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Top 5 RBs of all time

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  • Adrian Peterson was released earlier today by the Washington Rrrreerrrrr whatevers  Team.

    He says he want to continue to play, but he is like 35 years old, so who knows if anyone will pick him up.

    But, on both  Radio and TV  Sports talk shows,  the conversation has been:    Is AP a Top 5 All Time RB.   Do you think so? 

    So, in this context:

    Name your ALL Time Top 5 RBs in  NFL History. 

  • Here are my choices.....I have expanded from the above:

    1. Jim Brown

    2. Walter Payton

    3. Barry Sanders

    4. Emmitt Smith

    5 . OJ Simpson

    ============

    5-10, no order:  LaDanian Tomlinson,  Eric Dickerson, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell,  Adrian Peterson

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Special cases:

    A.  Gale Sayers.   Spectacular,  injury shortened his career

    B. Bo Jackson.  Same as above.

    C.  Herschel Walker.  Had he gained all his yards in the NFL, his totals would be like  4th or 5th all time. 

    {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

    Pre  1950s  RBs:

    Jim Thorpe,  Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers,  Marion Motley

  • I mostly agree with your list, my honorable mentions, in no order: Edge James, Thurman Thomas, Terrell Davis, Bettis, Marcus Allen, James Brooks (no one ever mentions the Charger, Bangel.)

    The GipperT 1 Reply

  • 1) Sweetness

    2) Barry Sanders

    3) Jim Brown

    4) Emmitt Smith

    5) Eric Dickerson  

  • I'd rank AP higher than Emmitt.  

  • I Icecube

    I mostly agree with your list, my honorable mentions, in no order: Edge James, Thurman Thomas, Terrell Davis, Bettis, Marcus Allen, James Brooks (no one ever mentions the Charger, Bangel.)

    @icecube said:

    I mostly agree with your list, my honorable mentions, in no order: Edge James, Thurman Thomas, Terrell Davis, Bettis, Marcus Allen, James Brooks (no one ever mentions the Charger, Bangel.)

    Thought about each of them.....but the guy that was possibly better at what Brooks did than Brooks, is Marshall Faulk.

  • 1) Jim Brown

    2) Earnest Byner

    3) Kevin Mack

    4) Leroy Kelly

    5) Earl Campbell 

    Karlis Missed
    👍 😂
  • Bob806B Bob806

    1) Jim Brown

    2) Earnest Byner

    3) Kevin Mack

    4) Leroy Kelly

    5) Earl Campbell 

    @bob806 said:

    1) Jim Brown

    2) Earnest Byner

    3) Kevin Mack

    4) Leroy Kelly

    5) Earl Campbell 

    Surprised that you would not have put Mike Pruitt in at #5

  • The GipperT The Gipper

    @bob806 said:

    1) Jim Brown

    2) Earnest Byner

    3) Kevin Mack

    4) Leroy Kelly

    5) Earl Campbell 

    Surprised that you would not have put Mike Pruitt in at #5

    @the-gipper said:

    Surprised that you would not have put Mike Pruitt in at #5

    Lol...I thought about him, Greg Pruitt, & Metcalf. Didn't want to go full homer.

    Karlis Missed

  • Seems like all the ones I would have mentioned have been, but I'll throw in Marshall Faulk. 

  • Tough to name a top 4 after Jim Brown. Many will argue that Barry with Emmits line would have destroyed every record possible, but he didn't have it and he did what he did. And is top 5 the same as the greatest 5 rb of all time?

    Top 5: Jim Brown, Emmits smith, Barry Sanders, sweetness and Frank Gore.

    Greatest: Brown, Sanders, Sweetness, Smith, Bundy

    😂

  • My opinions:

    1..Jimmy Brown..He stands alone!

    2..Barry Sanders..Did more with nothing around him. Most underrated.

    3..Walter Payton..What a work ethic!

    4..Gale Sayers..Riddled with injuries but the most beautiful runner I ever saw!

    5..Pick who you like. Many greats, but all others are a drop from the Fantastic 4.

    Mike

    IN DORSEY I TRUST

  • Zombo said:

    I like your choices and my next three would be Tomlinson, Peterson and Dickerson.

    If I had ordered  5-10, I think that would have been it for me as well.  Then, while they had totally different styles, Dorsett and Campbell, whose careers happened at almost the exact same time, would be interchangeable in the 9-10 spot. 

  • Greatest: Brown, Sanders, Sweetness, Smith, Bundy

    Is that Ted Bundy, or Al Bundy?

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