Exactly. You got people saying "He just stayed healthy and did his job" Isn't that what a football player is supposed to do?

Even worse, they treat Gore like he was some mediocre 3 yards and a cloud of dust guy. Nothing could be further from the truth. He had great burst between the tackles, good lateral movement, and is fantastic after contact.

Not to mention UT keeps harping about yards per game, but that in many ways is a compiler stat.   It's highly dependent on how many rushing attempts you get, which is NOT in the running back's control

Apr 24, 2020 9:49:48 GMT thereallt said:

Exactly. You got people saying "He just stayed healthy and did his job" Isn't that what a football player is supposed to do?

Even worse, they treat Gore like he was some mediocre 3 yards and a cloud of dust guy. Nothing could be further from the truth. He had great burst between the tackles, good lateral movement, and is fantastic after contact.

Not to mention UT keeps harping about yards per game, but that in many ways is a compiler stat.   It's highly dependent on how many rushing attempts you get, which is NOT in the running back's control

Except Gore played in run heavy teams for almost his entire career.

I'm on team thereallt, and @admin on this one.

You guys are not respecting what Frank Gore has done. Whether you put him on your list or not, his longevity and career yards speak volumes of the player and person he is.

I never disrespected him , actually applauded his longevity and entire career. Just don't think he's the 10th best back of all time.

9. Earl Campbell 

Career Span 

1978 - 1985 

Career Games 

115 

Career Yards 

9407

Career Touchdowns 

74 

Career YPC 

4.3 

Career Accolades 

- 5x Pro Bowl Selection 

- 3x First Team All Pro 

- 1979 NFL MVP 

- 3x NFL Offensive Player of the Year 

- 1978 NFL Rookie of the Year 

- 3x NFL Rushing Yards Leader 

- 2x NFL Rushing Touchdowns Leader 

- #34 Retired by Houston/Tennessee 

- 1970's All Decade Team 

- NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team 

I love Campbell and think I had him #9 on my own list. His style didn't lend him to playing a long career but at his peak he is one of the best pure running backs I've gone back and watch and certainly one of the more fun highlight reels in history for a running back. A true bulldozer and legs the size of most cornerbacks bodies. I'd suggest if anyone is bored to go back and watch some Campbell highlights - epitome of the product back then.

He just missed my list. Watched highlights of this dude and he was a fucking monster. Happy he made the list.

I had Earl at #9, it's a perfect spot for him.

I also had Earl at #9. The ultimate power back. His game footage is nothing short of incredible.

Apr 24, 2020 12:33:19 GMT UT said:

Apr 24, 2020 9:49:48 GMT thereallt said:

Exactly. You got people saying "He just stayed healthy and did his job" Isn't that what a football player is supposed to do?

Even worse, they treat Gore like he was some mediocre 3 yards and a cloud of dust guy. Nothing could be further from the truth. He had great burst between the tackles, good lateral movement, and is fantastic after contact.

Not to mention UT keeps harping about yards per game, but that in many ways is a compiler stat.   It's highly dependent on how many rushing attempts you get, which is NOT in the running back's control

Except Gore played in run heavy teams for almost his entire career.

You might want to look again.  Gore only got  300+ carries in a season ONCE.

The last thing I'll say about Medio-Gore is he's a back that has never scared a defense ever. Earl Campbell scared the crap out of defenses and I'm sure most of the others coming up do as well. He doesn't pass the eyeball test for me.  :ugh:

Apr 24, 2020 14:30:52 GMT @ck said:

The last thing I'll say about Medio-Gore is he's a back that has never scared a defense ever. Earl Campbell scared the crap out of defenses and I'm sure most of the others coming up do as well. He doesn't pass the eyeball test for me. 

Yeah right.  Ask the Seahawks when he gashed them for over 200 yds.

Apr 24, 2020 15:36:14 GMT thereallt said:

Apr 24, 2020 14:30:52 GMT @ck said:

The last thing I'll say about Medio-Gore is he's a back that has never scared a defense ever. Earl Campbell scared the crap out of defenses and I'm sure most of the others coming up do as well. He doesn't pass the eyeball test for me. 

Yeah right.  Ask the Seahawks when he gashed them for over 200 yds.

Lol Jerome Harrison has a 200 yard game. Come on.

I mean he's not quite Beanie Wells.

Apr 24, 2020 15:42:57 GMT UT said:

Apr 24, 2020 15:36:14 GMT thereallt said:

Yeah right.  Ask the Seahawks when he gashed them for over 200 yds.

Lol Jerome Harrison has a 200 yard game. Come on.

So YPC dosen't matter,  200 yd games don't matter, 15,000+ career yards don't matter, about the only stat that seems to matter to you is yards per game.  Which can be heavily padded by rushing attempts.  

Moving on for now.  But Curtis Martin and Edgerrin James better not appear on the  list.  I'll go full ham then

Apr 24, 2020 16:50:27 GMT thereallt said:

Apr 24, 2020 15:42:57 GMT UT said:

Lol Jerome Harrison has a 200 yard game. Come on.

So YPC dosen't matter,  200 yd games don't matter, 15,000+ career yards don't matter, about the only stat that seems to matter to you is yards per game.  Which can be heavily padded by rushing attempts.  

It all matters. I’ve said 1000 times he had an awesome career - just not one of the greatest running backs ever.

The 200 yard game was silly though.

Apr 24, 2020 16:50:27 GMT thereallt said:

Apr 24, 2020 15:42:57 GMT UT said:

Lol Jerome Harrison has a 200 yard game. Come on.

So YPC dosen't matter,  200 yd games don't matter, 15,000+ career yards don't matter, about the only stat that seems to matter to you is yards per game.  Which can be heavily padded by rushing attempts.  

Moving on for now.  But Curtis Martin and Edgerrin James better not appear on the  list.  I'll go full ham then

Edge don’t (Spoiler) but I’d take him at his peak over Gore.

Apr 24, 2020 16:59:31 GMT UT said:

Apr 24, 2020 16:50:27 GMT thereallt said:

So YPC dosen't matter,  200 yd games don't matter, 15,000+ career yards don't matter, about the only stat that seems to matter to you is yards per game.  Which can be heavily padded by rushing attempts.  

Moving on for now.  But Curtis Martin and Edgerrin James better not appear on the  list.  I'll go full ham then

Edge don’t (Spoiler) but I’d take him at his peak over Gore.

Put Gore in Edge's era getting fed well over 300  carries a season and he smashes Edge's numbers.   Gore had the misfortune of being drafted right at the dawn of the passing era.   Like I said he only got 300+carries for a season ONCE.

The hyperbole has gotten ridiculous...already. He's your #10 pump the fucking tires with making him the second coming. He's been very good, Hall of Very Good...yes, we know he'll get into the HOF, because you know, everyone does. His career is comparable to John Riggins (my #10), Jerome Bettis, Marcus Allen...all of HOFer's, but not all timers. Corey Dillon is an equal, he was real good, but not a real notable guy. All that was from Pro Football Reference, but if it's not all about the stats...then what? Whatever makes your argument you use and whatever doesn't you toss.

Have fun with the list guys...I'm out.

Corey was good but he had the misfortune of being drafted by the Bungles. 2004 with the Pats showed what he was really capable of.

Anyway...

I had Earl at 10, a back who looked for contact he earned every yard he got.

Not only that but Earl COULD MOVE. Someone almost 240 with thighs that big had no buisness being that fast.   Pity Houston wore him out so much = their offense was Earl left, Earl right, Earl up the middle, and when he got tired Pastorini would call a pass play

I had Earl Campbell at #8 for being the real life version of a Tecmo Super Bowl RB when it came to making defenders bounce off him. Also lead the league in rushing 3 times and touchdowns twice while being the most feared back in the league for a few years.

8. Adrian Peterson 

Years 

2007 - 2019 

Career Games 

164 

Career Rushing Yards 

14,216 

Career Rushing Touchdowns 

111 

Career Rushing Average 

4.7 

Accolades 

- 7th Overall Pick By Vikings in 2007 Draft 

- 7x Pro Bowl Selection 

- 4x First Team All Pro 

- 3x Second Team All Pro 

- 2012 NFL MVP 

- 2012 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 

- 2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year 

- 3x NFL Rushing Champion 

- 296 Rushing Yards in a Single Game (NFL Record)

Fuck Adrian Peterson. I know an unbiased POV would make him a lock for this list based on his numbers and dominant peaks but he was never my style of running back and following the Vikings as close as I did for years there - he was just too boom or bust from play to play for me. Yes he was scary as hell if he ever found a hole but there were A TON of games where he would get 17 runs less than three yards and finally break one or two. Which is to his credit.

Also he was shit out of the backfield and even completely one dimensional as a runner. It was hilarious how he couldn't run out of the shot gun and could only ever run out of the I. Yes he was the Vikings entire offense but that's because he couldn't contribute to an offense that wasn't completely built around him and Minnesota's offense never took the next step because of it.

Also a notorious fumbler. Also a child beater. So again , fuck him.

I didn't include Adrian Peterson on my list and I really should have. As a runner he checks every box for me. His total rushing yards are great, his YPC is great, and when you watch him on tape it's breathtaking. I think injury concerns made me a little squeamish on picking him

UT's view of him is hilariously biased though. The Vikings were supposed to make a complete offense with Christian Ponder at QB?

Apr 25, 2020 13:56:50 GMT thereallt said:

I didn't include Adrian Peterson on my list and I really should have. As a runner he checks every box for me. His total rushing yards are great, his YPC is great, and when you watch him on tape it's breathtaking. I think injury concerns made me a little squeamish on picking him

UT's view of him is hilariously biased though. The Vikings were supposed to make a complete offense with Christian Ponder at QB?

Not necessarily but the fact that he COULDN’T run out of the shotgun at all prohibited them any type of diversity on offense. I get he was their best player and they should have leaned on him but he also could have adapted some of his game to not only open up the running game but possibly gave them more options in the passing game. The Vikings offense was predictable and stale for most of his time there - it’s hardly like him being dominant in the running game led to great things for the Vikings who were running a 80s offense in the 2000s.

Adrian was on the field - run. Pull Adrian and go to shotgun - pass. It was predictable and got them nowhere.

Running out of the shotgun requires that teams respect your passing game though. NO ONE had ANY respect for Christian Ponder. I remember when the Vikings lined up in a shotgun people WERE STILL lining up 8 in the box against them.

Apr 25, 2020 14:08:46 GMT thereallt said:

Running out of the shotgun requires that teams respect your passing game though. NO ONE had ANY respect for Christian Ponder. I remember when the Vikings lined up in a shotgun people WERE STILL lining up 8 in the box against them.

No it doesn’t? If anything it creates more space for the running game and Peterson should have been able to feast on the space it created. He wanted no part of it though and that killed the entire offense.

Watch the Titans this year, they ran Henry out of every formation and were successful. Even in a playoff games where Tannehill was struggling. The shotgun spread out the defense though and allowed Henry to get in space against one defender and run him over.

AP didn't make my list, maybe he should've... :ugh: