Your top 10 Running Backs of all time? NFL only (not counting what they did in college)

[edjr 5,563]

Wow, this isn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be.

 

quarterbacks and receivers are so much easier, they play so much longer and depend less on the offensive line.

 

 

 

I can't even put them in an special order.

 

here are my top 10.

 

 

In alphabetical order

 

Marcus Allen

Earl Campbell

Eric Dickerson

Marshall Faulk

Bo Jackson

Walter Payton

Adrian Peterson

Barry Sanders

Emitt Smiff

LaDainian Tomlinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KSB2424 3,083]

Locks: Brown, Payton, Emmitt, Sanders.

[edjr 5,563]

Locks: Brown

 

he retired in 1965. you've never seen him play. Stop playing pretend.

[Bier Meister 1,513]

will re-order later:

 

sanders

payton

brown

faulk

dickerson

smith

ap

lt

OJ

TD

 

honorable mention:

fred taylor

thurman thomas

 

 

smith and davis get knocked down a bit by me for their o-lines

[edjr 5,563]

will re-order later:

 

sanders

payton

brown

faulk

dickerson

smith

ap

lt

OJ

TD

 

honorable mention:

fred taylor

thurman thomas

 

 

smith and davis get knocked down a bit by me for their o-lines

 

I really didn't want to include E. Smith, but I can't put a guy I never saw play on a top 10 list

[iam90sbaby 2,125]

Barry Sanders. Now that guy could run.....backwards.

[Bier Meister 1,513]

 

I really didn't want to include E. Smith, but I can't put a guy I never saw play on a top 10 list

 

 

while i did not watch full seasons of jim brown, i have seen a decent amount of game film on him. he was just so dominant in his era... and a side note for him is that he was very dominant in lacrosse as well. so much so, that they created a rule to prevent him (and others) from doing a particular move.

[tanatastic 2,061]

he retired in 1965. you've never seen him play. Stop playing pretend.

I have always been dubious of Brown. His competition and era just don't count to me. I'd put OJ over Jim B.

[KSB2424 3,083]

I didn't see Abe Lincoln either but the books tell me a story.

[KSB2424 3,083]

Change your thread title. It says "all time". Not "since 1978"

[Big Guy 1,400]

Emmitt Smith

 

And then there are the rest of them

RESULTS MATTER

now let's hear the blah blah blahs......

[edjr 5,563]

I didn't see Abe Lincoln either but the books tell me a story.

 

this is newbie territory

[edjr 5,563]

 

 

while i did not watch full seasons of jim brown, i have seen a decent amount of game film on him. he was just so dominant in his era... and a side note for him is that he was very dominant in lacrosse as well. so much so, that they created a rule to prevent him (and others) from doing a particular move.

 

Jim Brown ran against lineman and linebackers the same size as him.

 

it's the same as Babe Ruth. his stats came at a time when he had a huge advantage

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,579]

to me LT and Marshall are the best 2 all around backs, the fact that they were the most complete backs, not only rushing but are the 2 best rec backs I have seen as well

 

factor in LT who threw 7 tds as well

[listen2me 23 1,541]

 

Jim Brown ran against lineman and linebackers the same size as him.

 

it's the same as Babe Ruth. his stats came at a time when he had a huge advantage

When they hardly passed the ball so it was basically 9 in the box you vs me. Fairly tough to run in.

 

Today RBs should be breaking off 20 yard runs like nothing with the spread and 6 DBs on the field and the scare of the passing game in today's QB friendly NFL.

 

 

Judge for the Yankees isn't good because he is bigger than everyone else.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,579]

When they hardly passed the ball so it was basically 9 in the box you vs me. Fairly tough to run in.

 

Today RBs should be breaking off 20 yard runs like nothing with the spread and 6 DBs on the field and the scare of the passing game in today's QB friendly NFL.

 

he was bigger than his entire Oline, put 9 high schoolers in the box vs any NFL rb and watch what happens.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Larry Bird would by Kyle Korver in today's NBA. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

 

he was bigger than his entire Oline, put 9 high schoolers in the box vs any NFL rb and watch what happens.

 

Lebron has size and athleticism that no one saw before when he came into the league. How much of his accomplishments should we dismiss?

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Shaq wasn't any good he was bigger than most anyone. Wonder why Shawn Bradley never bloomed into an all time great.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Bobby Jones played on greens that were as fast as a shag carpet where today most are like putting on my kitchen floor. He was not very good at golf.

[Herbivore 905]

Faulk

Brown

Sanders

Allen

Payton

Emmitt

Dickerson

LT

Campbell

OJ

[edjr 5,563]

 

 

 

Judge for the Yankees isn't good because he is bigger than everyone else.

 

excellent, solid, well thought out analogy.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,579]

 

Lebron has size and athleticism that no one saw before when he came into the league. How much of his accomplishments should we dismiss?

 

there are a lot of athletes build similar to him

 

not as complete but similar

 

put Kevin Durant in 1960 and hes the best player of all-time

[iam90sbaby 2,125]

 

there are a lot of athletes build similar to him

 

not as complete but similar

 

put Kevin Durant in 1960 and hes the best player of all-time

 

Kevin Durant wouldn't be Kevin Durant though if he had grown up in the 40s/50s people consumed less calories and there were less steroids in food. He likely would be 30 pounds lighter and 3 inches shorter or something. Trainers also weren't as good.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

 

there are a lot of athletes build similar to him

 

not as complete but similar

 

put Kevin Durant in 1960 and hes the best player of all-time

Why don't they put their biggest guy at RB these days? Whats with these new 190lb backs? Surely they won't be able to run well since the whole defense is bigger than them.

 

Lets just go back to 2000 when forming an all time great list. Why is Walter on every single list? The guys he played against we certainly not as big as they are today. Why not put Curtis Martin on there he played vs. bigger guys and has nearly the stats.

 

Where do you draw the line when dismissing a guy from a different era?

[Cruzer 1,992]

No order:

 

Brown

Emmitt

Sanders

Faulk

Payton

Dickerson

Faulk

OJ

LT

Campbell

[listen2me 23 1,541]

 

Kevin Durant wouldn't be Kevin Durant though if he had grown up in the 40s/50s people consumed less calories and there were less steroids in food. He likely would be 30 pounds lighter and 3 inches shorter or something. Trainers also weren't as good.

 

This. People act like these guys trained the same as today. No they were utter freaks for their day. If we want to go by best combine numbers and such then lets just cut everyone from before 2000. These guys today are all bigger faster stronger.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,631]

Earl Campbell

Walter Payton

Emmitt Smith

Ladanian

Marcus Allen

Tony Dorsett

Eric Dickerson

Thurman Thomas

Marshall Faulk

Terrell Davis

 

Special consideration for John Riggins.

[edjr 5,563]

 

Kevin Durant wouldn't be Kevin Durant though if he had grown up in the 40s/50s people consumed less calories and there were less steroids in food. He likely would be 30 pounds lighter and 3 inches shorter or something. Trainers also weren't as good.

 

yeah and if Durant's mother's sister had balls he'd be her mother's brother.

[iam90sbaby 2,125]

 

yeah and if Durant's mother's sister had balls he'd be her mother's brother.

 

If Durant was born back then he wouldn't be as big as he is today. Pretty simple and logical.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Jim Brown was 6'2 230 and probably ran the 40 in about the same as AP did. In an age he probably smoked a pack a day and had a beer at halftime.

 

It is unfair to Brown. Put him in today's NFL with 6 in the box and passes all over the field, and real doctors.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

Walter had a Oline in 1986 that ranges from 250-275 looking on wiki. Lets prorate his stats since today no linemen is much under 300. And routinely 315-325.

[Drizzay 645]

Brown

Smith

Payton

Faulk

Sanders

LT

OJ

Peterson

[Hardcore troubadour 12,631]

Jumbo Elliot was 300 pounds when he went to the NFL in 1988. He was considered huge. He wouldn't be Jumbo today.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,579]

 

This. People act like these guys trained the same as today. No they were utter freaks for their day. If we want to go by best combine numbers and such then lets just cut everyone from before 2000. These guys today are all bigger faster stronger.

 

but Jim Brown was that freak back then, there weren't 250 lb men as fast as him playing the game

 

I never omitted Brown from my list, he would be in the top 10 regardless

[FeelingMN 273]

Only 3 backs have 15,000 yards and 99TDs:

 

Emmitt Smith

Walter Payton

Barry Sanders

 

So they gotta be included.

 

Dickerson, Peterson, OJ, Campbell, and Jim Brown were perhaps the best pure runners out of the backfield. Give them a crease and they could take it to the house. Never went down on first contact.

 

LT and Faulk were arguably the best all around backs ever.

 

Those would be my top 10.

 

 

 

And never bench Stephen Davis.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,631]

I say no to Barry Sanders. He didn't play winning football.

[listen2me 23 1,541]

I haven't seen as much as you older guys but chalk me down for Barry Sanders. He had half the line Smith had. I don't care if he went backwards a bunch. Makes his end totals, in a cut short career, that much more amazing.

 

I think AP in his prime was pretty damn nuts. The most explosive back I ever saw.

[edjr 5,563]

I say no to Barry Sanders. He didn't play winning football.

 

Neither did Ted Williams

 

1 world series, appearance (lost) hit .200

 

what a stiff.

[Cruzer 1,992]

I say no to Barry Sanders. He didn't play winning football.

Thanks to iam90's, I now know Barry Sanders wasn't great and in fact, sucked.