Who is the best runningback in NFL history?

Danny Diamond

Founder/Admin

Please state why you think your player is the best ever.

I personally have a hard time picking someone like Harris or OJ since I never saw them play every Sunday. I have to rely on Classic ESPN for that stuff.


I pick Barry Sanders. My reason that I picked Sanders has a lot to do with the fact that he was so good on a regularly bad team.

Here are some quick facts about Barry:
*He owns virtually every Lions. offensive rushing record conceivable (16 in all)

*enters 1998 in second-place on the NFL''''s all-time rushing list with 13,778 yards (trails all-time leader Walter Payton by 2,948 yards). He only played for 9 pro seasons. Emmitt Smith just broke the rushing record on a stud team for years and he is entering his 13th season.


Became only the third player in NFL history (O.J. Simpson with 2,003 yards in 1973, and Eric Dickerson with 2,105 yards in 1984) to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

Ended 1997 with a league-record 14 consecutive 100-yard outings.

Third-fastest player in league history to tally 10,000 career rushing yards

Has 23 career games of 150 rushing yards-or-more, which surpassed Brown''''s previous NFL record of 22.




I would also say the Walter Payton is a very close 2nd. The only reason I go with Barry though is because the Detroit Lions wouldnt have won a single game in 5 years without him. *Slightly exaggerated.


[img:post_uid0]http://hamp.hampshire.edu/~elwF94/sanders/pics/swbarry.jpg[/img:post_uid0]



Edited By Simon on Aug. 06 2003 at 22:25

Freak

Jim Brown is my clear #1 choice, he was just so incredibly talented. If he'd fully played out his career with a 16-game schedule, he would be everyone's consensus #1.

Barry Sanders would be my pick for the best [i:post_uid8]running[/i:post_uid8] back of all-time, based on how amazing a rusher he was, and how it was near-impossible to bring him down. It takes a lot for a Packer fan to love a Lion as much as I do Barry.

Finally, based on sheer all-around ability at running back, both rushing and receiving out of the backfield, I'd give the nod to Marshall Faulk. He has better hands than 90% of NFL receivers, and he's one of the better rushers the game has seen.

Dr. Giganto

1. Jim Brown - led the NFL in rushing 8 of his 9 seasons. Set the NFL career rushing record while he played. The season was only 12 games, so although Barry may have broken his record of 150-yard games, it took him more games to do so. Plus, i didnt bother to look this up, but i believe Brown has the highest yards per carry ever. but i'm not sure

2. Barry Sanders - probably the most exciting NFL player ever. made cuts and moves like nobody has ever seen before

3. Walter Payton - heart personified. played his ass off, took a beating every game, especially when he was the Bears only offensive threat, and kept coming back for more. and apparently he was one of the nicest men you could ever hope to meet. there was a reason people called him "Sweetness"

Drunksader

Sanders, hands down. Could you imagine what he would've been like if he'd played on a team with an offensive line worth spit?

I don't need to point to stats, b/c Simon did a helluva job. Good work.

Dr. Giganto

[quote:post_uid0="Simon"]Ended 1997 with a league-record 14 consecutive 100-yard outings.[/quote:post_uid0]
wow...thats f'ing incredible

Danny Diamond

Founder/Admin

Any good sports debate should be back up with stats. Its the only true way to prove your point.

Thanks Sader. ::

Freak

Screw that, you want statistics? With all due respect to Barry Sanders...

Jim Brown played 118 career games, Barry Sanders played 153 (both careers with cut short by personal decision, quite a shame).

Barry Sanders finished his career with 15269 rushing yards and 109 total TDs. Had Jim Brown (who never once missed a game to injury) played as many games as Barry, he would have finished with 15964 rushing yards and [b:post_uid8]163[/b:post_uid8] total TDs. If either had played out their career, they obviously would have the all-time rushing record.

You think Barry's 1997 season was something special? Of course it was, but if Brown had played his 1963 6.4 YPC season with a 16-game schedule, he'd have finished with 2129 rushing yards.

Danny Diamond

Founder/Admin

[quote:post_uid0="Freak"]Screw that, you want statistics? With all due respect to Barry Sanders...

Jim Brown played 118 career games, Barry Sanders played 153 (both careers with cut short by personal decision, quite a shame).

Barry Sanders finished his career with 15269 rushing yards and 109 total TDs. Had Jim Brown (who never once missed a game to injury) played as many games as Barry, he would have finished with 15964 rushing yards and [b:post_uid0]163[/b:post_uid0] total TDs. If either had played out their career, they obviously would have the all-time rushing record.

You think Barry's 1997 season was something special? Of course it was, but if Brown had played his 1963 6.4 YPC season with a 16-game schedule, he'd have finished with 2129 rushing yards.[/quote:post_uid0]
Here's the thing about your Brown debate.........'


Woulda coulda shoulda.

Point blank, he didnt accomplish those goals you spoke of because of his decision to leave the game. His loss and ours.
No one should ever project what a player would have done if if if.....there are too many variables to weigh.

Freak

Fine, by that logic Emmitt Smith is hands-down the best.

Come on Simon, everyone knows that's a lie. Jim Brown played 9 seasons and never got hurt; that's long enough for me to be allowed to use the woulda/coulda/should argument. If we were basing this thread strictly on talent, Bo Jackson would be getting tons of love.

Jim Brown is easily the best running back of all-time.