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Written by Jesse Thompson
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Monday, 01 October 2001 |
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Page 1 of 2  There's an age-old debate about which player is best at which position, and none is older or more fiercely argued than that of who is the top Running Back in NFL history. This week's Top 7 List will settle this, once and for all (or at least until Edgerrin James busts his way onto the list). It's the old apples and oranges dilemma, how do you compare a back who ran 40 years ago, to one who's still going? You have to look at a lot of factors, like number of games played, the talent level in the league, and of course, how much better they were than their peers. You can also throw in that championship factor, but it doesn't carry nearly as much weight as it does with QB's, because runners aren't the generals on the field, they're just the artillery. For simplicity's sake, the player is listed with the team he spent the most time with.
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| John Riggins Redskins
The premiere power runner of all time. Riggins is the one man you'd want to get one yard. He was infamous for dragging several would-be tacklers for yards.
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| Earl Campbell Oilers
Campbell was a lot like Riggins, although Earl could also turn to the outside with frightening speed for such a big guy. While Riggins would drag the defense along, Campbell would just blow over them.
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| Walter Payton Bears
No one ever looked more natural running the ball than Sweetness. The great Bears back finally won a Super Bowl at the end of his career, and still owns the all-time yardage record, although Emmitt will break it next year, and Sanders would have broken it with one more season.
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| Emmitt Smith Cowboys
Out of all the great runners, Emmitt has had perhaps the best supporting cast, which has meant that it's been easier for him to run, because the D always had to watch for the pass. That said, Emmitt is the perfect back: strong, quick, great hands, and a great attitude. The man's a winner.
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| OJ Simpson Bills
Before he was a murderer, running from the law, he was running from endzone to endzone like no one else. He was perhaps the best built running back ever, tall and powerful, yet lightning-quick. His stride made him uncatchable, and yet he wasn't afraid to lower his helmet and take you out, if you were in his way. Still owns the record for yards in one season.
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| Barry Sanders Lions
No back was ever more fun to watch. He'd lose yardage two or three plays in a row, before exploding for sixty. His feet were so quick, he practically invented the cutback. He also played on bad teams that couldn't throw the ball, and the whole D was keyed on him. Sanders is the best back in all of modern Football.
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