Holy shit.

Curtis Martin is going to finish in the top 2!

And I am really pissed that that CMC and Eddie George (my top 2!) are going to miss the list.

Apr 30, 2020 20:18:28 GMT KING KID said:

Holy shit.

Curtis Martin is going to finish in the top 2!

And I am really pissed that that CMC and Eddie George (my top 2!) are going to miss the list.

I guess your forgetting Jim Brown and Barry Sanders.

Apr 30, 2020 20:18:28 GMT KING KID said:

Holy shit.

Curtis Martin is going to finish in the top 2!

And I am really pissed that that CMC and Eddie George (my top 2!) are going to miss the list.

This has been a great list so far.  If Curtis Martin finishes in the top 2 the list will be ruined.

Anyway, Walter Payton was my #2.   Walter could do it all.  Run inside, run outside, make people miss, run them over, pick up the blitz, catch the football and even THROW the football.  Mike Ditka  was a massive piece of shit for giving Fridge the ball on the goal line over Walter in the Super Bowl.   

Apr 30, 2020 19:55:10 GMT Baker said:

The Bears haven't had a great QB since Sid Luckman. Prove me wrong.

Cade fucking McCown bro!

Jim McMahon was solid for what he was asked to be. His swagger was perfect for that Bears team.

Sad that Cutler may actually have a claim to being their best since Luckman. I always though Orton was okay.

2. Jim Brown 

Years Active 

1957 - 1965 

Career Rushing Yards 

12,312 

Career Rushing Touchdowns 

106 

Career Rushing Average 

5.2 

Career Receptions 

262 

Career Receiving Yards 

2499 

Career Receiving Touchdowns 

20 

Career Accolades 

- 6th overall pick in 1957 Draft 

- 9x Pro Bowl Selection 

- 8x First Team All Pro 

- 1x Second Team All Pro 

- 3x NFL MVP 

- 1957 Rookie of the Year 

- 8x Rushing Champion 

- NFL All 60's Team 

- NFL 50th Anniversary Team 

- NFL 75th Anniversary Team 

- NFL 100th Anniversary Team 

- NFL Hall of Fame Inductee 

- #32 Retired by Browns 

Jim Brown is another tough one to rank for me , I don't know that there has ever been a more dominant running back or player in NFL history and he still lays claim to being the GOAT for anyone who seen him play back then. Going back and watching the videos of him is astounding - he's bigger than most offensive and defensive linemen and probably also the fastest guy on the field. It's insanity. Imagine if Saquon Barkley was 300 pounds but didn't lose any of his speed or athleticism.

I think Brown would be great in any era , he was a special athlete and doesn't deserve to have his career completely overlooked because of the era. However I do think when you are speaking in terms of the greatest of all time - it has its place in the conversation. I had him #2. I think that was more than fair.

Jim Brown was my #1 running back easy and easily top 3 in my all-time NFL player list. He is by far and away the most dominant running back to ever play. I could easily argue he is the most dominant NFL player ever, certainly the most dominant on offense.

WOW!

Curtis Martin for #1!

Jim Brown was my number 3, it was a tough decision between him and Emmitt for the 2 spot but I went with Emmitt to give him a boost. Brown was smash mouth football personified and incredibly light on his feet. One of the most complete packages in NFL history.

I had Jim Brown at #1. He retired at 29, he never missed a game. He ran through people, around people, over people...etc. The standard by which every RB is judged still to this day, he retired 55 years ago.

Since we all know who #1 is:

1. Barry Sanders
2. Pinball Clemons
3. Jim Brown
4. Emmitt Smith
5. Thurman Thomas
6. Walter Payton
7. Marcus Allen
8. LaDainian Tomlinson
9. Frank Gore
10. Marshawn Lynch

Looking at my Canadian brothers who didn’t vote for Pinball. I’m fighting all of you. I wanted to see him make the top 10 so all the Americans freak out.

My list:

1. Jim Brown

2. Barry Sanders

3. Walter Payon

4. Eric Dickerson

5. Emmitt Smith

6. LaDainian Tomlinson

7. Curtis Martin

8. Marshall Faulk

9. Earl Campbell

10. John Riggins

May 1, 2020 22:18:05 GMT RT said:

Since we all know who #1 is:

1. Barry Sanders
2. Pinball Clemons
3. Jim Brown
4. Emmitt Smith
5. Thurman Thomas
6. Walter Payton
7. Marcus Allen
8. LaDainian Tomlinson
9. Frank Gore
10. Marshawn Lynch

Looking at my Canadian brothers who didn’t vote for Pinball. I’m fighting all of you. I wanted to see him make the top 10 so all the Americans freak out.

If this list wasn't exclusively to the NFL, I'd have George Reed at #1.

Where does it say it’s exclusively NFL?

May 1, 2020 22:55:46 GMT RT said:

Where does it say it’s exclusively NFL?

When UT gave us the call to make the list.

1.Jim Brown
2.Walter Payton
3.Barry Sanders
4.Emmet Smith
5.Marshall Faulk
6. LaDanian Tomlinson
7.Eric Dickerson
8.OJ Simpson
9.Earl Campbell
10. Frank Gore


As spectacular as Barry was I couldn't rank higher than 3. He was pretty bad in short yardage situations. All too often he would try and break a big run and lose yardage when he should have just taken the 4-5 yards off-tackle and walk back to the huddle.

Bottom line is that I 100% trust Brown and Payton in goal-line and short yardage situations. I can't say the same for Sanders and neither could Detroit considering they often took him out of the game in those situations

MY LIST:

1- CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
2- LADANIAN TOMLINSON
3- EDDIE GEORGE
4- EMMITT SMITH
5- ADRIAN PETERSON
6- MARSHALL FAULK
7- BARRY SANDERS
8- CURTIS MARTIN
9- FRANK GORE
10- WALTER PAYTON

SUCK IT, HATERS. How CMC, Eddie George and Curtis Martin all missed this list blows my mind!

May 1, 2020 23:37:30 GMT KING KID said:

MY LIST:

1- CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
2- LADANIAN TOMLINSON
3- EDDIE GEORGE
4- EMMITT SMITH
5- ADRIAN PETERSON
6- MARSHALL FAULK
7- BARRY SANDERS
8- CURTIS MARTIN
9- FRANK GORE
10- WALTER PAYTON

SUCK IT, HATERS. How CMC, Eddie George and Curtis Martin all missed this list blows my mind!

If this list was made in 10 yrs CMC could make the list if he keeps his pace up.

Jim Brown was my #1 and it wasn't really close. Before I sent my list in I just wanted to check one thing and it confirmed what I thought- JB is the GOAT.

Jim Brown only played for 9 seasons. He lead the league in rushing 8 of those seasons. Half a century after his retirement he is still the 11th leading rusher in NFL history. But it gets even more impressive. Seasons were only 12 or 14 games during Brown's career. So he really only played about 7.5 years if you use the modern 16 game season. Jim Brown averaged over 100 yards per game for his career. No other running back has ever done that. Jim Brown also had two years where he was on pace to rush for 2000 yards had he played a 16 game season. No running back has ever had two 2000 yard seasons. One of those years he was even on a pace to eclipse Dickerson's record of 2105 yards in a season.

Most of you guys have probably seen more old NFL footage than I have but what I have seen confirms what @ck said about Brown "running through people, around people, and over people."

Jim Brown is to running backs as Jerry Rice is to wide receivers- the GOAT.

RT digging that Pinball Clemons mention. I'd have popped even harder if it was Mike Pringle though.

1. Walter Payton
2. Emmitt Smith
3. Jim Brown
4. Barry Sanders
5. Adrian Peterson
6. Eric Dickerson
7. LaDanian Tomlinson
8. Marshall Faulk
9. Tony Dorsett
10. Earl Campbell

...and yes, honorable mentions to George Reed, Pinball Clemens, Mike Pringle and Charles Roberts of the CFL. I still say perhaps the most dominant game of rushing I've seen was when Roberts and ex Redskin Mike Sellers of Winnipeg shredded the Riders for well over 200 yards in the Labour Day rematch in 2002. One of the ultimate examples of thunder and lightning. George Reed actually broke Jim Brown's pro football record for rushing yards in 1973, a record that lasted until Walter Payton broke it in the 80's.

May 1, 2020 23:37:30 GMT KING KID said:

MY LIST:

1- CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
2- LADANIAN TOMLINSON
3- EDDIE GEORGE
4- EMMITT SMITH
5- ADRIAN PETERSON
6- MARSHALL FAULK
7- BARRY SANDERS
8- CURTIS MARTIN
9- FRANK GORE
10- WALTER PAYTON

SUCK IT, HATERS. How CMC, Eddie George and Curtis Martin all missed this list blows my mind!

CMC hasn't played long enough. Martin is a borderline case at best and George flat out wasn't good enough.

RT nice pick with Thurman Thomas.

1. Barry Sanders 

Years Active 

1989 - 1998 

Career Games 

153 

Career Rushing Yards 

15269 

Career Rushing Touchdowns 

99 

Career Rushing Average 

5.0 

Career Receptions 

352 

Career Receiving Yards 

2921 

Career Receiving Touchdowns 

10 

Career Accolades 

- 3rd Overall Pick 1989 NFL Draft 

- 1997 NFL MVP 

- 6x First Team All Pro 

- 4x Second Team All Pro 

- 10x Pro Bowl Selection 

- 2x Offensive Player of the Year 

- 4x Rushing Champion 

- 1989 Rookie of the Year 

- Member of NFL Hall of Fame 

- #20 Retired by Lions 

- 1990's NFL All Decade Team 

- NFL 100th Anniversary Team

 

Sanders was my #1 , I grew up in football whilst also watching Sanders and there simply wasn't a back that I feel was more feared at any point in the field that Sanders was. Yes LT is right that sometimes he danced too much behind the line and lost yards but that is also what made him capable of busting the insane runs that made him famous. I wouldn't say he hurt his team too much either , looking up some situational stats on him was fun and one that was weird and jumped out to me is that his rushing average went up over a yard when his team was backed up into their own territory , more impressive when you consider that teams knew every time Barry was going to get the ball.

He made an All Pro team every single season he was in the league , averaged 5 yards a carry for his career and racked up an insane amount of yards in a career cut way short. He could have easily taken the record and made it unreachable for Smith had he stuck around and just racked up garbage yards for the end of his career.

So yeah my #1. I shutter to think what todays NFL would turn him into.

I also had Thurman Thomas on my list RT , he finished 12 sadly. I think Thomas was awesome and such a perfect fit for that Bills offense.

Curtis Martin finished #11 , right behind Gore.

CMAC was down the list a bit - I mean he has no case to even sniff the list at this point in his career. Love the dude but cmon.

Damn, no Curtis hurtis.

I had Barry at #2. He was the guy throughout my 20's. Amazing balance, great speed, stopped on a dime, he was breaking ankles in the NFL. He could break those big runs and usually did at least once a game, but and here's my reason why he didn't get my #1 vote, he would just as easily have multiple rushes for losses and a lot of times, big losses. Playing on the Lions did him no favors and he'd often take over the game on offense. I believe he's the all time leader in rushes for a loss.

Well, now that that's that, I'm curious to know... @ck / thereallt, did we overall do right by you old-timers?

May 2, 2020 16:04:09 GMT 🤯 said:

Well, now that that's that, I'm curious to know... @ck / thereallt , did we overall do right by you old-timers?

I'll speak for myself, but except for a couple of faves making my list in Martin and Riggins, the list is pretty much undeniable.  Most of the right players made it.  I'll still fight Gore to the end, but whatever, personal preferences are what they are.  You can't really deny this list is extremely accurate.

To be fair , the way the NFL is these days in terms of using running backs - it’s really hard for a running back list to be super modern. They just don’t have the dominance and importance they once did. Perhaps CMAC , Saquon or Zeke will crack it someday but I don’t have my hopes super high. CMAC has the usage.