The top 25 running backs of all time

[Vader]

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5 hours ago, Blackout said:

As dictated and decided by Blackout (aka me)

 

25 Breece Hall 

24 Frank Gore 

23 Terrell Davis 

22 Priest Holmes 

21 Larry Csonka

20 Jerome Bettis

19 Franco Harris

18 Shaun Alexander

17 Gale Sayers

16 Bronko Nagurski

15 Marcus Allen 

14 Earl Campbell

13 John Riggins

12 Steve Van Buren 

11 Red Grange

10 Marshall Faulk

9 Adrian Peterson 

8 Curtis Martin

7 OJ Simpson 

6 Emmitt Smith

5 Walter Payton

4 Barry Sanders 

3 Ladanian Tomlinson 

2 Eric Dickerson

1 Jim Brown 

 

I think this list is very accurate.  What do you guys think?

breece hall but not saquon barkley. such a homer call.

[Maynard13]

How is Gale Sayers not top 10? Forget yards, TD's and all the bull stats. Sayers was a phenom and way way way ahead of his time.  

[Hal N of Provo]

1 hour ago, genot said:

O.J Simpson ran on ice at the old Rich Stadium. If he played on astroturf he would have rushed for 2000 yards every year. Definitely in the top 5 of all time. Certainly not behind Emmitt Smith. Are you kidding me.

Emmit Smith was very durable.   And ran behind an amazing OLine.   And he’s really good but way over rated IMO.  

[Dunnie]

11 hours ago, Adoni Beast said:

1. Jim Brown

2. Walter Payton

3. Barry Sanders

***Everyone below is after a significant gap from the top 3***

4. LaDainian Tomlinson

5. Eric Dickerson

6. OJ Simpson

7. Gale Sayers

8. Earl Campbell

9. Emmitt Smith

10. Tony Dorsett

11. Marshall Faulk

12. Marcus Allen

13. Thurman Thomas

14. Franco Harris

15. Adrian Peterson

16. Terrell Davis

17. Curtis Martin

18.  Bo Jackson ***would be the only rival to Jim Brown if he didn’t have that injury. Would be much higher with more years played***

19. Larry Csonka

20. John Riggins

21. Roger Craig (all-time underrated player)

22. Jerome Bettis (can’t stand him at all)

23. Shaun Alexander

24. Jim Taylor

25. Marshawn Lynch

 

 

Did you ever watch sweetness ...always thought he was right there with Brown.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Dunnie

[OilfieldJet]

No Marion Motley?

[OilfieldJet]

In any case it’s so hard to normalize these guys for the many variables that contribute to performance, field type, OL, passing game,  rules, etc. I almost think the eye test may be the best judge.

[Dunnie]

Eye test list. Everyone else is far far far behind.

1. Sanders
2. Brown
3. Dickerson
4. Payton
5. Campbell
6. Sayers
7. OJ
8. E Smith
9. Martin
10. M Allen
11. T Thomas
12. Faulk
13. Peterson
14. L Tomlinson

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Dunnie

[HessStation]

Imagine anyone would think Eric Dickerson or LT was better than Barry ******* Sanders. 

[HessStation]

The only thing better than watching Barry Sanders in the NFL was watching Barry Sanders in college bc that was like watching your dad on steroids play Pop Warner 

[Adoni Beast]

1 hour ago, Dunnie said:

Did you ever watch sweetness ...always thought he was right there with Brown.

Yeah Jim Brown, Sweetness, and Sanders are the elite upper echelon over the rest.

Shame about Bo…I think he would have been an equal or surpassed Jim Brown.

[Dunnie]

18 minutes ago, HessStation said:

Imagine anyone would think Eric Dickerson or LT was better than Barry ******* Sanders. 

I think Dickerson does not get enough love ... that guy was as dominant as they come ... but yeah ,... no Barry.

I remember watching Barry disconnect his lower body from his upper body, his shoulders doing a 720 one way while his ankles rotating the 360 the other way, removing his own head 2 feet to the left to break the ankles of an entire LB corp. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Dunnie

[HessStation]

1 minute ago, Dunnie said:

I think Dickerson does not get enough love ... that guys was as dominant as they come ... but yeah ,... no Barry.

Agreed. 

[HessStation]

I’m too young for Jim Brown but besides Bo Jackson who only isn’t #1 bc of injury, Barry Sanders is the greatest running back I’ve ever seen. And the one thing Sanders doesn’t get enough credit for was his speed. They were able to box him in, in the NFL bc the Lions were the grossest, sh*ttiest team in NFL history the ENTIRE time Sanders played for them. It was an NFL crime

[Larz]

9 hours ago, 32EBoozer said:

Is that Becton in High School?

Marion Motley. Still holds the record for YPA at 5.7 and also played linebacker. 

[GKnight83]

12 hours ago, chirorob said:

Walter did it for years on a crappy teams as well.   The Bears were only good his last few seasons.

I agree.  That is why I said that.  I should have been more clear.

[Long Island Leprechaun]

24 minutes ago, HessStation said:

I’m too young for Jim Brown but besides Bo Jackson who only isn’t #1 bc of injury, Barry Sanders is the greatest running back I’ve ever seen. And the one thing Sanders doesn’t get enough credit for was his speed. They were able to box him in, in the NFL bc the Lions were the grossest, sh*ttiest team in NFL history the ENTIRE time Sanders played for them. It was an NFL crime

Ugh. The Bo Jackson "what he might have been" groupies annoy me. What did he actually do? Played five seasons with a bad hip and produced not one 1000 yard season. Scored less than five TD's. 

Re Sanders, also some mythology. The Lions were a .500 or better team in five of his ten seasons there. They were 12-4 in 1991. Detroit was like a yoyo in those years, but overall were pretty average. 

[Lith]

One of the that is always interesting about this discussion is do you value the guy that was dominant over a short period of time vs the guy that was really good over a long period.  I never saw Jim Brown play, but over a 9-year career, he led the league in rushing 8 times.  I can't imagine we will ever see a stretch like that again.  As far as the guys I am old enough to have seen play, Sanders and Payton stand out as guys dominant over a decade, and they did it on some pretty bad teams.  Campbell and Simpson are the two most dominant I have seen over shorter 5-6 year stretches.

That is my top 5, in no particular order.  Brown, Sanders, Payton, Campbell and Simpson.

 

[HessStation]

23 minutes ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Ugh. The Bo Jackson "what he might have been" groupies annoy me. What did he actually do? Played five seasons with a bad hip and produced not one 1000 yard season. Scored less than five TD's. 

Re Sanders, also some mythology. The Lions were a .500 or better team in five of his ten seasons there. They were 12-4 in 1991. Detroit was like a yoyo in those years, but overall were pretty average. 

You lose, go back to start, wear your glasses this time. 

[rangerous]

13 hours ago, CSNY said:

Earl Campbell should be no lower than 5. Man was he good!!!  

He carried those oiler teams.  I would rank

1. Jim brown, dominated the sport

2. Barry sanders, pure magic when carrying the ball

3. OJ, okay so he’s a murderer.

4. earl campbell. Carried those oiler teams

5. Adrian Peterson. Carried those Viking teams

breece hall? He needs a few more pelts in his belt before he breaks into any list.

 

[Bugg]

14 hours ago, CSNY said:

Earl Campbell should be no lower than 5. Man was he good!!!  

Bum Phillips barely had a playbook other than hand off to Earl and have him run over defenders. Knew he was coming and still was very successful; spare a horrible call in a playoff game vs. the Steelers that was the impetus for replay, might have gone to a Super Bowl. 

[Bugg]

1 hour ago, HessStation said:

The only thing better than watching Barry Sanders in the NFL was watching Barry Sanders in college bc that was like watching your dad on steroids play Pop Warner 

Was pretty much an uncontested Heisman, like in September, just hand Barry the trophy and let's not have any ceremony. 

[HessStation]

8 minutes ago, Bugg said:

Was pretty much an uncontested Heisman, like in September, just hand Barry the trophy and let's not have any ceremony. 

Anytime OSU was on my dad would tell me and we’d watch him and it was the most incredible experiences of me watching football ever. 
 

the next thing even close was Lawrence Phillips at Neb, Faulk at SDS, Bush at USC, Fitzgerald at Pitt, Rocket at ND, Howard at Mich, and Charlie Rogers at MSU.

 

Charlie Ward is the best college QB I’ve ever seen. 

[Long Island Leprechaun]

2 hours ago, HessStation said:

You lose, go back to start, wear your glasses this time. 

The stats are simply not there to include Jackson in any list with HOFers. He had enormous potential and explosiveness, but his actual production was mediocre and brief. Just doesn't belong in any discussion like this at all.

And you're wrong about the Lions as well. Not my fault.

[nycdan]

14 hours ago, Blackout said:

 

Who in my top 13 are you placing below Campbell?

 

 

Breece may be a premature selection when I could have put Tony Dorsett or Derrick Henry there but I stand confident in my list 

Everyone but Jim Brown.  Brown, himself told Earl's niece at one point "there was me, Earl, and then everyone else".  If you didn't see him play, really see him play, you can't know how dominant he was.  Some guys ran around people.  Some guys ran over people.  Very few guys did both equally well.  Pretty much nobody did them both better than Earl.  His first three seasons he was an absolute cheat code.  

If I could have any one of these guys in his prime for the Jets right now, it's Earl.  No question.

[Long Island Leprechaun]

30 minutes ago, nycdan said:

Everyone but Jim Brown.  Brown, himself told Earl's niece at one point "there was me, Earl, and then everyone else".  If you didn't see him play, really see him play, you can't know how dominant he was.  Some guys ran around people.  Some guys ran over people.  Very few guys did both equally well.  Pretty much nobody did them both better than Earl.  His first three seasons he was an absolute cheat code.  

If I could have any one of these guys in his prime for the Jets right now, it's Earl.  No question.

I agree he was a freight train with speed. Terrific back. But I'd rather have Jim Brown. He was more durable overall. 

[FootballLove]

14 hours ago, undertow said:

Jim Brown supposedly the best lacrosse player also....can not confirm. lol

Well, he went to Syracuse in the middle of Ingun country (still to this day), so ya, he was good at lacrosse, as is any athlete who spends time in Syracuse (except Boeheim's Army, of course)

[HessStation]

3 hours ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

The stats are simply not there to include Jackson in any list with HOFers. He had enormous potential and explosiveness, but his actual production was mediocre and brief. Just doesn't belong in any discussion like this at all.

And you're wrong about the Lions as well. Not my fault.

The Lions roster was garbage every year Sanders was there. He was the team. He was that good. 
 

Bo Jackson played half seasons jumping on a plane after baseball on a roster with  HOF Marcus Allen. 5.4 ypc 

[nycdan]

4 hours ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

I agree he was a freight train with speed. Terrific back. But I'd rather have Jim Brown. He was more durable overall. 

Fair.  Probably right.  I believe that if Earl didn't get hurt (F-U Bum Phillips) he would have been 1a/1b with Jim Brown for GOAT but either way, you get a monster.

[Sperm Edwards]

1 hour ago, HessStation said:

The Lions roster was garbage every year Sanders was there. He was the team. He was that good. 
 

Bo Jackson played half seasons jumping on a plane after baseball on a roster with  HOF Marcus Allen. 5.4 ypc 

Not to take away from Sanders, who was just incredible, but the idea that for a decade the Lions suited up Sanders + 40 stiffs is just not correct.

The first half of his career he had a stud LT and C, plus plenty others who were at least solid NFL starters at other positions on the line.

Herman Moore was on that offense most of Sanders's career. The middle 7 yrs of it Moore was an 80 yard/game WR with solid #2 from Perriman to Morton (for a bit had all 3 of them). One year their WR trio was pushing 4000 yards just among the 3 of them.

I wouldn't match their offense up with the Warner Rams, but they had some players other than Sanders.

[nycdan]

2 hours ago, HessStation said:

The Lions roster was garbage every year Sanders was there. He was the team. He was that good. 
 

Bo Jackson played half seasons jumping on a plane after baseball on a roster with  HOF Marcus Allen. 5.4 ypc 

Not quite.  They had a fantastic WR named Herman Moore for a few of those years.  But that was the extent of it.

[jetstream23]

23 hours ago, Blackout said:

As dictated and decided by Blackout (aka me)

 

25 Breece Hall 

24 Frank Gore 

23 Terrell Davis 

22 Priest Holmes 

21 Larry Csonka

20 Jerome Bettis

19 Franco Harris

18 Shaun Alexander

17 Gale Sayers

16 Bronko Nagurski

15 Marcus Allen 

14 Earl Campbell

13 John Riggins

12 Steve Van Buren 

11 Red Grange

10 Marshall Faulk

9 Adrian Peterson 

8 Curtis Martin

7 OJ Simpson 

6 Emmitt Smith

5 Walter Payton

4 Barry Sanders 

3 Ladanian Tomlinson 

2 Eric Dickerson

1 Jim Brown 

 

I think this list is very accurate.  What do you guys think?

I'm a huge Curtis Martin fan but there would be a reasonable debate about whether he's in the Top 20.  He probably is, but not by a whole lot.  He's not #8 though. lol

 

[Joe Willie White Shoes]

4 hours ago, FootballLove said:

Well, he went to Syracuse in the middle of Ingun country (still to this day), so ya, he was good at lacrosse, as is any athlete who spends time in Syracuse (except Boeheim's Army, of course)

Hey General Custer, your post is both ignorant and offensive.   Jim Brown played lacrosse for Manhasset high school on LI (a lax hotbed ).  Nothing to do with the Onondaga Native Americans in the SU area. 

[More Cowbell]

On 2/4/2023 at 6:57 PM, Blackout said:

As dictated and decided by Blackout (aka me)

 

25 Breece Hall 

24 Frank Gore 

23 Terrell Davis 

22 Priest Holmes 

21 Larry Csonka

20 Jerome Bettis

19 Franco Harris

18 Shaun Alexander

17 Gale Sayers

16 Bronko Nagurski

15 Marcus Allen 

14 Earl Campbell

13 John Riggins

12 Steve Van Buren 

11 Red Grange

10 Marshall Faulk

9 Adrian Peterson 

8 Curtis Martin

7 OJ Simpson 

6 Emmitt Smith

5 Walter Payton

4 Barry Sanders 

3 Ladanian Tomlinson 

2 Eric Dickerson

1 Jim Brown 

 

I think this list is very accurate.  What do you guys think?

Ok, seriously,  you have Breece Hall on this list and not Ricky Watters, Christian Okoye, or Thurman Thomas? 

[68JET11]

On 2/4/2023 at 10:30 PM, RutgersJetFan said:

Putting Jim Brown at 1 is only done because really old guys with saggy balls say we have to do it.

That's cause us saggy ball guys, know what football was really like back then, when the game was played by men, not whiney boys... lol...

[RutgersJetFan]

33 minutes ago, 68JET11 said:

That's cause us saggy ball guys, know what football was really like back then, when the game was played by men, not whiney boys... lol...

what was life like during the civil war