Best Running Back Ever

[Big Sexy]

I hope to start a series of threads with this, asking who is the best player ever at different positions in the four major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).

I'm starting with the running back position in the NFL. I am a Lions fan and you can call this a homer pick if you want, but Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time. Even with his premature retirement after 10 years in the NFL he was still number two on the all time rushing list at the time of his retirement. If he just played one more year he most likely would have broken Walter Payton's record and 3 more years would have most likely given him more then what Emmit Smith retired with.

For his career Barry averaged 5.0 yards per carry and the worst ypc average he ever had in a season was 4.3 which is still impressive. Not only that but everyone knew he was getting the ball. With the exception of the '94 season the Lions never really had much of a passing attack. An average offensive supporting cast and average defenses cost Barry the chance to really achieve much success win wise, but as an overall player and talent there was no one better at his position.

So come in here and talk about Emmit Smith, Walter Payton, Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell and make your case. Just know that whoever you pick, I will prove Barry was better.

 

[jmt225]

My favorite Running Back of all time is Ricky Williams, and he is without question the greatest Running Back in the history of college football. Unfortunately, you specifically asked about the NFL, and with that... I'd have to go with Jim Brown.

The fact of the matter is that Jim Brown completely DOMINATED the NFL during his day. The man literally could not be stopped. He broke all kinds of records that lasted for years and years, and he was even able to lead them to a couple of championship victories. That's pretty damn impressive for a running back to do.

Barry Sanders would be my 2nd choice, but what holds him back, in my opinion, was the fact he never won a championship, and also because he was a lot like Brett Favre in the sense that he took a lot of risk and while a good number of them worked out, just as many didn't and it cost the Lions deeply in plenty of games.

 

[Kayoh]

I know it's not a common choice, but if we're going purely off of what they actually did in the NFL, I can't choose anybody other than Bo Jackson. I know his career was short, but when he was in the league, he was simply unstoppable. Faster AND stronger than basically every defender he went against. He would run north-south, break a tackle or two, and then he was off to the races. It's just hard to believe anybody ever having a more dominant running style than Bo.

If we're going off of careers, though, I probably have to go with the obvious choice in Walter Payton. Barry Sanders never helped his team to win - he was great and put on a wonderful show, but the fact of the matter is he did nothing to actually help the team. Emmitt Smith had too good of a team around him to be an individual best at anything. They could've plugged in any RB at that spot and still gotten their championships. Walter Payton, though...he WAS the offense. If you stopped him, you stopped their offense. They had a great defense, sure, but you still have to score points, and that's what Walter did.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'd have to go with Jim Brown.The fact of the matter is that Jim Brown completely DOMINATED the NFL during his day. The man literally could not be stopped. He broke all kinds of records that lasted for years and years, and he was even able to lead them to a couple of championship victories. That's pretty damn impressive for a running back to do.

Jim Brown is my number 2. The reason I have him behind Barry was because when Jim Brown played defenses and players in general were a lot smaller. Nowadays 300 pound d line men are the norm, back in the late 50's and 60's linemen were only averaging about 250 pounds if that. Jim Brown himself was 6-2 230 so it was a lot easier for him to run these guys over because he was a man amongst boys so to speak. Even with that advantage Jim Brown's numbers aren't that much better then Barry's. It's a lot like what Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were able to do in the NBA in the 50's and 60's. 7 footers weren't common at all and they were able to dominate because physically they were just bigger then everyone else.

Barry Sanders would be my 2nd choice, but what holds him back, in my opinion, was the fact he never won a championship

When it comes to running backs I hate this argument. You can not show me one running back that carried his team to a championship. They either have a good supporting cast to help out on offense, or they have an amazing defense. Jim Brown had hall of fame offensive linemen throughout his career and the year he helped lead the Browns to the title he had a pro bowl qb in Frank Ryan and a hall of fame receiver in Paul Warfield.

Barry Sanders was always given a solid O line but nothing spectacular. The quarterbacks he played with were average at best and the receivers with the exception of Herman Moore were nothing special. The Lions also had average defenses throughout Barry's career. The fact that Sanders was still able to lead the pathetic Detroit Lions to 5 playoff appearances, an NFC championship game, and their ONLY playoff win since 1957 is remarkable.

he was a lot like Brett Favre in the sense that he took a lot of risk and while a good number of them worked out, just as many didn't and it cost the Lions deeply in plenty of games.

Barry had a lot of negative rushes but I wouldn't say that they cost the Lions any games. It's not like he fumbled the ball in key situations or anything. The fact is that if Barry didn't take the risks he did then the Lions weren't going to win football games. He was the offense. Any good season a quarterback had with Barry was mainly because the defenses attention was focused squarely on him.

I know it's not a common choice, but if we're going purely off of what they actually did in the NFL, I can't choose anybody other than Bo Jackson. I know his career was short, but when he was in the league, he was simply unstoppable. Faster AND stronger than basically every defender he went against. He would run north-south, break a tackle or two, and then he was off to the races. It's just hard to believe anybody ever having a more dominant running style than Bo.

I really would have liked to see what Bo Jackson could have done focusing on one sport and as a full time starter in the NFL, but injuries didn't allow that to happen.

If we're going off of careers, though, I probably have to go with the obvious choice in Walter Payton. Barry Sanders never helped his team to win - he was great and put on a wonderful show, but the fact of the matter is he did nothing to actually help the team. Emmitt Smith had too good of a team around him to be an individual best at anything. They could've plugged in any RB at that spot and still gotten their championships. Walter Payton, though...he WAS the offense. If you stopped him, you stopped their offense. They had a great defense, sure, but you still have to score points, and that's what Walter did.

Walter Payton was the offense, but the offense didn't win them games and it didn't win the Super Bowl. The defense is what made that team go and the defense is what carried them to victories. Of course it's all speculation but if you put Barry Sanders on those Bear teams in the 80's or the Cowboy teams in the 90's, it's a fairly safe bet that he would have won at least one Super Bowl.

 

[Frozentrash75]

Barry Sanders is the best running back ever and walter payton is a close second. I mean Barry Sanders could do it all he had speed, power, and elusiveness he was a dominant player from the first time he attempted a run in the NFL and you can't hold it against him that he never won a championship because when he played the lions had no quarterback play i mean Scott Mitchell was the best quarterback he had when he played and that says a lot.

If he didn't retire so early he would have so many records and if he played for a better franchise his numbers would have been crazy i mean he is so much better then that fat bloated turd Emmitt Smith.