the top 10 most elusive runners of all time. Here's the list

10. Willie Galimore

9. Dickie Post

8. Joe Washington

7. Randall Cunningham

6. Red Grange

5. Bobby Mitchell

4. Hugh McElhenny

3. Marshall Faulk

2. Gale Sayers

1. Barry Sanders

Honorable Mention: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick

Edit to fix name. Thanks Lefty27.

 
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Randall C'ham? You must be kidding....every decent RB who ever played was more "elusive". How do they define that?

 
TheLastDispatch said:
Sorry if there's already a thread on this. I looked back a few pages but didn't see anything.

NFL Network came out with a list of the top 10 most elusive runners of all time. Here's the list

10. Willie Gilmore

9. Dickie Post

8. Joe Washington

7. Randall Cunningham

6. Red Grange

5. Bobby Mitchell

4. Hugh McElhenny

3. Marshall Faulk

2. Gale Sayers

1. Barry Sanders

Honorable Mention: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick
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Now I'm not denying that they've been impressive, but let's wait for more than one season before considering them being some of the most elusive runners of all time.
 
Actually, #10 is Willie Galimore, former Bear great of the late '50's and early '60's. Also known as Willie the Wisp; FYI.

 
Wow... so on all of those 552 yards, Vince Young earns top 20 honors? They couldn't think of a handful of other RBs in the history of the NFL? Hell, Fran Tarkenton's body of work had more elusive plays than Vince Young's. Ugh.

 
Metzger said:
TheLastDispatch said:
Sorry if there's already a thread on this. I looked back a few pages but didn't see anything.

NFL Network came out with a list of the top 10 most elusive runners of all time. Here's the list

10. Willie Gilmore

9. Dickie Post

8. Joe Washington

7. Randall Cunningham

6. Red Grange

5. Bobby Mitchell

4. Hugh McElhenny

3. Marshall Faulk

2. Gale Sayers

1. Barry Sanders

Honorable Mention: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick
Click to expand...
Now I'm not denying that they've been impressive, but let's wait for more than one season before considering them being some of the most elusive runners of all time.
Click to expand...
And in Young's case, we need a few more games even to get to one season.
 
I remember seeing an ad for this show on NFLN, and I thought, "How un-suspenseful." There is no doubt as to who is #1, by a solid margin... However, now that I see the list, I'm really glad I didn't make a point to watch. The notable-mentions are obviously a bit questionable, but all those old timers in the top 10? Come on... It goes without say that if you put any of them in the backfield, in their prime, against today's defenses, guys like Ray Lewis would light them up. You can talk about them being gifted with respect to their era, but they can't compare to the backups of today's players.

Anyway, Barry is undoubtedly the far-and-away #1 on this board with a few others worthy of mention, but guys like MJD, and Darren Sproles are FAR more elusive than most of this list.

 
gump said:
Randall C'ham? You must be kidding....every decent RB who ever played was more "elusive". How do they define that?
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It's probably the fact that some of the greatest defenders ever were on the Bears and Giants (and Skins?) teams he played and juking LT is a little extra special than juking an "ordinary" linebacker.I don't disagree with him being elusive, maybe even tops for QBs, but I'm not sure when compared with RBs.Personally, I loved watching Dante Hall whenever I could when he would get the chance to shake N bake. IMO he gets on the honorable mention category. He didn't play in enough plays where it was warranted, to be in any top 10 but his moves were so sweet so "oh my" that he's gotta be mentioned somehow.
 
Sanders and Sayers were ridiculously elusive and two of the greatest ever, but one guy that I thought would be great as a pro was Billy Sims. He could turn nothing into something on nearly every play, and I thought he'd do better in the NFL.

I would have put Marcus Allen on that list over either Randall or Vince Young. In fact, Tarkenton was the most exciting, elusive running QB I've ever seen.

 
evilempire said:
Sanders and Sayers were ridiculously elusive and two of the greatest ever, but one guy that I thought would be great as a pro was Billy Sims. He could turn nothing into something on nearly every play, and I thought he'd do better in the NFL.I would have put Marcus Allen on that list over either Randall or Vince Young. In fact, Tarkenton was the most exciting, elusive running QB I've ever seen.
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:loco: :yes: :hifive:
 
Brian Westbrook would make my list.

Cunningham is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game. Vick is much more elusive if you had to pick a token QB.

Reggie Bush will be on this list one day.

 
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Grigs Allmoon said:
I remember seeing an ad for this show on NFLN, and I thought, "How un-suspenseful." There is no doubt as to who is #1, by a solid margin... However, now that I see the list, I'm really glad I didn't make a point to watch. The notable-mentions are obviously a bit questionable, but all those old timers in the top 10? Come on... It goes without say that if you put any of them in the backfield, in their prime, against today's defenses, guys like Ray Lewis would light them up. You can talk about them being gifted with respect to their era, but they can't compare to the backups of today's players.Anyway, Barry is undoubtedly the far-and-away #1 on this board with a few others worthy of mention, but guys like MJD, and Darren Sproles are FAR more elusive than most of this list.
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If you watched it you'd see that they were very interested in incorporating players from several eras. So take the "Top 10" with a grain of salt, it's not definitive. Watching some of those old timers play was great to see and I didn't mind not having all modern era guys on the list. I agree with others that Cunningham shouldn't have been the token QB, Tarkenton or Vick would fit in much nicer. But the whole thing was fun to watch. I've seen a million clips of players in the 90s and 00s, but seeing 70s and earlier guys scampering around was good entertainment. Can't take it that seriously guys.
 
John Elway has many highlights ducking and dodging during a game. He was dodging fat a.. lineman but it was elusive and fun to watch.

 
When I think of elusive, I think of that play Dante Hall had against the Broncos when he juked like 3-4 guys on the sideline and ran for a TD. That was more than elusive, as he practically had a 6th sense for a defender coming from his blind spot and he just shuffled backwards and made the guy miss.

That play was so sick.

Also, Charlie Garner was pretty elusive too.

 
KnowledgeReignsSupreme said:
When I think of elusive, I think of that play Dante Hall had against the Broncos when he juked like 3-4 guys on the sideline and ran for a TD. That was more than elusive, as he practically had a 6th sense for a defender coming from his blind spot and he just shuffled backwards and made the guy miss.That play was so sick.Also, Charlie Garner was pretty elusive too.
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I was going to say Hall as well.
 
How about Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett?

Both are credited with having great vision and being able to avoid big, direct hits...therefore prolonging careers and piling up numbers.

Is that not elusive?

 
Greg Pruit, unquestionably one of the most elusive runners of All Time. Tear away jerseys were outlawed after what he and Terry Metcalf did with them to make defenders look foolish. Metcalf had the tear away his entire career but Greg played the last few years of his career without the tear away and still was amazing.

 
LHUCKS said:
Brian Westbrook would make my list.

Cunningham is one of the most overrated players in the history of the game. Vick is much more elusive if you had to pick a token QB.

Reggie Bush will be on this list one day.
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Let's see.......close to or over 4000 combined yards in how many seasons.....over 900 rush yds in a season as well....overrated? how about setting the standard for the Vicks, Vinces, to be respected for their play-making abilitiesYr Tm Gms Comp Att Pct Yds Yds/Att Td Int Rush Yds TD

1987 phi | 12 | 223 406 54.9 2786 6.9 23 12 | 76 505 3 |

| 1988 phi | 16 | 301 560 53.8 3808 6.8 24 16 | 93 624 6 |

| 1989 phi | 16 | 290 532 54.5 3400 6.4 21 15 | 104 621 4 |

| 1990 phi | 16 | 271 465 58.3 3466 7.5 30 13 | 118 942 5 |

1998 min | 16 | 259 425 60.9 3704 8.7 34 10 | 32 132 1

 
Honorable Mention: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick
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The mentions were to showcase popular current players. I did not get the impression that Young/McNabb/Vick/others were top 20, only that there were being compared to Cunningham and company. Those who witnessed him will mostly agree that Cunningham was oh-so exciting. Certainly, he deserved this respect, as does Joe Washington.
 
Randall Cummingham is more elusive than LT2? What a joke this list is. LT2's ability to move laterally is every bit as good as Faulk's was.

 
TheLastDispatch said:
Honorable Mention: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael VickEdit to fix name. Thanks Lefty27.
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If you give honorable mention to Vince Young, Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick you need to include Kordell Stewart. He wasn't mush of a passer but Stewart was one heck of an elusive runner. I believe he may still hold the record for longest TD run by a QB.
 
Grigs Allmoon said:
I remember seeing an ad for this show on NFLN, and I thought, "How un-suspenseful." There is no doubt as to who is #1, by a solid margin... However, now that I see the list, I'm really glad I didn't make a point to watch. The notable-mentions are obviously a bit questionable, but all those old timers in the top 10? Come on... It goes without say that if you put any of them in the backfield, in their prime, against today's defenses, guys like Ray Lewis would light them up. You can talk about them being gifted with respect to their era, but they can't compare to the backups of today's players.

Anyway, Barry is undoubtedly the far-and-away #1 on this board with a few others worthy of mention, but guys like MJD, and Darren Sproles are FAR more elusive than most of this list.
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how do you figure? :excited:
 
I think O.J. Simpson ought to be on here. Of course he probably would have been had the list been created before June 12, 1994.

 
On The Rocks said:
Who makes a list of the Top 10 most elusive runners of all time and leaves off the names of OJ Simpson and Tony Dorsett? :ptts:
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:shrug: Let me add that Eric Dickerson doesn't get the credit he deserves for being elusive because he did it with such minimal effort - a dip of the shoulders here, a quick stutter-step there, a slight hop at the right moment. He didn't break people's ankles or make them look like they just dropped their jaws and their jocks the way Barry did, but he was still hard to get a handle on.
 
How in the hell is Cunningham on there and not Vick? The things Vick has done in the few years he has been in the league CRUSH anything Cunningham may have done to be considered elusive. And this is coming from a guy who is an open Vick hater. I also disagree with LT not being on here

 
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ThePittbully said:
How in the hell is Cunningham on there and not Vick? The things Vick has done in the few years he has been in the league CRUSH anything Cunningham may have done to be considered elusive. And this is coming from a guy who is an open Vick hater. I also disagree with LT not being on here
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To Cunningham's credit, he looks pretty elusive here.But Vick looks a little more elusive.

 
Anything that puts two rookies in its "best of all time" list is going to have a tough time with credibility.

 
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