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This is what happens when someone challenges you (Antone) and your girlfriend is working all night and can't go to sleep...Now, I will preface this by saying that I have used all statistical calculations and as little bias as possible (like, me hating the Dallas Cowboys would be an issue) when making this list. For argument's sake, you must've played 5 years in the league, eliminating 1-year wonders and random fluke seasons. Bonus points will be given for longevity, and records held. Note that the key stats used for this list are rushing yards per game, rushing yards per carry, and total yards from scrimmage (excluding kick and punt returns). I put about 3 hours of research into this, so be mindful that I didn't just draw names out my ass. This list is to cause a stir, but I felt that I could put together a fact-based, non-biased, statistical analysis on the best backs in the NFL. Here are the top 10, if NFL was never played again, the best ever. Here we go.....10. Marshall Faulk (Colts, Rams)- #8 All-Time in Yards Per Scrimmage/Game (108.8)
- #1 Total Scrimmage Yards in a single season (2,429)
- 2-Time NFL MVP
Faulk will forever be remembered as the "Do-It All" Back for the Rams, but don't forget the quality pro-bowl years he put up with the Colts. Per game, he got it done rushing and receiving, and the total yards per game proves it, finishing #8 all-time. Sorry if you don't like it, its the truth.9. Curtis Martin (Patriots, Jets)- #9 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (83.9)
- #10 All-time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (103.8)
- 1995 Offensive Rookie of the Year
Martin rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first 10 professional seasons, a feat previously accomplished only by Barry Sanders. He is the all-time Jets leader with 10,302 rushing yards with the team. In earlier years, he was linked romantically to singer Toni Braxton. I should put him way higher on the list just because of this.8. Edgerrin James (Colts, Cardinals)- #8 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (86.0)
- #7 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (109.7)
- 1999 Offensive Rookie of the Year
James led the league in rushing during his rookie and sophomore season. He's currently the record holder for most total yards from scrimmage per game in a regular season career. At 9,226 total yards as a Colt, James holds the Colts' team record for most career total yards rushing. Who knows what's next for Edgerrin, if he would've stayed in Indy, he might be higher on the list. However, the offense you are in doesn't dictate this list, production and numbers does. That's why your favorite #22 won't make this list. (More on this later...)7. Eric Dickerson (Colts, Rams, Falcons, Raiders)- #6 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (90.8)
- #9 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (105.5)
- 1986 Offensive Player of the Year
Fans and commentators consider him one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, known for his effortless, fluid style of running. He is the only running back in the history of the NFL who is known to have webbed feet. (WTF) Dickerson became the seventh back to gain more than 10,000 yards and the fastest ever to do so, reaching the milestone in just 91 games. This is the dude that Adrian Peterson is compared to, so he gotta be on this list. (In 10 years AD will be on here too...)6. Walter Payton (Bears)- #7 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (88.0)
- #5 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (111.9)
- 1977 Offensive Player of the Year & MVP
Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, once held the League’s record for most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, and many other categories. One of Payton's signature maneuvers was the "stutter-step," a high-stepping, irregularly paced run. He developed this as a way to distract his pursuers during long runs, saying that it startled them into thinking and gave him some advantage over players who were actually faster runners. Plus, he popularized the "stiff-arm" as he killed cats for many years with the moves.5. Clinton Portis (Broncos, Redskins)- #5 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (92.0)
- #6 All-Time in Scrimmage Yards/Game (111.1)
- 2002 Offensive Rookie of the Year
In interviews, when Portis refers to himself in the third person, he always calls himself by his last name. Portis was known for often wearing various costumes at Thursday press conferences that represent fictional characters he has developed, including personas such as "Southeast Jerome", "Coach Janky Spanky", "Bro Sweets", "Choo-Choo", "Sheriff Gonnagetcha", "Dr. Do-itch Big," "Dolemite Jenkins," and "Bud Foxx." This alone, gets him in the top 5! Plus, his consistency since leaving the Broncos has been amazing, netting over 110 yards from scrimmage/game for his career.4. Terrell Davis (Broncos)- #3 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (97.5)
- #4 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (113.9)
- `96 Offensive Player of the Year, '97 Super Bowl MVP, '98 Offensive MVP
Among the 24 modern-era Hall of Fame halfbacks and fullbacks, only Earl Campbell (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) and Eric Dickerson (6,968, 4.8 yards per carry) had more rushing yards during their first four seasons; no member of the Hall of Fame matched Davis’ first-four-season 56 rushing touchdowns. "TD" stood for more than his initials, and he was the inventor of the mile-high salute (ok, stole it from Mike Anderson) and might've been the #1 or #2 hardest player to stop on Madden. Yeah, I said it.3. LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers)- #4 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (92.6)
- #2 All-Time Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (122.5)
- 2006 Offensive Player of the Year & MVP
Holds the all-time NFL record for single season touchdowns (31). Became the only player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and receive 100 passes in a single season. LT earned his nickname as he is the model of top-level consistency. Now at the ripe old age of 29, he still ran for 1,110 yards (lowest of his career, yet also received the lowest carries of his career) and 11 TDs. Currently 14th on the all-time rushing list, is there a better all-purpose back? I dunno...2. Barry Sanders (Lions)- #2 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (99.8)
- #3 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (118.8)
- 1994 & 1997 Offensive Player of the Year
Barry Sanders' greatest season came in 1997. After a start in which he gained 53 yards on 25 carries in the first two games of the season, Sanders ran off an NFL record 14 consecutive 100 yard games, including two 200 yard performances, en route to rushing for 2,053 yards. In reaching the 2,000 yard plateau, he became the first since O. J. Simpson to rush for 2,000 yards in a span of 14 consecutive games. He was the first running back to rush for 1,500 yards in five seasons and the only one to do it four consecutive years. AND HE WENT TO OKLAHOMA STATE!! (For the crib) Mr. Razzle Dazzle would've had all the records, but he stepped away when he felt was right after 1998 season when he rushed for 1,491 yards!1. Jim Brown (Browns)- #1 All-Time in Rushing Yards/Game (104.3)
- #1 All-Time in Total Scrimmage Yards/Game (125.5)
- '57, '58, '63, and '65 NFL MVP
In 2002, he was named by The Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever. EVER. He has also made his mark as an actor and social activist, something that the majority of players in the NFL cannot claim. At Manhasset High School, Brown earned 13 letters playing football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball and running track. (WTF) Brown announced his retirement on July 14, 1966 after Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell insisted that Brown report to training camp instead of finishing his work on the movie The Dirty Dozen. He departed as the NFL record holder for both single-season (1,863 in 1963) and career rushing (12,312 yards), as well as the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126), and all-purpose yards (15,549). He was the first player ever to reach the 100-rushing-touchdowns milestone, and only a few others have done so since, despite the league's expansion to a 16-game season in 1978 (Brown's first four seasons were only 12 games, and his last five were 14 games). YET HE NEVER PLAYED PAST THE AGE OF 29...ETSF's choice for the #1 RB of all-time. Hell, maybe one of the top-5 men of all-time. (In 1988 Brown founded the Amer-I-Can Program. He currently works with bloods and crips caught up in the gang scene in Los Angeles, California and Cleveland that delivers life management skills to the patrons.)OMISSIONSJamal Lewis - 11th all-time in rushing/game (82.8)Fred Taylor - 14th all-time in rushing/game (80.5)Ricky Watters - 11th all-time in total scrimmage yards/game (103.4)Tiki Barber - 12th all-time in total scrimmage yards/game (101.5)Emmitt Smith - 13th all-time in rushing/game (81.2), 18th all-time in total scrimmage yards/game (95.5)Now, I gotta defend this because it seems absurd to leave off the all-time leading rusher. However, his 4.2 YPC average is lower than almost everyone in the top 10. Most of his great statistical numbers came by the touchdown, and LT is only 36 TDs behind while playing in HALF as many seasons. Jim Brown is 49 behind also played in less games per season and 7 less seasons. Jamal Lewis rushed for more yards in a season than Emmitt Smith, and its arguable that he's the best runningback in either Florida history (Emmitt 81.2 rushing/game, 95.5 total yards/game or Fred Taylor 80.5/game, 97.4 total yards/game) or Dallas history (Tony Dorsett 73.6 rushing/game, 94.2 total yards/game while in a two-back offense) Emmitt was a GREAT back, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, he ain't top ten.LET THE DEBATE BEGIN...-Ed.www.edthesportsfan.com
Xshot!\
MacSpeech
Comments
62 Responses to "The Real 10 Best NFL Running Back's of All-Time"OJ Simpson? Murder gets you off the list? Alledged murder. I guess thats as good a reason as there is.
Ed you know I respect you but there is no way Emmitt is not on the list...unless you think the Cowboys offense was good because of Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin. I tend to think Emmitt is better than both of them.
Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis should't even be on the list and you think they were better than Walter Payton? and Emmitt Smith?
Marshall Faulk is worse than Edgerrin James? Your kidding right?
I'd have to say O.J. and probably Tony Dorsett should be on this list as well as Emmitt over Terrell Davis(played with Elway), Edgerrin James(played with Peyton), and Clinton Portis.
You are seriously underrating Emmitt, but at the same time you should get about 100 times more traffic for leaving him off haha
either ur an idiot or you do this stuff on purpose to drum up responses. emmit smith is better than 3 of the people on that list including barry sanders. and u havent included any players from the pre-super bowl era. get ya weight up yungin.
LOL...I can see this is going to be a problem. Again, I'm gonna say it for anyone that reads this...all I looked at was stats, per game stats. Not career numbers because you never got hurt for real. Why is Emmitt Smith being in a great offense with a great offensive line any different than Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Terrell Davis? I don't think so. In fact, the opposite argument could be made, should Emmitt have done MORE in Dallas?
Again, I know I'm gonna get in trouble for saying all this, but its factual, stat-based, and non-biased. You don't have to agree, but the numbers tell the story.
Tell me this, is Cal Ripken the best shortstop of all-time? Just because you played in more games than EVERYONE doesn't make you the best. I'd say Alex Rodriguez, Honus Wagner, Barry Larkin, Robin Yount, and Derek Jeter are all better than Cal. Just my opinion.
-Ed.
As much as I dont like the Cowboys...and I REALLY dont like the Cowboys, I have to agree that Emmitt should be on this list somewhere.
That said, I agree with your top 3. I'd move Payton & Dickerson to 4 & 5, respectively, and Faulk to 6. I'd have to put Emmitt above any of the remaining 4. Possibly OJ as well.
How would you do this list in terms of "impact on the game" or "fun to watch?"
Obviously, this list was compiled by someone under 25 years old. Did Gale Sayers play five years? If so, put him on in place of James. I will also join the chorus of folks who are pointing out the egregious error you made in not having Walter Payton in the top three with Brown and Sanders. Those three are in a class by themselves.
Unless you have a moral beef, put OJ on instead of Curtis Martin. CM is a hall of fame back but not top 10 all time. I agree that he deserves bonus points for dating Toni Braxton but we can't set that precedent. That means, if a running back starts dating Rosario Dawson, he would go to #1!
JAG
Man...it's early in the morning, and the FIRST thing I see when I get in is this list. Once again, this is why, as much as stats matter, they really don't, because there is no way a few of these names have any business being on this list. You watch football just like I do, and we both know numbers can be very misleading. Okay, I don't even know where to start; lets seeee:
Edgerrin James should not be on this list, Eddie. The last time he was considered great was when he was a Colt, and that was a loooong time ago, my brother. Granted, he's a very good running back, but not the ten best of all-times. Terrell Davis??? Are you kidding me?!?! He had a nice lil stretch, nice lil piece of games he put together, but to say this man is one of the TEN BEST RUNNING BACKS OF ALL-TIME IS LUDICROUS!!! It aint true (Mike Gundy voice)! He was very good for four seasons, and then he got hurt, and was never the same. That one needs to be rescinded immediately.
Okay, what else??? Clinton Portis. *sigh* Come on now, seriously? Now you know I LOVE watching Clinton Portis play running back, but if I took a poll of ten people, who all watch football, I probably couldn't find half of them to say he's one of the ten best of all-time. I'll say this again: there's only so much that can be put into numbers. Clinton Portis is a VERY GOOD RUNNING BACK, but to say he's one of the ten best is to call him great, and as much as I love that guy, even I can't say he's great.
Where else??? *still perusing down the list* Okay, not having Emmitt Smith on here is absolutely ridiculous, and I see your argument, numbers-wise, but once again, that's why there are times you have to throw numbers aside, and watch the games! My goodness, man! If Emmitt Smith isn't on those Cowboys teams, do they still win three Super Bowls in four years? I'll answer that one, resoundingly, and say NO WAY, my brother. Since you do wanna use stats, then The Juice has to be on here somewhere. The man had over 11,000 yards and averaged darn near 5 yards a carry. That has to count for something.
Okay, I think that's all I have to say for now.
Ed,
Gotta disagree with you simply because stats do not tell the whole story. What honestly makes a great running back great (or any position for that matter) is the intangibles that a player brings. Emmitt Smith possess all the qualities of this distinct honor. January 2, 1994 when homefield advantage was on the line against the Giants, the Cowboys in the meadowlands benefitted greatly from having the greatest running back of all times in their backfield.
Smith ran 32 times for 168 yards, earning his third consecutive league rushing title in the process, and caught 10 balls for another 61 yards. Of his 229 total yards, Smith gained 78 after the injury.
“I came in with the intention of doing whatever it took to win,” said Smith. “At halftime, the injury was pretty rough. I had to make a decision. I wanted to keep playing.” (Can't remember the article I cited this from but its valid)
Oh yeah JAG,
Thanks for the Graeters bruh!!!!! Damn good ice cream..... of course that and Alabama's Fish the only good things to come out of Cincinnati.......
Again, this article is based by production on the field.
Dynomikie - OJ Simpson BARELY missed this list. He probably was #11...
Antone - You know me, it isn't do I think they are better, its how they produced on the field. Take emotion out of it. Troy, Irvin, Harper, and Novacek were damned good with a damned good o-line. Plus, The Cowboys defense was great. Edgerrin put up numbers in Indy, plus in Arizona his first 2 years he had 1150+ yards. He's still a productive back.
Cephas - i can't track people that stats don't account for. Emmitt ain't better than Fred Taylor or Tony Dorsett, so I'll stand by my article.
and1grad - that's an interesting topic, i think "most fun to watch" and "biggest impact" would be great, then I could talk about Darren Sproles, Westbrook, Brandon Jacobs, Christian Okoye, and Bo Jackson. Might have to take you up on that offer.
JAG - Gayle Sayers got some serious consideration, he is #3 all-time in yards per carry (5.0) only behind Jim Brown and Mercury Morris. Curtis Martin might've been the most slept on back in history. Consider the fact he rushed for 1,700 yards at age 31 is astonishing.
Ken - just email me, I ain't got enough room to tackle your comments lol...
People, go to pro-football-reference.com to validate or tell your own story. I didn't pull this stuff out my backside. This is based on production, take the emotion out of it, and what does the information tell you...I ain't a stathead, but they do help.
-Ed.
No OJ, no Emmitt Smith, no Tony Dorsett, no Earl Campbell, no Red Grange, no Roger Craig, no Herschel Walker (USFL stats included), no John Riggins, no Larry Csonka, no Eddie George, no Marcus Allen, no Gayle Sayers, no credibility.
It isn't unbiased if you pick and choose which stats YOU consider important. That is biased. The #1 all time leading rusher is in the top 5, let alone the top 10. Any list that ignores him is biased and useless.
Not a big Emmitt fan but he deserves to make the list somewhere... although his per game averages fall short, he was able to play at an extremely high level for a very long time.
Durability is extremely important and what he lacked on a game by game basis or on a shorter timeline him being able to last as long as he did is a huge point of note.
Emmitt should be on this list homie, you are letting bias take charge on that one. Emmitt over Curtis Martin dog.
I won't muddle in too much, however, I completely agree that Emmitt's omission is COMPLETELY WARRANTED. Emmitt's gift is longevity, which is to be admired and that's all.
I also agree that Sayers (KUUUUUUUU) should be included.
this list is completely laughable.
no simpson? allen? dorsett? campbell? sayers?
and you have terrell davis, clinton portis, and ladainian tomlinson AHEAD of walter payton?
WALTER PAYTON???
i don't care what criteria you use, any list that doesn't have jim brown, walter payton, and barry sanders as 1, 2, 3 (respectively) is a joke...
Emmitt belongs as #1 on the list of fortunate backs who played behind an incredible offensive line and with a passing attack that kept the focus off of him. Put Barry Sanders in that system and he breaks the rushing record in his third season in the league.
Ed,
I really would like to post this debate on my site as well but how can you leave out Emmitt and Sayers. Portis really? I love the dude but when you take out guys like OJ, Emmitt and Sayers I start to worry about drug abuse. (LOL).
Malik from BLITZ Magazine
WHAT!!! Are you kidding me dude? Four of your top ten running backs don't even come close. Here are my top 10:
1. Barry Sanders
2. Jim Brown
3. Walter Payton
4. Eric Dickerson
5. Marshall Faulk
6. Tony Dorsett
7. Marcus Allen
8. Jerome Bettis
9. Emmitt Smith
10. Edgerrin James
Based on the comments, it looks like we have something of a consensus.
*Move Payton into the top 3 with Sanders and Brown
*Drop Davis, Martin, James and Portis
*Add Smith, OJ, Sayers, Allen
(Portis and James may wind up being worthy, but it's hard to put them ahead of OJ, Emmit or Marcus until their careers are over and we have their full body of work to evaluate).
Hookem - Glad you enjoyed the ice cream, bruh. Make it last 'cause that's it. The Buckeyes are reloading with Pryor and we're coming back to dominate!
JAG
OKay, I just notice that Dorsett was not on the list... "What tha?"
Man, I about to think that you are on that stuff!
Good article
I agree with many of your picks...but where is the bus??
Aight... I see some names on the list that of course I don't agree with.. and I see some names that should be on the list.
OJ should be on the list..
Emmitt Should be on the list..
Ok..i almost passed out from chokin on a chicken wing when I see LT on ya list.. dayumm.. he's not that high on the list yet.
I gotta start watching game film with ya bro...haha
I came back. Someone said, if you remove Emmitt do they still win rings. I have to say yes. The D, the O line, Troy, Jay, and Michael are all still there. Em was not that integral a piece. If you replaced Em with Irvin, I would agree no rings.
I'm not an Emmitt Smith fan by any means. I'll be the first one to say Barry Sanders should have those records.
Emmitt Smith should be on this list even if it is based on stats. Emmitt's 6yrs from scrimmage stats are much better than Terrrell's (feel free to check). Most of Emmitt's stats declined during the end of his career. If Terrell played the same amount of yrs would he still be in the top ten? If Eddie George never got hurt where would he be? If you are going to do stats there should be a minimum and maximum to be fair.
The list is ok but I would drop davis, portis for sure. Dorset and OJ were both better.
Top three for me are Sanders, Brown and Peyton. Any order ya like there.
Where is Earl Campbell? He was awesome.
How can you possibly overlook Campbell, who in my opinion is the greatest ever? There is way more to greatness than stats. Campbell, the most fearsome RB I've ever seen. All due respect to Brown, Payton. No list of greatest ever is truthful without Campbell.
Curtis Martin??
Curtis MARTIN???? are you kidding me? are you from new york?
Corey Dillon was better then Curtis Martin.....zzzzzz
stats are for geeks to stare at and giggle, you want to know what makes a running back great? game changing abilities, playing through pain and adversity, style, moves, BLOCKING, catching....
you can't make a greatest running back list based on yards per game. Walter Payton was the best blocking running back in NFL history that notches him above a lot of these other players you have in here imediately.
I have never seen a greatest running backs of all time list that didn't start out with some sort of combination of Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, and Walter Payton. There is a reason for that. if your list is any different, you haven't properly researched.
another guy i have to argue about is: Emmitt Smith
he put up with 8 men in the box game after game trying to stop him, he didnt' avoid injuries... he played through them including playing with a broken hand and rushing for 130 yards. He never gave up all game, he didn't fumble, he would churn and churn and churn and win it late in the 4th quarter or in overtime with a game breaking run. Terrell Davis had a 2000 yard season, won a super bowl, destroyed his knees and retired. zzzzzz if you just want to put best system to be a running back in in the NFL, and said Denver from 1996 to 2007 then you got something going. All those good backs that played in Denver during those years were amplified by that system, notice none of them stayed around long... cuz you could stick my grandma in there and get 1000 yards (think Tatum Bell and Mike Anderson, who deh? right?)
speaking of denver running backs in that time period: Clinton Portis
what is his avg yards per carry after leaving Denver? How many touchdowns does he get? ya know, the things that win games. what did clinton Portis ever do? nothing... absolutely nothing. I'll take Robert Smith over Clinton Portis, too bad he wanted to be an MD (yes, medical doctor) instead of playing in the NFL.
half the players on your list are just running backs that are good now or just got done with good careers. I think you need to go back to the old days and watch some tape on Gale Sayers, Earl Campbell, tony Dorsett, OJ Simpson. even a newer player like Bettis would be better than the jokes you got listed here based on the pure fact that on 3rd or 4th and short he had like a 90% chance of getting a first down, ran hard his whole career and helped carry that team to a super bowl. sure his ypc is 3.9, but half his runs came on 3rd and short, 4th and short, and goal line and he isn't a big gain runner. you only need 1 yard and he got it just about every time.
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2009/08/comparing-running-performance.html
some light reading for you to do.
LT is already washed out in his career. great back, but injury plagued during the playoffs when it counted and especially now that he is 30. There is a chance you could squeeze him into this list... but not at #3
Edgerin is a great running back still playing right now in the NFL... but not all time.
where is Earl Cambpbell, Ricky Waters, Joe Perry, Thurman Thomas, Marcus Allen, Franco Harris.
and don't give me any crap about "for who? for what?" on Ricky Waters. if you don't know what i'm talking about, maybe that is why you aren't very good at making this kind of list.
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah lol, thanks for leaving a comment...please come again!
-Ed.
Nice post Ed... although if you're using those stats you're really rating the sum of RBs + OLs + Coaching Schemes + Defenses played against +.... there are many VERY significant hidden factors that affect those stats... really, it's extremely misleading on the NFL's part for stats like yards rushing or yards per carry to be attached to just the RB's name.
So... with that giant grain of salt, your list makes much more sense to me. Really, you're list is measuring several things including (but not limited to):
1) How effective was the running game (which involves MUCH more than just the RB) when a RB carried the ball?
2) How much emphasis was placed on the running game by teams that a RB played on?
3) How much emphasis was placed on the screen game and using the RB in the passing game?
Even then, things like yds/gm aren't really the best measures of a running games effectiveness... but that's another discussion in itself...
That being said, I think your ratings make perfect sense... when you understand what the stats really mean, you understand what you're valuing in this list.
If your goal is to list the top RBs by ability, or by value added... then good luck, I don't know of any stats, traditional or advanced, that have been devised to parse that much information out of even the play-by-play data we have now. Even Football Outsiders and Advanced NFL Stats can't give measures of individual quality or performance...
And so the debate continues...
BTW, good for you to have the balls to leave Emmitt off the list, lol.
in 5 years adrian peterson will be at the top of this list.
I know you used yards per game and such. But this is ridiculous seriously. Jim brown, walter and barry are the top 3. Emmit played with a powerhouse O Line and other powerhouse weapons. Only ppl that think emmit is the best are cowboy fans. Walter punished who he played against. Everyone knew walter was getting the ball and there was no other offense. He was still able to produce with his bad line. This list is aweful. You can not say of all time without looking at a whole career. Doing this for bball would already have kobe as the 2nd best ever which isnt true...
Add Tony Dorestt to the list! But I must same Roger Craig was fun to watch as was John Riggins.
That is the most retarded list I've ever seen!......which definitely has a biased feeling to it. No OJ Simpson or Emmit Smith? Comon'? This isn't a list, it's a joke!
You obviously posted this article to get some attention: it's the dumbest thing i've read in a long time. it seems like you've never watched a football game in your life, and have obviously never seen many highlights of the all time greats like Sayers and Campbell. i want to write more against your list but it's SO off the mark, i don't wanna waste my time.
you're a freakin idiot. i've watched the cowboys for 30 years and i know they're hated by so many people but dude..COME ON! The boys dont win shit without emmitt smith in the 90's. someone wrote aikman and irvin were the key. WRONG. the boys won with bernie kosar...and they won games with kelvin martin and alvin harper. they DIDN'T win without emmitt. and for all those haters who wanna say it was the O line...well i can tell you when emmitt held out in '93 the boys lost with whoever else they plugged in there... and when emmitt signed...they won the SB. this list is a DISGRACE. the guy also single handedly ( becasue he only had one arm) BEAT the ginats in '93 with a separated shoulder. here's a few things emmitt did in the league you schmuck!
EMMITT SMITH'S RESUME-
WON 4 NFL rushing titles.
won 3 Super Bowl Titles,
League MVP 1993
Super Bowl MVP Award (XXVIII)
Pro Bowl 8 times
first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons
NFL's career rushing touchdowns leader with 164.
Emmitt scored 100 career touchdowns during his first 6 NFL seasons, which was the fastest any player in league history has reached that mark
He's the first player in NFL history with 5 straight seasons of 1,400 yards rushing
Emmitt is the only player with 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons; he has the most rushing attempts in NFL history with 4142
oops..i left off a stat.
#1 NFL RUSHER OF ALL TIME
Edgerrin James? Clinton Ports? Terrell Davis?
But no Tony Dorsett? I think you have blinders on as far as Dallas Cowboys allright. Mentioning Jamal Lewis, Ricki Watters and Tiki Barber as omissions while leaving Tony as a footnote is ridiculous!
Your rankings reward players like Brown, Sanders and Davis who retired early and in their prime, it also punishes players who play in balanced offenses on good teams. A perfect example is LaDanian Tomlinson. Had he retired 2 seasons ago he would rank very high under your criteria - but the longer he plays on a team that now has a decent quarterback (and as he starts aging after only his first 7 years)his standing will continue to fall... from 2007 on, his stats in YOUR criteria - yards per carry and per game have dropped like lead boulders.
Like the last guy said you leaving off smith is the dumbest shit i've ever heard of and ed james bein above and better than marshall faulk is a serious fuck as well but in the beginning you said you would look at longevity well look at smith there he missed fewer games then all of those backs because he would play through anything no matter how bad he was hurt he would continue to carry the ball every play they asked him too and i hear alot bout he was so slow and had no moves watch film if you ever find a video of him gettin caught from behind let me know and also look at the way he made guys fall on their faces like barry sanders did curtis martin should of never been on the list not worth it u could've put sayers or bout a dozen more ppl before him and i haven seen anybody put bo jackson down did anybody check his stats might wanna do that and consider he played two sports and then reconsider your list
also do not forget that emmitt smith is number 2 among all players in yard from scrimmage and 1st among running backs you idiot
---"Now, I will preface this by saying that I have used all statistical calculations and as little bias as possible (like, me hating the Dallas Cowboys would be an issue)"
You say that, yet you exclude Emmitt from the list. It seems to me like you just DON'T like him or his success--pure personal bias. He needs to be on there, if you want to be taken seriously.
Like this guy means anything to anybody. He has a computer and no knowledge of football and that's about it.
What league have you been watching?
Im not so sure that Edgerrin James or Curtis Martin deserve to be on this list at all. Both John Riggins and Earl Campbell were both dominant running backs in their heyday.
How in the hell can Emmitt f****n Smith not even be in the top 6 or 7 at the least?? Forget the stats. Did you ever watch the man run??
Man, if being dumb was a crime you would be under a life sentence with O.J. now.
Regardless of his alledged felony record, O.J. is a top 5 running back of all time. Jimmy Brown in number 2. Emmitt is No. 3, nobody ran between the tackles like he did. Dickerson is number 4. I respect you for putting some of the guys on the list that you did, but these guys do not even play the whole season anymore. Good football players but not great.
Deserved mentionables, Marcus Allen. You need a yard, this guy had it for ya'. Great touchdown scorer, great blocker, tremendous leader on the field, he would be my Number 6 on any poll, any day.
All time best, number one hands down?
BARRY SANDERS!
This is the one guy who has injured guys. Not from tackling him, but missing him totally. I saw him one game where he was CORNERED, between two players in front, one in back of him, and the sideline no more than a yard away from him. Kind of like they had him in a circle with his back to the sideline. They never touched him as he threw some moves that look like a whole apartment of furniture was being moved. They were left sprawling on the ground as he was flying down the sideline after jukking all THREE of them. How that guy did that I will never know, but I will NEVER forget that. Then I heard he would just sit on the bench and snooze off..lol Had he stayed and played 2 or 3 more years, Emmitt Smith would have never held the NFL rushing record.
Barry Sanders, the one guy who you did not know what the hell he was going to do. AND HE DID NOT HAVE THAT GREAT OF A LINE!
This list is bogus hahaha, not even worth looking at.. the only ones he has right is jim brown and barry sanders at #1 and #2..not having Walter Peyton in the top 5 is outrageous.. James and Portis shouldnt be on this list.. your forgetting greats such as Emmit Smith and Earl Cambell.. their yards per game doesnt matter at all compared to what kind of player they were..ridiculous list.
It is obvious you don't know anything about NFL running backs.
my 10:
1) Jim Brown
2)OJ Simpson
3)Barry Sanders
4)Walter Payton
5)Marcus Allen
6)Gayle Sayers
7)Eric Dickerson
8)Earl Cambell
9)John Riggins
10)Emmit Smith
As a long time and passionate cowgirl hater (Dallas sux!!) I was thrilled to see you reach the same conclusion as I've been preaching for years regarding Mr. Dancing with the Stars, Emmitt Smith. He was absolutely not a top 10 back.
Anonymous said...
Saturday, December 12, 2009 1:22:00 AM
oops..i left off a stat.
#1 NFL RUSHER OF ALL TIME
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Yeah, well, he was still a slow, mediocre back who benefitted tremendously from having the top offensive line of his era and one of the best of any era (gagging as I type that), and a hall of fame QB and WR (gagging as I type that, too). And he most certainly did not have to deal with 8 men in the box on a regular basis. Put him on another, average team, and he's just another good RB.
Also, if you check the numbers, Clinton Portis does belong on this list. He's been on some bad teams, but he's actually put up statistically high numbers every year but his two injury seasons.
petethompson said...
Sunday, April 04, 2010 4:16:00 PM
---"Now, I will preface this by saying that I have used all statistical calculations and as little bias as possible (like, me hating the Dallas Cowboys would be an issue)"
You say that, yet you exclude Emmitt from the list. It seems to me like you just DON'T like him or his success--pure personal bias. He needs to be on there, if you want to be taken seriously.
______
Statistically, analysis of Smith's numbers show that the author of this list is correct. Plus, he had a TREMENDOUS O-line, and hall of fame QB/WR. Smith is overrated.
dude, you crazy. TD, Edgerrin and Clinton Portis in the top 10 of all time???
This list is a joke after Brown #1 Sanders #2.
I PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE!!!YOUR LIST IS BS AFTER BROWN AND SANDERS!!!
Earl Cambell #1 Greatest ever
It's so easy to manipulate numbers, and pick and chose stats to get the results you want. That's what is happening here. I agree with some of the stats used, but that is only part of the picture. The last time I checked, the objective of the game is to score touchdowns. So touchdowns per game should definitely be part of the formula. Why isn't it?? And few players were better at scoring touchdowns than Emmit Smith.
Also, it says, "Bonus points will be given for longevity, and records held." Emmit Smith played for 15 seasons and holds many records. So where are his bonus points?? Instead he is being punished for having stuck around. It would be interesting to see how the numbers change if you eliminate Smith's last 3 or 4 seasons, and especially his seasons in Arizona (he probably should have retired before he did). Why not do the same exercise for each player's 10 best seasons? Yes, the numbers definitely change.
I'm not going to say he is the all time best, but any list that does not include Emmit Smith on it, is probably manipulating numbers to keep him off. That definitely seems to be the case here.
Campbell
Allen
Smith
Sayers
Bo Jackson- the greatest athlete I ever saw
Sweetness should hold slots 1-10 in my book...
TONY DORSETT...TONY DORSETT.....ONE OF THE GREATEST RB EVER TO PLAY. AT ONLY 190LBS HE WAS THE COWBOYS NO.1 FOR WELL OVER 10YEARS. NO OTHER RB WAS EVER A FEATURE BACK AT 190LBS AND RAN FOR WELL OVER 12000 YDS. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT..GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE..TD WAS ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATEST.
How in the world can the top 3 not be Sanders, Brown, and Payton
Some of you guys really don't anything about football. Teams did regularly stack 8 men in the box against Emmitt--that happened ALL THE TIME. Also, you keep penalizing Emmitt for running behind a great offensive line--what about Barry Sanders? He ran behind two perennial pro bowler linemen in Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover. Lomas Brown will be in the Hall of Fame before any of those cowboy blockers.
Also--Earl Campbell definitely deserves to be on this list. Just watch the game tape. NOBODY ran like that.
Wow,,what a shitty list...
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