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Who was the most talented back ever?

  • Thread starter Thread starter POP
  • Start date Start date
Lloyds legend said:
Barry Sanders.
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A good choice. I'd say Dickerson. A big back with world-class speed, moves and good power. He didn't play on many good teams either.
 
From a pure talent perspective, I don't think you can compare anyone to Barry Sanders.

That guy regularly ran against 16 defenders (5 of his own linemen getting in his way as well...) He could start 4 yards deep in his backfield, be surrounded by 4 of the wrong colored jerseys and STILL turn it into a positive run more often than not.
For years you couldn't name a QB or a Receiver on that lions team, (Ok, Scott ******* Mitchell...) But you had Barry Sanders. And the dumbass Lions were content to sit on their 7 wins a season and their ridiculously loyal fan base while Barry Sanders got them their meager win/loss ratio to keep people in the seats.

Sweetness was amazing, no arguing that. Dickerson was a ridiculous talent. I agree. Brown, well he was ultimately a man among boys. Sure he was great, but it's hard to quantify him because the league was so young and he was simply a completely different player. He was like the high-jumper who went over the bar backwards for the first time. He changed the game. Mel Blount was among the most physical corners who ever played. He changed the game, but does that make him the best corner to ever play the position? Sadly, I'd have to argue no. He was great. He revolutionized the position, changed the game, in many ways for the better. But I can't say he was the best corner to ever play the game.

Dickerson didn't last long enough, Sweetness eventually had a cast around him that helped him out. L.T. also had people around him over his career that helped take the load off so he wasn't the sole focus of the defense. Sanders never had that luxury over his career. Pretty much everyone knew that he was the sole worthwhile weapon the Lions had. So every game, every major down - The defense had to key on Sanders and know where he was, what he was doing and spy on him.

And he STILL had to walk away from the game early in order to let ******* Emmit Smith take the rushing title. I hate that. I really really hate that.
 
Most talented on their back ever? I'd have to say the gymnast I spent a weekend in Vegas with. Oh wait, I read that wrong. Nevermind.
 
CoolieMan said:
BO wishes he had been as good as Campbell, Earl would flat out knock you on your *** or beat you down the sideline
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Bo owns like 3 out of the 5 longest TD runs or something like that, and he played for like 2 seasons or something. And he wasn't easy to tackle either and had legs like jet engines.
 
wig said:
From a pure talent perspective, I don't think you can compare anyone to Barry Sanders.

That guy regularly ran against 16 defenders (5 of his own linemen getting in his way as well...) He could start 4 yards deep in his backfield, be surrounded by 4 of the wrong colored jerseys and STILL turn it into a positive run more often than not.
For years you couldn't name a QB or a Receiver on that lions team, (Ok, Scott ******* Mitchell...) But you had Barry Sanders. And the dumbass Lions were content to sit on their 7 wins a season and their ridiculously loyal fan base while Barry Sanders got them their meager win/loss ratio to keep people in the seats.

Sweetness was amazing, no arguing that. Dickerson was a ridiculous talent. I agree. Brown, well he was ultimately a man among boys. Sure he was great, but it's hard to quantify him because the league was so young and he was simply a completely different player. He was like the high-jumper who went over the bar backwards for the first time. He changed the game. Mel Blount was among the most physical corners who ever played. He changed the game, but does that make him the best corner to ever play the position? Sadly, I'd have to argue no. He was great. He revolutionized the position, changed the game, in many ways for the better. But I can't say he was the best corner to ever play the game.

Dickerson didn't last long enough, Sweetness eventually had a cast around him that helped him out. L.T. also had people around him over his career that helped take the load off so he wasn't the sole focus of the defense. Sanders never had that luxury over his career. Pretty much everyone knew that he was the sole worthwhile weapon the Lions had. So every game, every major down - The defense had to key on Sanders and know where he was, what he was doing and spy on him.

And he STILL had to walk away from the game early in order to let ******* Emmit Smith take the rushing title. I hate that. I really really hate that.
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Sanders was flat out amazing. And his teams always did stink, at virtually every position. He often did take a hand off with 3 defenders already in the backfield.

But, if I own a team, and I had my choice of any back ever, in his prime, I go with Bo. His speed to size ratio was just sick.

 
I can't believe how underrated Gale Sayers is in this discussion
 
Barry Sanders couldn't be tackled if you were playing 2 hand touch!
 
POP said:
Bo owns like 3 out of the 5 longest TD runs or something like that, and he played for like 2 seasons or something. And he wasn't easy to tackle either and had legs like jet engines.
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more like 4 seasons (I think)....bo could break away and run...but Earl could knock you down and they get outside and take it to the house...Ask that Rams LB how he liked being flattened by Earl.....bo has some highlight plays, but I would guess that Earl's per game averages were better and he had to face the Steelers defense twice a season....
 
CoolieMan said:
more like 4 seasons (I think)....bo could break away and run...but Earl could knock you down and they get outside and take it to the house...Ask that Rams LB how he liked being flattened by Earl.....bo has some highlight plays, but I would guess that Earl's per game averages were better and he had to face the Steelers defense twice a season....
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Which is why I ranked Earl as my #2, so all you are doing is basically agreeing with me, other than 1 spot up.

Yea, 4 seasons, but he played a little more than just half the games in those 4 seasons, and had only 13 carries a game and _STILL_ had TD runs of 91, 88 and 92 yard TD carries. That is insane.



http://www.nfl.com/player/bojackson/2517329/careerstats

What a freak of an athlete, and then to STAR in MLB in those same years. Loco.
 
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I assume you are talking retired players, not current.

That's hard to answer. By what they accomplished in their respective eras, or overall the best back?

Jim Brown no question for what he accomplished in his era, but I look at it as if I were going to start a team today, and Brown wouldn't even make my top 15.
Imagine if Earl Campbell went back in time and played against those slow undersized white guys lol...Barry Sanders would juke them out of their jockstraps...both would surpass Browns records imo. Even Bettis would destroy the 50's and 60's defenses.

Could Brown in his prime duplicate today what he did in the 60's? Nope.

For me its Sanders.

Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell
Payton
Bo Jackson
Marcus Allen
Marshall Faulk
Gayle Sayers
LT
Tony Dorsett
Eric Dickerson
 
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POP said:
Which is why I ranked Earl as my #2, so all you are doing is basically agreeing with me, other than 1 spot up.

Yea, 4 seasons, but he played a little more than just half the games in those 4 seasons, and had only 13 carries a game and _STILL_ had TD runs of 91, 88 and 92 yard TD carries. That is insane.



http://www.nfl.com/player/bojackson/2517329/careerstats

What a freak of an athlete, and then to STAR in MLB in those same years. Loco.
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nope bo would be farther down my list..he has some great splash plays...but did not do enough overall for me to say he was the most talented....if he had dedicated himself to the game he might have been

Sayers and Sanders are both higher than bo on my list
 
Barry Sanders. For being consistently the best in the league on a team that was a dumpster fire.
 
POP said:
Sanders was flat out amazing. And his teams always did stink, at virtually every position. He often did take a hand off with 3 defenders already in the backfield.

But, if I own a team, and I had my choice of any back ever, in his prime, I go with Bo. His speed to size ratio was just sick.

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agreed Barry was awesome to watch. but for all to short of time Bo Jackson was unbelievable a combination of Earl Campbell, Bettis and Barry.
 
MTC said:
Barry Sanders had the best jukes though. This is a hard question to answer
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See the thing is they are all (Barry Walter bo Jim etc) so close that any of them, can be argued as the best. Until you bring a known lesser, then it's not even close.........Yoiiikkkeeess



Salute the nation
 
Everything else aside, OJ should be in the top group. He was elusive like Barry, powerful in the pocket like Walter and JB, and could outrun the field. And he played for the Bills..
 
For me I'd say Barry Sanders and Walter Payton.

I never saw Jim Brown or Gayle Sayers play but I know both are right there.

A guy who IMO deserves honorable mention in this discussion is Curtis Martin. Probably one of the most elusive RB's to ever play the game and he had great vision. He's a top tier RB who has never gotten the credit he deserves as a RB.

I'd say toss Eric Dickerson in the mix but I remember he fumbled alot especially early on in his career. Marshall Faulk was a pretty amazing RB too amassing over 18,000 yds from scrimmage but he'll often be thought of more as a pass catching RB. Truth of the matter is he caught the ball so well his skills as a RB are often overlooked but he had over 12,000 yds rushing....pretty damn good IMO.
 
Chicoman said:
For me I'd say Barry Sanders and Walter Payton.

I never saw Jim Brown or Gayle Sayers play but I know both are right there.

A guy who IMO deserves honorable mention in this discussion is Curtis Martin. Probably one of the most elusive RB's to ever play the game and he had great vision. He's a top tier RB who has never gotten the credit he deserves as a RB.

I'd say toss Eric Dickerson in the mix but I remember he fumbled alot especially early on in his career. Marshall Faulk was a pretty amazing RB too amassing over 18,000 yds from scrimmage but he'll often be thought of more as a pass catching RB. Truth of the matter is he caught the ball so well his skills as a RB are often overlooked but he had over 12,000 yds rushing....pretty damn good IMO.
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Faulk was a truly great back. And the only back I see who has hands as good as his are.........................L. Bell!

Perhaps Faulk isn't higher regarded because he made it all look so easy. And there is no question he could rush the ball.
 
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