Best runningback of all time

[Jeffx]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Jim Brown, not even up for debate. I don't care how many pass him, he set the standard. One of the greatest athletes this country produced.

My top 5;

Jim Brown
OJ
Sweetness
Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Jim Brown, not even up for debate. I don't care how many pass him, he set the standard. One of the greatest athletes this country produced.

My top 5;

Jim Brown
OJ
Sweetness
Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell

thank you.

in order for a running back to pass him, in my eyes, he will need to be the consensus best running back of his era for the duration of his career, be mentioned with the all-time great football players with most of his constituents saying he is the absolute best, and will need to be the standard for which everyone that has, is and will ever play his position is held to. it goes beyond numbers, which he has, it will have to be a combination of fear, respect, admiration and astonishment that will be hard to top. when all-time greats are saying they were in awe, when players 50 years after you stop playing still speak to you for advice, approval and tips, you know you've accomplished something.

until that happens, jim brown is without a shadow of a doubt the best running back of all time.

[Jeffx]

Re: Best runningback of all time

thank you.

in order for a running back to pass him, in my eyes, he will need to be the consensus best running back of his era for the duration of his career, be mentioned with the all-time great football players with most of his constituents saying he is the absolute best, and will need to be the standard for which everyone that has, is and will ever play his position is held to. it goes beyond numbers, which he has, it will have to be a combination of fear, respect, admiration and astonishment that will be hard to top. when all-time greats are saying they were in awe, when players 50 years after you stop playing still speak to you for advice, approval and tips, you know you've accomplished something.

until that happens, jim brown is without a shadow of a doubt the best running back of all time.

Can I get an amen?

And Jim Brown put up his numbers in less games in a more physical NFL. Read what the dudes who played against him had to say - he was a man among boys.

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

One point i'd like to make in Payton's favor, since some like pointing out that Sanders had "bad teams" around him, is that when the younger crowd thinks of Payton they think of the 1985 Super Bowl team, if they ever even saw him play at all outside of NFL Films. Payton was past his prime in 1985 and his best years and most of his yardage were on some very bad Bears teams.

Not trying to diss Sanders at all and I think a legitimate argument can be made for him. But like Sanders, Payton played most of his career on bad teams.

I've tried to make that point a few times.

If people think a team with Rodney Peete, Scott Mitchell or Erik Kramer at QB combined with WR's Brett Perriman, Germaine Crowell, Herman Moore, etc, is void of talent, they should look at the Chicago Bears pre 1984..

Bob Avellini, Mike Phipps, Vince Evans the early years, Brian Baschenagel at WR, Emory Moorehead, etc. Detroit was like a All-Pro team compared to the late 70's early 80's Bears teams.

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I've tried to make that point a few times.

Bob Avellini, Mike Phipps, Vince Evans the early years, Brian Baschenagel at WR, Emory Moorehead, etc. Detroit was like a All-Pro team compared to the late 70's early 80's Bears teams.

This.....a lot. And that Oline was absolute GARBAGE.

[ZB9]

Re: Best runningback of all time

will need to be the standard for which everyone that has, is and will ever play his position is held to.

Jim Brown was a fullback btw

and it's difficult to compare players over such different eras

Brown was obviously great, but he dropped a couple of notches after he sued EA sports for their Madden game lol

[Rocky]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Just noticed that OJ Simpson had no votes and really isn't getting mentioned. If you ever get to watch any games of him from 1972 to about 1977, his speed will just amaze you. He was probably faster in his day than Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson is in today's game (and they are the two fastest RB's in the NFL).

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Jim Brown was a fullback btw

and it's difficult to compare players over such different eras

Brown was obviously great, but he dropped a couple of notches after he sued EA sports for their Madden game lol

technically, he was a fullback just because he was huge, but he was the primary ball carrier. plus, fullback is still a running back.

[ZB9]

Re: Best runningback of all time

technically, he was a fullback just because he was huge, but he was the primary ball carrier. plus, fullback is still a running back.

Yes fullback is still a running back. I was talking about your comment that he is the standard at his position even today, but his position was fullback and he played in a completely different era.

My point is that it's very difficult to compare players over such different eras. Pro football was quite a different world when Brown played obviously compared to when people like Smith and Sanders played. All we can judge pro football players on when it comes to greatness is how dominant they were in their particular eras imo.

[ZB9]

Re: Best runningback of all time

another point about Emmitt Smith...Everyone talks about how great his team was and tries to discredit him for it (which is a ridiculous criteria imo, it's funny how that is very rarely mentioned with Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, etc.)

After playing his college career in historically one of the best conferences, when Smith got to the league he played in one of the most loaded divisions in the history of the NFL. The NFC East had won 5 straight superbowls at one point in Smith's career and he went against some great Giants, Eagles, and Redskins defenses which were usually all playoff caliber. He also had to go against some all time great teams in the playoffs like the 49ers and Packers of the 90s (and Emmitt is the all time rushing and TD leader in the playoffs as well)

it goes both ways, at least it should

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Just noticed that OJ Simpson had no votes and really isn't getting mentioned. If you ever get to watch any games of him from 1972 to about 1977, his speed will just amaze you. He was probably faster in his day than Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson is in today's game (and they are the two fastest RB's in the NFL).

Agreed, as a football player Juice was unstoppable.

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

There was also a time in the late 70's where there was no more feared offensive football player than Earl Campbell. Even when Payton was playing there was a brief time when Earl was the best. You simply could not stop him.

[SteelCityChamp]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I have to vote Jim Brown. He retired in shape not hurt and on top. He was a fullback with speed, agility and power like you wouldn't believe. I know a lot of folks think Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders or Walter "Sweetness" Payton (RIP) but there is something about Jim Brown that says, "Yeah? Try to tackle me? Bring a lunch box, punk." He was a terror.

[elgreazy1]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I don't think the league has seen the Best RB of All Time just yet because there is not one end-all encompassing player to fit the need. RBs come in all shapes and sizes: big, small, fast, powerful, workhorses, receivers, returners, game changers, etc. The position doesn't have a poster child like a Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders or Lawrence Taylor: someone who define their position. For every great RB who's ever walked the field there are always deterrers who can find ways to cut holes in their game: Emmitt wasn't fast enough or had good teammates, Barry was soft at the goal line, Campbell didn't have longevity, etc. Jim Brown may be the closest but he was never a receiving threat - largely due to the sports state at the time he played - but then again, none of us ever have seen the guy play IRL so who's to say we aren't all simply going on hearsay?

[roadman]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I don't think the league has seen the Best RB of All Time just yet because there is not one end-all encompassing player to fit the need. RBs come in all shapes and sizes: big, small, fast, powerful, workhorses, receivers, returners, game changers, etc. The position doesn't have a poster child like a Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders or Lawrence Taylor: someone who define their position. For every great RB who's ever walked the field there are always deterrers who can find ways to cut holes in their game: Emmitt wasn't fast enough or had good teammates, Barry was soft at the goal line, Campbell didn't have longevity, etc. Jim Brown may be the closest but he was never a receiving threat - largely due to the sports state at the time he played - but then again, none of us ever have seen the guy play IRL so who's to say we aren't all simply going on hearsay?

The one RB you didn't select was Payton.

It's pretty difficult to pick holes in his game, like Brown.