*Now please be aware this list takes in account not just stats or rings, but they are part of this, greatness is significantly different from best, and these are the best of the best. If you have any thoughts or tweaks, please let me hear it, I love having debates with others on their experiences and impact of football. So without further ado, here it is:Jim BrownSweetness (Walter Payton)Barry SandersBo JacksonGale SayersEric DickersonEmmitt SmithLT (LaDainian man, keep up now)Earl Cambell 10 Marshall FaulkNOW before you backhand me with all your absolute might, please let me do some examining here, and if you still have some tweaks please tell me, once again I'm very open to any conversation with other passionate fans.(1) This is one of the easiest ones to explain as most people will agree with this. For the amount of time he played, he showed just how immortal he really was, being that big and fast was never seen before, and it showed as the stats he racked up, as well as the absolute highlight machine he was just cemented his greatness. Now I know the common arguments for this placement usually falls around his era and his apparent violence against women. While the off the field antics were legacy tarnishing, they don't take away how much better he was than anyone to ever play, which is why I place him here (as he was also regarded as the best lacrosse player of his era as well).(2) While I could go on and on about Walter's legacy he left as a person, it wouldn't move this already long conversation along so I'll just stick to the facts. The 16 thousand (almost 17) yard mark looks very enticing but I want to persuade you with some things you may not have known. Such as his actual impact on the rest of his team. Living up to the legend that was Gale? Only one man could've done that and it had to be him. He's one of the few running backs on my list that truly lived a long career and just highlighted his athletic ability with his durability.(3) I could honestly just link you the video of Barry making the entire Cownoys defense look like a little league team picking dandelions (especially that d lineman...you know the one). But this is going to be as professional as possible. If he wouldn't have just suddenly walked out in the peak of his career, I feel he would've been up there at #1. The absolute ability this man had topped that of anybody on this list in my opinion. But I feel his running style (very improvisational and creative) matched his abilities. While this lead to some of the best runs any human could ever wish to accomplish, it also led to a big hit of his actual stats (1114 in negative yards). Now I would agree if he would've played for ANYONE but the lions, this would've never been a problem, Barry is Barry, and he's going to do Barry things.(4) Now Bo just might be the absolute best athlete and running back on this list, but his flaky commitments between the NFL and baseball combined with his career ending injury, as Barry Sanders, leaves a lot up to interpretation. I believe when you pull out the insane stories of Bo such as his sub 4.2 40, you do in fact create what is only thought up, which will always be led as only legend, man I wish this guy could've played a bit longer...(5) I feel this a bit less than my Bo, but this absolute unit should not be seen as any less. Seriously did people just forget about the monster rookie season? Record touchdowns in a game? My lord, the more I look at his stats in the amount of time he played, the sadder it is to know we wouldn't get to see any more of this legend either.(6) Being a lanky and fast running back wasn't especially prominent during Eric's time, and just as a Randy Moss or Michael Vick, he absolutely exploded and for 1808 yards and 18 touchdowns, and followed that up with 2,105 yards, which has and won't be broken for a while.(7) I can already feel the Dallas fans breathing down my neck with their Jerry Jones teeth, but please spare me. Even though he holds the record for rushing yards, which usually determines how great a running back is, everyone knows the combination of having an absolute monster of an OL and the longevity he played with, he is an all time great. But watching him, you don't see the absolute athleticism of any of these before him, as well as the fact everyone knows Barry would've shattered this with an OL and a few more years.(8) This man's stuff arm still gives me PTSD years later, so that must mean something. 28 tds in a season, which I must say is absolutely insane, I have to also say while he was a touchdown machine, I'd have to give it to his predecessor Eric Dickerson, who I feel was honestly just a more insane LT, if that could even exist. I'd still rather jump in front a train than this man though, no disrespect to the greats here.(9) While he doesn't exactly have the stats people see with an all time great, out of all the running backs of this list, this would be my least favorite to have any athletic confrontation whatsoever. There was no "best " way to hit Earl, as we know it was a death sentence to go for the legs, but the upper body was just as terrible. For the time he played, he wrecked havoc, but his playing style of just being wrecking ball ultimately stalemated his stats, but implemented the absolute terror into any player he played against like no other.(10) In my mind, Marshall Faulk was the most important part of the Greatest Show on Turf, and him being the absolute swiss army knife he was helped display that. His abilities were displays that while I felt were incredible, I thought LT just did better, but this man could ball, no doubt about that. via /r/nfl https://ift.tt/2I7RVa2
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