Joe Posnanski's Top 32 All-Time RBs
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Personally, I would have to rank Barry Sanders #2. That kid played for some pretty lousy teams, but he always was outstanding, doing a lot of it on his own.
Mike
IN DORSEY I TRUST -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedi.../content.1.html
#1 Jim Brown
Career Rushing Yards: 12,312
Career Rushing Touchdowns: 106
Career Rushing Average: 5.2
Career Receptions: 262
Career Receiving Yards: 2,499
Career Touchdowns: 126
Career Pro Bowls: 9
Super Bowls Won: 0
FYI, no such thing called a Super Bowl existed during Jim Brown's playing career. He played on the equivalent thereof when the Browns won the 1964 title.
FYI, no such thing called a Super Bowl existed during Jim Brown's playing career. He played on the equivalent thereof when the Browns won the 1964 title.
I thought that was wierd that they had listed the superbowl thing even though it didnt exist back then. I just copied and pasted the stats from the website.
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Horrible xxxxing list after the top 5 or so. Gayle Sanders is always way over-rated, but whatever, I can live with that. But Bo Jackson a top 10 RB ever? Are you xxxxing kidding me? 2700 yards and 16 TD's for his career. Big xxxxing deal. Yeah he was talented, but he played 2 good years. Pathetic! A top 10 back should have more than 1 pro bowl.
Red Grange? xxxx off. No stats, no Pro Bowls.
Eric Dickerson is WAY under-rated.
Marion Motley doesn't belong in the top 50 let alone 12th.
Terrell Davis on this list is a xxxxing joke. He had 2 or 3 good years, how the xxxx does that make you 15th best ever???
Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, and Franco Harris at 16/17/18 are too low. They should be top 10. How the xxxx do you put three great HOF'er below Terrell Davis and Blow Jackson?
Priest Holmes at 21??? xxxx him. Yeah, he put up some good fantasy football stats over a 3 year period, much like BJ Jackson and TD Davis, short careers WAAYYY over-rated..
Chris Johnson at 24??? Seriously the guy has played two xxxxing years. What a slap in the fact to players who had HOF careers but missed this shitty list. Peterson has had a better career thus far anyway.
Joe Perry and Ollie Matson at 25/26 is way too damn high. A couple of nobodies, the writer is trying to get cute here.
Edge James and Curtis Martin down at 30 is a slap in the face. Both should be 10 spots higher.
Oh, and the biggest joke about this list.... The #5 all time rusher with 6 pro bowls and a SB win isnt on the list.
10th in rushing TD's
5th in yards
4th in carries
4 times in top 10 in the league in YPA
SB champion
18th in career yards from scrimmage
But not a top 32 back ever?
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Horrible xxxxing list after the top 5 or so. Gayle Sanders is always way over-rated, but whatever, I can live with that. But Bo Jackson a top 10 RB ever? Are you xxxxing kidding me? 2700 yards and 16 TD's for his career. Big xxxxing deal. Yeah he was talented, but he played 2 good years. Pathetic! A top 10 back should have more than 1 pro bowl.
Red Grange? xxxx off. No stats, no Pro Bowls.
Eric Dickerson is WAY under-rated.
Marion Motley doesn't belong in the top 50 let alone 12th.
Terrell Davis on this list is a xxxxing joke. He had 2 or 3 good years, how the xxxx does that make you 15th best ever???
Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, and Franco Harris at 16/17/18 are too low. They should be top 10. How the xxxx do you put three great HOF'er below Terrell Davis and Blow Jackson?
Priest Holmes at 21??? xxxx him. Yeah, he put up some good fantasy football stats over a 3 year period, much like BJ Jackson and TD Davis, short careers WAAYYY over-rated..
Chris Johnson at 24??? Seriously the guy has played two xxxxing years. What a slap in the fact to players who had HOF careers but missed this shitty list. Peterson has had a better career thus far anyway.
Joe Perry and Ollie Matson at 25/26 is way too damn high. A couple of nobodies, the writer is trying to get cute here.
Edge James and Curtis Martin down at 30 is a slap in the face. Both should be 10 spots higher.
Oh, and the biggest joke about this list.... The #5 all time rusher with 6 pro bowls and a SB win isnt on the list.
10th in rushing TD's
5th in yards
4th in carries
4 times in top 10 in the league in YPA
SB champion
18th in career yards from scrimmage
But not a top 32 back ever?
Horrible xxxxing list after the top 5 or so. Gayle Sanders is always way over-rated, but whatever, I can live with that. But Bo Jackson a top 10 RB ever? Are you xxxxing kidding me? 2700 yards and 16 TD's for his career. Big xxxxing deal. Yeah he was talented, but he played 2 good years. Pathetic! A top 10 back should have more than 1 pro bowl.
I think they were looking at Bo Jackson's potentialcapabilities rather than his longevity. Had he not suffered the debilitating hip injury he may indeed have had a lot more stats.
Red Grange? xxxx off. No stats, no Pro Bowls.
Why are you Steeler fans always so ignorant about the history of the league? FYI, the Pro Bowl didn't even exist when Grange played. He is considered perhaps the greatest RB of the 1st half of the 20th century....they did play football then. He may have made 8 or 10 of them if they existed..
Eric Dickerson is WAY under-rated.
Marion Motley doesn't belong in the top 50 let alone 12th.
Motley has THE highest per carry average of any RB in history, higher even than Jim Brown. 5.7 yards per carry. And he played on at least 5-6 championship teams. He was an absolute beast..
Terrell Davis on this list is a xxxxing joke. He had 2 or 3 good years, how the xxxx does that make you 15th best ever???
For that 2-3 year period he was the best in the game. Though, yes, he may be rated too highly.
Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, and Franco Harris at 16/17/18 are too low. They should be top 10. How the xxxx do you put three great HOF'er below Terrell Davis and Blow Jackson?
I agree that the three you mention should be ahead of Jackson and Davis, but not in Top 10.
Priest Holmes at 21??? xxxx him. Yeah, he put up some good fantasy football stats over a 3 year period, much like BJ Jackson and TD Davis, short careers WAAYYY over-rated..
It is hard to judge guys who had short careers. This guy admitted he ranked Holmes up this high because he was personal friends with him. Whatever.
Chris Johnson at 24??? Seriously the guy has played two xxxxing years. What a slap in the fact to players who had HOF careers but missed this shitty list. Peterson has had a better career thus far anyway.
Yes, premature to rank him this high. Someday maybe. Not yet.
Joe Perry and Ollie Matson at 25/26 is way too damn high. A couple of nobodies, the writer is trying to get cute here.
Again, you show your lack of historical knowledge. Joe Perry held the career rushing record for a number of years until Jim Brown broke it. Ollie Matson was the Chris Brown/Gale Sayers of his era. Just because YOU are uninformed about these guys doesn't mean they shouldn't be ranked where they are.
Edge James and Curtis Martin down at 30 is a slap in the face. Both should be 10 spots higher.
Perhaps. Martin has always been underrated.
Oh, and the biggest joke about this list.... The #5 all time rusher with 6 pro bowls and a SB win isnt on the list.
10th in rushing TD's
5th in yards
4th in carries
4 times in top 10 in the league in YPA
SB champion
18th in career yards from scrimmage
But not a top 32 back ever?
I think you must be talking about Bettis. I agree. Somehow I can't help but think this is an oversight.
If you are talking about other Steelers, then John Henry Johnson could have been included. In my mind, both JHJ and Bettis were better runners than Franco Harris.
So, about half your comments have merit. The other half are based on your lack of knowledge or insight into the game.
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Horrible xxxxing list after the top 5 or so. Gayle Sanders is always way over-rated, but whatever, I can live with that. But Bo Jackson a top 10 RB ever? Are you xxxxing kidding me? 2700 yards and 16 TD's for his career. Big xxxxing deal. Yeah he was talented, but he played 2 good years. Pathetic! A top 10 back should have more than 1 pro bowl.
I think they were looking at Bo Jackson's potentialcapabilities rather than his longevity. Had he not suffered the debilitating hip injury he may indeed have had a lot more stats.
Red Grange? xxxx off. No stats, no Pro Bowls.
Why are you Steeler fans always so ignorant about the history of the league? FYI, the Pro Bowl didn't even exist when Grange played. He is considered perhaps the greatest RB of the 1st half of the 20th century....they did play football then. He may have made 8 or 10 of them if they existed..
Eric Dickerson is WAY under-rated.
Marion Motley doesn't belong in the top 50 let alone 12th.
Motley has THE highest per carry average of any RB in history, higher even than Jim Brown. 5.7 yards per carry. And he played on at least 5-6 championship teams. He was an absolute beast..
Terrell Davis on this list is a xxxxing joke. He had 2 or 3 good years, how the xxxx does that make you 15th best ever???
For that 2-3 year period he was the best in the game. Though, yes, he may be rated too highly.
Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, and Franco Harris at 16/17/18 are too low. They should be top 10. How the xxxx do you put three great HOF'er below Terrell Davis and Blow Jackson?
I agree that the three you mention should be ahead of Jackson and Davis, but not in Top 10.
Priest Holmes at 21??? xxxx him. Yeah, he put up some good fantasy football stats over a 3 year period, much like BJ Jackson and TD Davis, short careers WAAYYY over-rated..
It is hard to judge guys who had short careers. This guy admitted he ranked Holmes up this high because he was personal friends with him. Whatever.
Chris Johnson at 24??? Seriously the guy has played two xxxxing years. What a slap in the fact to players who had HOF careers but missed this shitty list. Peterson has had a better career thus far anyway.
Yes, premature to rank him this high. Someday maybe. Not yet.
Joe Perry and Ollie Matson at 25/26 is way too damn high. A couple of nobodies, the writer is trying to get cute here.
Again, you show your lack of historical knowledge. Joe Perry held the career rushing record for a number of years until Jim Brown broke it. Ollie Matson was the Chris Brown/Gale Sayers of his era. Just because YOU are uninformed about these guys doesn't mean they shouldn't be ranked where they are.
Edge James and Curtis Martin down at 30 is a slap in the face. Both should be 10 spots higher.
Perhaps. Martin has always been underrated.
Oh, and the biggest joke about this list.... The #5 all time rusher with 6 pro bowls and a SB win isnt on the list.
10th in rushing TD's
5th in yards
4th in carries
4 times in top 10 in the league in YPA
SB champion
18th in career yards from scrimmage
But not a top 32 back ever?
I think you must be talking about Bettis. I agree. Somehow I can't help but think this is an oversight.
If you are talking about other Steelers, then John Henry Johnson could have been included. In my mind, both JHJ and Bettis were better runners than Franco Harris.
So, about half your comments have merit. The other half are based on your lack of knowledge or insight into the game.
So, about half your comments have merit. The other half are based on your lack of knowledge or insight into the game.
Knowledge is learned......insight is a dna thing....cut the back some slack
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Here is an article showing all the players who have ever held the NFL career rushing record, when they attained that record, and, every single one of them are in the HOF:
Smith’s firm hold on coveted record
Arguably there are few records in sports more treasured than the one that Class of 2010 enshrinee Emmitt Smith owns. On Oct. 27, 2002, Smith surpassed Walter Payton’s career rushing total to become the game’s leading ground gainer.
By the time he finished his Hall of Fame career, Smith outdistanced “Sweetness” by more than 1,600 yards. As he takes his place in the Hall of Fame, Emmitt’s career rushing total looks to be a record that will stand the test of time for many, many seasons. The leading active rusher heading into the 2010 NFL Season is LaDainian Tomlinson of the New York Jets. “LT” needs to gain 5,866 yards to breaks Smith’s impressive total.
The following is a timeline of the holders of this coveted NFL record. The list starts in the 1930s when accurate compilation of NFL statistics starting taking place. Not surprisingly, the six runners who preceded Smith as the “NFL’s all-time leading rusher” have all been enshrined in Canton.
18,355
EMMITT SMITH, Dallas Cowboys
Oct. 27, 2002
Smith surpassed the NFL career rushing total of Walter Payton when he ran through the left side of the line for an 11-yard gain in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Cowboys' 17-14 loss to the visiting Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. Smith finished that drive by scoring on a 1-yard run for his 150th career rushing TD. On the day, he carried the ball 24 times for 109 yards as he posted his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season. Smith finished the game with 3,929 career attempts for 16,743 yards. (Click here to view Smith's record run).
16,726 WALTER PAYTON, Chicago Bears
Oct. 7, 1984
Payton ran into the record book in the Bears' 20-7 win over the New Orleans Saints at Chicago's Soldier Field during the sixth week of the 1984 NFL season. Payton's record carry came on a 6-yard run 57 seconds into the second half as he topped Jim Brown's career record of 12,312 yards. Payton gained 154 yards on 32 carries and scored one touchdown on the day to finish the game with a career total of 12,400 yards. The future Hall of Famer continued to add to that mark over the next 3 1/2 seasons. By the time he retired after the 1987 season, he had amassed 16,726 rushing yards. (Click here to view Payton's record run).
12,312 JIM BROWN, Cleveland Browns
Oct. 20, 1963
Brown surpassed the NFL career rushing total of 8,378 yards set by Joe Perry. Brown set the new mark in the sixth week of the season in a game versus the Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. He established the new career record with an 8-yard carry in the second quarter. On the day, Brown rushed for 144 yards on 25 carries as Cleveland defeated Philadelphia, 27-7. His career total by game's end was 8,390 yards. He continued to add to that total for the next 1 1/2 seasons and retired with 12,312 yards. (Click here to view Brown's record run).
8,378
JOE PERRY, San Francisco 49ers
Oct. 5, 1958
While the Pro Football Hall of Fame includes Joe Perry's rushing yards from the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in its Top 20 Rushing Leaders, the stats from that league are not included in the NFL Record Book. Perry amassed 9,723 yards in his career including 8,378 during his seasons in the NFL. He established the NFL record during the second week of the 1958 season in a 33-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. Perry's record-setting moment came on a 4-yard jaunt early in the third quarter. He finished the day with 44 yards on 12 carries to bring his NFL career yardage to 5,697 yards, surpassing Van Buren's career mark by 17 yards.
5,860 STEVE VAN BUREN, Philadelphia Eagles
Oct. 3, 1949
Van Buren became the game's all-time leading rusher in the Eagles' 22-14 win over the Lions in Detroit. He gained 135 yards on 33 carries, and rushed for two touchdowns to finish the day with 3,951 career yards. Van Buren led the NFL in rushing four times and retired after the 1951 season with 5,860 yards and 69 TDs. He was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1965.
3,860 CLARKE HINKLE, Green Bay Packers
1941
Hall of Famer Clarke Hinkle set the career rushing mark in the final season of his Hall of Fame career. He retired with 3,860 yards on 1,171 carries during his 10-year career with the Green Bay Packers from 1932-1941.
3,511
CLIFF BATTLES, Washington Redskins
1937
Battles, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 1968, was the first player in NFL history to rush for 200 yards in a single game (215 yards on Oct. 8, 1933 vs. New York Giants). He began his football career with the Boston Braves in 1932. The team changed its nickname to Redskins in '33, and moved to Washington in 1937, Battles' final season. He led the NFL in rushing yards both his first and last season as a pro. In all, he totaled 3,511 yards on 839 carries and scored 23 touchdowns.
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Note that Jim Brown held the record the longest so far: 21 years. (also note that he played only in 12-14 game seasons) Payton held it for 18 years.
If they go to an 18 game schedule, Emmit Smith's record won't last as long as it normally would have.
Also note that Cliff Battles went to Akron Kenmore HS, for you locals.
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Emmitt Smith....a great Gator.
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Emmitt Smith....a great Gator.
To extrapolate: Emmit Smith was born in Pensacola, Florida and went to the University of Florida
Walter Payton was born in Columbia, Mississippi and attended Jackson State
Jim Brown was born on St. Simons Island, Georgia and attended Syracuse
Joe Perry was born in Stevens Arkansas and attened Compton Community College!
Steve Van Buren was born in La Ceiba, Honduras and attended LSU
Clark Hinkle was born in Toronto, Ohio and attended Bucknell
Cliff Battles was born in Akron, Ohio and attended West Virginia Wesleyan
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Personally, I would have to rank Barry Sanders #2. That kid played for some pretty lousy teams, but he always was outstanding, doing a lot of it on his own.
Mike
Personally, I would have to rank Barry Sanders #2. That kid played for some pretty lousy teams, but he always was outstanding, doing a lot of it on his own.
Mike
There really doesn't need to be a analysis by the GREAT Analyzer to know that two of the best Runnings backs were Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. The rest of the list were just pretenders. Eric Dickerson would get an honorable mention. And Don't throw Chris Johnson out just yet. The man can run with the best of them. If he stays healthy watch out record books! The best RB in the game right now.
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Personally, I would have to rank Barry Sanders #2. That kid played for some pretty lousy teams, but he always was outstanding, doing a lot of it on his own.
Mike
There really doesn't need to be a analysis by the GREAT Analyzer to know that two of the best Runnings backs were Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. The rest of the list were just pretenders. Eric Dickerson would get an honorable mention. And Don't throw Chris Johnson out just yet. The man can run with the best of them. If he stays healthy watch out record books! The best RB in the game right now.
There really doesn't need to be a analysis by the GREAT Analyzer to know that two of the best Runnings backs were Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. The rest of the list were just pretenders. Eric Dickerson would get an honorable mention. And Don't throw Chris Johnson out just yet. The man can run with the best of them. If he stays healthy watch out record books! The best RB in the game right now.
OK, true, but as I stated I think it may be premature at this point to put him up as high. In a couple or 3-4 years perhaps. For all we know he may become the first man to ever gain 2000 yards in a year twice. Wouldn't put it past him.
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I agree that barry as got to be number 2 the guy was amazing he would of easily had more of yards had he not retired during his prime than emmitt, Also its scary to think what he could of done with a better team,people always critize him and say well he ran backwards and stuff he had no where else to run where ever he went there were people there waiting for him and he made something out of nothing simply amazing..
Chris johnson is scary good right now i think he has the potential but still a little to early to put him on the list right now,maybe a list of best seasons for a RB but not great yet if he does it 2 or 3 more times you can put him down and probaly alot higher
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