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Your Favorite Running Back.....

thunderkyss

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
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For this excercise, let's list our favorite running back. tell us why he's your favorite, and describe his running style...

Me, right now, my favorite running back is Ricky Williams....... I know.... I know.... dudes not right in the head.... and his priorities way the f@#k out there. But when he straps that helmet on, and you give him the ball. He's tough..... He's a north south runner, with power to move mountains, and he's got enough speed that most guys won't try to catch him.

IMHO, he is a bigger, faster, stronger Eddie George..... when I think of a running back, that's what I want.... a young Eddie George, a blue collar running back.
 
LT. Size, speed, power and great hands. Total package running back that performed behind a weak o-line and on teams with little talent around him.
 
I am assuming favorite of all time?

Earl Campbell-tough tough tough no b/s runner that would punish the defender for even daring to touch him

Jim Brown-Did things with the football that was unheard of in his time and in a shorter game schedule. Pioneer of sorts. He is deffinetly the man.

Ricky Williams-Same style of runner as campbell. That is probably why he needs the dope, have you seen campbell lately? He is in constant pain and last I heard was in a wheel chair b/c of his knees.

Bettis-In his prime fast, agile, and hit you like a Mack truck.

Bo Jackson-loved watching him move. Could score at any point in time.

DD-scrappy, mobile, legs always pumping, great hands, mental toughness.

that is what i can think of right now
 
Exascor said:
LT. Size, speed, power and great hands. Total package running back that performed behind a weak o-line and on teams with little talent around him.
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I second this motion if we're talking about current RBs. He has great size, speed, power, and hands, he is probably the best allround RB in the league, Shaun Alexander may be a better pure runner, and Larry Johnson is quickly on the rise.

If you're talking all-time then you have to go with Walter Payton for the same qualities as LT and Barry Sanders as the most exciting and productive runner (3rd in total career yards, easily #1 in yards per season with over 1500 yards per year) and playing on so many bad teams where he was the only option.
 
Exascor said:
LT. Size, speed, power and great hands. Total package running back that performed behind a weak o-line and on teams with little talent around him.
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Plus, he works harder than most, if not all, players in the NFL team. He isn't good because he is a great talent, he is great because he works to be great.0
.
 
All-time

Earl Campbell- great mix of size, power and speed.

Eric Dickerson- love of fluidly he ran.

Current

Shawn Alexander- Just score TD's, don't think he gets enough credit.
 
I like Larry Johnson, and have since his days in college. I also like McGahee, and have since college.

I hate Bettis with a passion as far as a player, but respect him besides that.
 
kastofsna said:
all-time: robert smith. now: ronnie brown.
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thunderkyss said:
For this excercise, let's list our favorite running back. tell us why he's your favorite, and describe his running style...
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I think you forgot something Ms. Cleo.
 
All time would be Emmitt because I was there when he was a rookie and I know how hard he worked, how good he was and how competitive he was.

I saw Walter once and he was fantastic. Just awesome.

Now I'd have to say Tomlinson or Priest Holmes. Texas connections of course.
 
In my lifetime... Barry Sanders. He was fluid and avoid hits. He made every play spectacular. The amazing thing is that while he had quickness and startup speed, he didn't have breakaway speed. I bet he will forever hold the record for most 50+ yard runs that didn't result in a TD.

As for right now, I don't have a favorite one. I liked Marshall Faulk about 5 years ago. He could do it all. There isn't a back that stands out above the rest for me right now (LJ, LT, and Bush look like candidates though).
 
Thanks guys...... lots of good posts....

I really enjoyed the extra mile some of you went, with explaning your picks.
 
Cadillac Williams- He runs HARD every play, and has the skill set to take it to the house every time he touches it. Dude is a workhorse
 
All time Barry Sanders, Ankle breakin stops, turn on a dime and give 9 cents back. Could have had all the records but walked away in his prime. Played behind the worst line any HOF running back ever has.IMHO. Put him behind the line Emmitt Smith had and :francis:

Now LJ Kansas City, crushes tacklers and got some speed for a big man. Sure wouldnt want to be a D.B. and see that running at me.
 
im also a LT and LJ fan- and the 'top' rb's i dont like (overrated imo) are alexander and james....

but my favourite rb is Clinton Portis- much like what DD was to us last year(main offence) except better and hell can he pass-block...just shows alot of heart and has skill aswell.
 
Right now : Reggie Bush

Style : don't know. it's a mystery and mystery is good. All you know is that a storm is coming, the sheep are baaing, and the funnel clouds are forming.

Whether it turns into a full blown tornado or just night of pattering rain is anybody's guess.
 
TwinSisters said:
Right now : Reggie Bush

Style : don't know. it's a mystery and mystery is good. All you know is that a storm is coming, the sheep are baaing, and the funnel clouds are forming.

Whether it turns into a full blown tornado or just night of pattering rain is anybody's guess.
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I believe only the Virtual Reggie will be playing, on Xbox and PS, until a contract is signed in the NFL by Reggie Bush.
 
all-time ... earl for obvious reasons. with the exception of maybe jim brown, nobody ran into, over, & through defenders like the tyler wrecking ball. he never quit on a run, whether it was his first or 38th of the game, he was always looking for someone to hit, and was going to score a touchdown unless atleast 4 guys were on top of him. i could talk about earl for pages, but yall already know why we love him.

now ... bettis (he doesnt count as retired yet). finding that kind of character and high spirits is rare. seeing ward tear up talking about bettis just showed not only how much he meant to hines, but how important bettis is to football. whether he was first on the depth chart or last, in the superbowl or on a losing team, he was always working his hardest and setting an example of what a football player should be as a person, player, & teammate. his running style was a lot like earls in that defenders didnt hit bettis, bettis hit defenders. no jukes, no hesitation, just run. what most dont & wont see, is that bettis is deceptively fast. he was entirely capable of taking a sweep and outrunning linebackers to the edge, but didnt often go out of bounds until he got to run into somebody. usually though it was most fun watching "the bus" hit the pile ... it didnt matter if he hit his teammates or a defender first ... everybody was about to be moved.
 
since im a league player and love running it straight to break tackles i'd go for walter payton and jerome bettis.....especially payton who is a true running back, working hard for every yard he got (especially without an o line)
 
ALL time best has to be Jim Brown. He did what he did in 8 seasons. And those were season with only 8-12 games a year. He is still the yardstick ALL other running backs are measured by.
 
I liked the old Eddie George, where it took like 4 people to take him down, now I like LT because he can do basically anything that he is called upon to do, has good moves and a good running style.
 
Vinny said:
Right now....Larry Johnson.
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Man, I agree he is something special.
But all time.............................................I am taking Barry Sanders, not taking SBs or anything else into consideration, just from what he did while running the football, it does not get any better then Barry.
 
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All time:
Earl
Jim Brown
Emmitt
Eric Dickerson
What a group!

Today:
L.J.

And one more for the all time: It's sad to say, but, O. J. was poetry in motion. Too bad his after football life will be his legacy.
 
Back in the day, I was all about Emmitt and Barry. Those 2 RBs were both amazingly humble and were good all around guys. It also doesnt hurt that both we're badass, but I was a kid when they were RBs so its who I grew up watching.

Today, Its between Domanick because he's a Texan, LT because of the above reasons, and Portis because of how underrated this guy is. I know everyone has heard of Portis, but nobody ever gives him enough credit and he seems like a good guy (scary thought, a player other than AJ who went to the U and isnt a criminal . . . )
 
My Top Ten.... only Jim Brown at #1 is indisputable in my book. You can rank the rest of them differently without an argument from me.

1) Jim Brown... the best I've ever seen. He had that unique 'gliding' stride that was unmistakable combined with 'burst' and strength. He'd use a head, leg or shoulder fake to make a defender miss and on the next play just barrel right over the same guy. When he went down he'd get up real slow as if he might not get up at all and rip off a first down run on the next play. Cleveland linemen in Brown's day never worried about which way they were to 'push' on running plays. They usually sent the charging DL in the direction he wanted to go and Brown found the resulting hole. He's #1 despite the fact he almost never threw a block.

2) Gale Sayers... most exciting all-around player I've ever seen. Unreal moves combined with great speed. How many highlights do they have of him making 6 or 8 guys miss him completely on one play? Worth the price of a ticket by himself.

3) Barry Sanders... He had Sayers' 'moves' and them some. I think sometimes he made too many moves and would take a loss on a play when ground could have been gained. But there hasn't been many that were as much fun to watch as Sanders. He made even the crummy Lion teams worth watching.

4) Lenny Moore... A lot like Gale Sayers in style. He played a lot at flanker for the Colts back then so his numbers won't compare to some of these guys but he was an amazing talent.

5) Earl Campbell
6) Paul Hornung
7) Emmitt Smith
8) Walter Payton
9) OJ Simpson
10) U pick em: Franco Harris, Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson.

+++++++++++++++EDIT+++++++++++++++

And having reread the original post I realize I listed whom I consider the ten best rbs of all-time, not my favorite.....

...and my favorite RB is Tom Matte of the Baltimore Colts.
He sure wasn't the best of all time but he was tough, versatile and hard nosed. back in his day in the 60s I was a true blue Baltimore Colt fan and he typified that franchise. In 1965 he was forced to play QB when the Colts lost Unitas and Gary Cuozzo to injuries as the season wound down. He put the playbook on a wristband and led the Colts to an upset win over the Rams that got them into the playoffs.
 
Bob_A said:
1) Jim Brown... the best I've ever seen. He had that unique 'gliding' stride that was unmistakable combined with 'burst' and strength. He'd use a head, leg or shoulder fake to make a defender miss and on the next play just barrel right over the same guy. When he went down he'd get up real slow as if he might not get up at all and rip off a first down run on the next play. Cleveland linemen in Brown's day never worried about which way they were to 'push' on running plays. They usually sent the charging DL in the direction he wanted to go and Brown found the resulting hole. He's #1 despite the fact he almost never threw a block.
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So are you saying he is the original Denver Zone back?
 
I never got to see Walter Payton play.... I saw the '85(??) SB....... but don't remember anything but the 'fridge going over the top for that touchdown.

Same with OJ, Sayers, Jim Brown......... we'll, I've seen them on ESPN Classic, but it's not the same, as the guys I've watched as I've grown up.

Like mentioned earlier, my time was Emmitt & Barry.... those two were amazing. And set the standard pretty high.

And while I like what they do....... it's entertaining. Guys like Eddie George, Ricky Williams, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis....... those are the guys that get me excited.......... Smash mouth football, yEEaaaHH Bay...beeee..........

Domanick Davis is also a favorite of mine.... He reminds me a lot of Emmitt.... Great Power....... great vision........ good speed..... I think right now, he is the most underated Running Back in the league...... I think he is perfect for what Denver did, and would make that one cut system unstopable.

But Larry Johnson......... hasn't it only been one good year?? Didn't Vermeil have to ride his butt to get him to play?? Don't get me wrong, he had an excellent year, but a guy like that, I want to see another year at least before he makes my list.
 
All-time- Walter Payton "Sweetness" so much heart, toughness & class all wrapped up in such a small package who never quit even to the bitter end. just an awesome, awesome human being
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Today - Edgerrin James let go by the Colts & Payton Manning will single handedly impact the Cardinals in a way they had hoped Emmitt Smith would by leading the team into competitive parity while amassing hall of fame numbers
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Rudi Johnson

He will be taking the bengals back to the playoffs. very underrated nationally because of the spot light of carson and cj. He has unbelieveable power and has speed to break away. He is the reason corey dillon was expendable.
 
thunderkyss said:
I never got to see Walter Payton play.... I saw the '85(??) SB....... but don't remember anything but the 'fridge going over the top for that touchdown.

Same with OJ, Sayers, Jim Brown......... we'll, I've seen them on ESPN Classic, but it's not the same, as the guys I've watched as I've grown up.

Like mentioned earlier, my time was Emmitt & Barry.... those two were amazing. And set the standard pretty high.

And while I like what they do....... it's entertaining. Guys like Eddie George, Ricky Williams, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis....... those are the guys that get me excited.......... Smash mouth football, yEEaaaHH Bay...beeee..........

Domanick Davis is also a favorite of mine.... He reminds me a lot of Emmitt.... Great Power....... great vision........ good speed..... I think right now, he is the most underated Running Back in the league...... I think he is perfect for what Denver did, and would make that one cut system unstopable.

But Larry Johnson......... hasn't it only been one good year?? Didn't Vermeil have to ride his butt to get him to play?? Don't get me wrong, he had an excellent year, but a guy like that, I want to see another year at least before he makes my list.
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Only saw Walter once in person and he was awesome! Great player.

Dom may be a little like Emmitt but Emmitt was much more durable. Dom is always hurt and Emmitt almost never.
 
I said earlier that Barry Sanders was the best RB ever, you put that guy on a GOOD team, not great just GOOD there is NO telling what this guy could have done, he pretty much did it himself some time, I think I saw him break 11 tackles one time..........:francis:
 
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