[iLLmatic]

By sheer ability and the way he made it look effortless, it's Dickerson in my book. Being almost 6'4 230lbs when the average RB was much shorter and compact, I remember Ronnie Lott saying that a lot of people learned the hard way that just because Dickerson was long and lean, that didn't mean he couldn't run people over. He played in the NFC West when the Niners were kicking all kinds of azz and he gave them fits on a regular. The man with the neckroll and Rec Specs earned their respect at a time when they had a top shelf defense and were winning Super Bowls.

His biggest setback was his mouth. When he left LA and went to Indianapolis, it was the beginning of the end for him. He got his money, but left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths with his attitude, being labeled with the "bad teammate" tag and the contract disputes, and I feel that has been the main reason he isn't mentioned when the "Greatest RB" discussion comes up. Had he not left LA, I feel he could have ran for close to 20,000 yards.

After his first 6 years he had over 11,000 yards. His last 4-5 years were wasted playing behind bad offensive lines and he was hurt a lot. Eric Dickerson will always be a story of what could have been.