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Who is the greatest running back of all time? (1 Viewer)

No Brainer. He has the most rushing yards in the history of the NFL...Emmitt Smith...Hands Down.

 
No Brainer. He has the most rushing yards in the history of the NFL...Emmitt Smith...Hands Down.
Emmitt was a good RB, but not close to being the best ever.If Emmitt went to the Lions and Barry went to the Cowboys..Barry might have had over 20.000 yards and people would be saying Emmitt who??That being said I still go with Jim Brown, then Barry.
 
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No Brainer. He has the most rushing yards in the history of the NFL...Emmitt Smith...Hands Down.
Emmitt was a good RB, but not close to being the best ever.If Emmitt went to the Lions and Barry went to the Cowboys..Barry might have had over 20.000 yards and people would be saying Emmitt who??That being said I still go with Jim Brown, then Barry.
Barry's probably ahead of Emmit in my book, and he was dominant statistically, but he couldn't be nearly as consistent with his style.Just thinking if I were to assemble a team, neither would be in my top 3.
 
Bo Jackson.

And for those saying Emmitt Smith, greatest career <> greatest RB.

 
No Brainer. He has the most rushing yards in the history of the NFL...Emmitt Smith...Hands Down.
Emmitt was a good RB, but not close to being the best ever.If Emmitt went to the Lions and Barry went to the Cowboys..Barry might have had over 20.000 yards and people would be saying Emmitt who??That being said I still go with Jim Brown, then Barry.
Barry's probably ahead of Emmit in my book, and he was dominant statistically, but he couldn't be nearly as consistent with his style.Just thinking if I were to assemble a team, neither would be in my top 3.
That is my point. If I were to assemble a team, Emmitt would be my guy. Imagine always having 2nd and 6 or less. It sure would make the game alot easier for everyone else because the offense now has so many options. He may not have had the pure moves of Barry, but he allowed the offense to do so many more things because of his consistency and hard nosed tough running. This debate could go on forever. I'll take Emmitt everyday and allday.
 
Jim Brown, thanks for playing.
Barry Sanders
Jim Brown was the best all-around back. Barry was the funnest RB to watch run the ball.
Unless you were rooting for the Lions.Sanders style put Detroit in MANY 2nd and 12 situations.Yeah he was great fun to watch on the highlight reel, but he hurt his team as often as he helped it.(I am sure I will be flamed for this, bring it :boxing: )
 
Emmitt Smith himself said that had Barry not retired and ran behind a better line he'd have obliterated Payton's record. So, in my lifetime, he's the best.

As far as best ever, I am not privileged to say because I wasn't around except for the last 15 years or so. Therefore, I'd say Payton, Brown, and Sanders are 1a. 1b. and 1c. because I don't know enough to say otherwise.

 
For my money and a turjerken, Barry Sanders. Sweetness a close 2nd. Bo Jackson 3rd. Jim Brown 4th. Eric Dickerson 5th. Emmitt Smith 6th.

 
For my money and a turjerken, Barry Sanders. Sweetness a close 2nd. Bo Jackson 3rd. Jim Brown 4th. Eric Dickerson 5th. Emmitt Smith 6th.
If you're going to put Bo Jackson on the list that high despite the brevity of his career, I don't see how you could exclude Earl Campbell.
 
Emmitt Smith himself said that had Barry not retired and ran behind a better line he'd have obliterated Payton's record. So, in my lifetime, he's the best. As far as best ever, I am not privileged to say because I wasn't around except for the last 15 years or so. Therefore, I'd say Payton, Brown, and Sanders are 1a. 1b. and 1c. because I don't know enough to say otherwise.
Are you 15?
 
Walter Payton. Guys want to talk about how bad Sanders had it, but he had other Pro Bowlers on offense.

Payton played without a single Pro Bowler around him on offense for the 1st decade of his career. Defenses didn't have to worry about Herman Moore and they didn't have Lomas Brown or Kevin Glover to block them - they knew with 100% certainty what was coming and were unable to stop it.

 
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Sweetness was the most complete football player to ever play the game. Not only could he have played any position on the field including passing,punting, and kicking, but he could have excelled at them.

 
Walter Payton. Guys want to talk about how bad Sanders had it, but he had other Pro Bowlers on offense.Payton played without a single Pro Bowler around him on offense for the 1st decade of his career. Defenses didn't have to worry about Herman Moore - they knew with 100% certainty what was coming and were unable to stop it.
That's why I would put him in the top two and know that he would succeed regardless of circumstances or era. He was Ladanian Tomlinson on the 2002 Chargers for a decade. The main reason why I can't put Emmitt up there is that I don't believe that he would be successful regardless of circumstances the way that guys like that are and have been. The main reason why I can't put Barry up there is that his improvisation, as fun as it was to watch, was far too hit and miss and unpredictable to build a winning NFL offense around - sometimes you just need to get 3 yards. He's the RB parallel to Randall Cunningham in that regard.
 
Jim Brown, thanks for playing.
Barry Sanders
Jim Brown was the best all-around back. Barry was the funnest RB to watch run the ball.
Unless you were rooting for the Lions.Sanders style put Detroit in MANY 2nd and 12 situations.Yeah he was great fun to watch on the highlight reel, but he hurt his team as often as he helped it.(I am sure I will be flamed for this, bring it :boxing: )
I am a Lions homer and watched practically every game Barry played. Yes, he was frustrating to watch as a fan of the Lions because of some of the situations he put the team in trying to break the long run, but he was still the funnest RB I have ever watched play. Even his zero, or one yard gains are highlight reel material. He is the only RB I have seen play that made you hold your breath everytime he touched the ball because you didn't know what would happen next.
 
Jim Brown, thanks for playing.
Barry Sanders
Jim Brown was the best all-around back. Barry was the funnest RB to watch run the ball.
Unless you were rooting for the Lions.Sanders style put Detroit in MANY 2nd and 12 situations.Yeah he was great fun to watch on the highlight reel, but he hurt his team as often as he helped it.(I am sure I will be flamed for this, bring it :boxing: )
I am a Lions homer and watched practically every game Barry played. Yes, he was frustrating to watch as a fan of the Lions because of some of the situations he put the team in trying to break the long run, but he was still the funnest RB I have ever watched play. Even his zero, or one yard gains are highlight reel material. He is the only RB I have seen play that made you hold your breath everytime he touched the ball because you didn't know what would happen next.
"funnest" [sic] is not the same as "Greatest".
 
Hmm, here's a game- pick your all-time great football teams. 10 franchises, snake draft, assume you get each player at his absolute prime.

With 1.1 I take Walter Payton.

 
Of the guys I have seen play in games as oppose to highlight reels I would have to go with Walter Payton.

 
earl campbell

you talk about doing so much with so little around you. combination of speed and power. biased though

 
If I had one game to win and could pick any RB in his prime, the best I could do is narrow it down to a top 10 list:

1 - Jim Brown

2 - Earl Campbell

3 - Eric Dickerson

4 - Tony Dorsett

5 - Bo Jackson

6 - Walter Payton

7 - Barry Sanders

8 - Gale Sayers

9 - OJ Simpson

10 - Ladanian Tomlinson

 
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Jim Brown, thanks for playing.
Without a doubt.In 9 seasons, (4 @ 12 games/year and 5 @ 14 games per year), he put up 12,312 rushing yards and 106 rushing TDs, being under 1200 yards in a year only twice. Facing defenses designed to stop him and still having a 5.2 career ypc average. His records stood seemingly forever and he still ranks 8th all time in rushing yards and 4th all time in rushing TDs. Everyone ahead of him on the lists played both more seasons and games per season. Also, he was probably the best receiver on many of those Browns teams, hauling in 262 receptions and adding another 20 receiving TDs.#2 is debateable, #1 isn't.
 
Walter all the time and anytime. The most complete RB. A true warrior with a huge heart and he never missed a game. Yeah he did not play in that one game but he was ready to go and he never quit on the Bears the way that fairy Sanders quit on the Lions....

 
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Emmitt Smith himself said that had Barry not retired and ran behind a better line he'd have obliterated
But you are then assuming that Payton always had a great OL. For many years he MADE his own yardage.
 
Walter Payton

or Jim Brown

For his time Jim Brown was the greatest RB of his era and no one else was even close.

Walter Peyton played at the same time as other great backs but he was the best in his prime.

Jim brown was the best back when he came into the NFL and the best when he left. Asked if Jim Brown could rush for 1000 yards in today's NFL John Madden replied "Yea, but remember he's over 60"

I think I would take Jim Brown.

 

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