Extremely Rare Photo Of Emmitt & Barry Together

[dreghorn2]

The best football player in my life was Jerry Rice. No other receiver was even close. You can argue about Barry and Emmitt... who you putting up against Jerry to debate who is better?

Yes that's fine. Jerry Rice can easily be considered best player ever.

Both in their prime i feel Smith contributed more to a team winning, more touches, game control etc..

But i am not going to argue against anyone that wants to place Rice number one.

 

[dreghorn2]

As I mentioned earlier, the reality is that outside of Dallas (and presumably Detroit) Smith and Sanders are viewed to be roughly about equivalent, but if you look at enough “top ten” lists you will see that Sanders usually is consistently higher. Neither of the two are usually considered the “greatest”. That’s almost always Brown or Payton.
Whether it’s because of all of the flashy highlights that leave a lasting memory, the eye-popping numbers or the perception that Sanders had a worse team, the reality is the average fan thinks Barry was a bit better.

I agree, they do.

I didn't see Brown pay but i did see Payton, i would take Smith.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

The best football player in my life was Jerry Rice. No other receiver was even close. You can argue about Barry and Emmitt... who you putting up against Jerry to debate who is better?

I propose Tom Brady vs Jerry Rice. As an argument of best player ever.

 

[cowboyec]

lotta bad-assery there in one photo.
Emmitt is still better,tho.

 

[Jipper]

I was lucky enough to be a 22 year old kid that was able to attend the 1992 NFC title game against the 49ers. I worked at Good Guys at the time while in colege, and was able to use a camera from the store and return it(i couldnt afford it) . I had ZERO experience with a camera, but I was lucky enoug to snap a picture of Emmitt just as he was crossing the goal line with hishand raised with the number 1. I have it framed in my man cave to this day. I was damn lucky to snap a pic of an iconic moment in Cowboys history!

you have to post said picture!

 

[OmerV]

Don't forget, Sanders quit on his team.

I live in his hometown about 5 miles away from the field that bears his name. Watched him in high school, and at OSU.

To this day and forever it will be Emmitt Smith > Barry Sanders.

I always say BS to this. Admittedly the timing wasn’t great for the Lions, but any person in any other occupation can retire when he chooses. Why can’t a football player?

 

[DandyTom64]

My goodness what a man I do love some earl

However I’ll double it...I rather Larry Allen come first with allstott behind him leading earl

Sorry I rather deal with power than speed not saying earl was slow because he wasn’t

Earl also has pretty good sausage. The kind you buy in the grocery store that is. Wouldn't know about the other.

 

[JayFord]

Earl also has pretty good sausage. The kind you buy in the grocery store that is. Wouldn't know about the other.

Is it like a bratwurst? If so I’m looking for it next time I go grocery shopping

 

[JoeKing]

I was doing a search last night on Google and stumbled into this extremely rare postgame photo of Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders together. The only pics you typically find of them together are from them at Pro Bowl practices in the early 90's and one in-game pic, and now mostly post retirement pics.

This is the very first photo I have ever seen of them together on the field in their team's uniform. I just thought this was too good not to share.

NOTE: Something they didn't do back then is swap autographed jersey which is the way it is meant to be. These athletes today are too much of a fanboy with their opponents.

 

[JayFord]

NOTE: Something they didn't do back then is swap autographed jersey which is the way it is meant to be. These athletes today are too much of a fanboy with their opponents.

This is why I say there are no rivalries in the nfl today

I would love to see randy white swap jerseys with Russ Grimm

 

[JoeKing]

This is why I say there are no rivalries in the nfl today

I would love to see randy white swap jerseys with Russ Grimm

Their careers overlap 1981-87. IIRC, the Manster retired in '87. Swapping jersey was definitely not happening between those two.

 

[JayFord]

Their careers overlap 1981-87. IIRC, the Manster retired in '87. Swapping jersey was definitely not happening between those two.

Over/under them swapping 5 fist?

 

[JoeKing]

Over/under them swapping 5 fist?

Let's put it this way, you'd be hard pressed to find a post-game picture of those two together.

 

[blueblood70]

RBs like those two playing in the league at the same time just doesnt happen anymore

umm really I believe its every generation SB, Gurley, Bell, and Zeke add forunette and Kamamra etc they are all pretty eliote..only time will tell if any or all pf tem can last liong enough top do what Smitha nd Sanders did..

I mean Thurman thomas, ricky waters and others were also dam good..

 

[lkelly]

Yeah. One of the commentators said they all went to OSU together during one of the Cowboys/ Bill's Superbowl. I looked it up years ago and an article said we signed a letter of intent to Florida. Decided not to go to Florida because of a coaching change or scheme change. Then went to OSU. So during spring training at OSU he figured he wasn't going to see playing time, so he transfered to Florida.
Its pretty impossible for me to fund that article now so I'll just give in and leave it alone. But I remember the article saying he spent spring training at OSU.

But I remember an in game commentator saying those three guys were at OSU together. And we looked it up decades ago and found an article saying the same thing.

It's hard to prove a guy went to OSU when he didnt play a down for them.

He didn't. The announcer was either wrong or you remembered it incorrectly. If he'd signed with OSU then he certainly couldn't have signed his letter of intent with Florida. On top of that, he would have had to sit out a year due to the transfer so there would be a big gap in his playing career between college and high school. For those of us around during that time, it's pretty easy to remember his college career since he was such a decorated HS player. It took him a few games before he started at UF, but he quickly became the man. Galen Hall was his college coach through most of his career there until he was fired (resigned) part of the way through the '89 season. After the bowl game, when Emmitt saw that Spurrier was coming in to coach, he declared for the draft.

 

[Thomas82]

Nope, can't let this one go.

A case can be made that Emmitt Smith is not only the best running back ever but might have been the best NFL player ever (i believe so, he's the best i've seen and i go back to the early 70s).

He was incredible, a true 3 down back that could do it all, run, receive and block, he simply did not come off the field.

He was a touchdown scoring machine in a game where touchdowns determine winning teams, he had no peer as a back.

Barry Sanders, was an electric runner, no question. However, he was often a drive killer by taking huge losses on runs where he tried to create something from nothing. Emmitt simply would not lose yards he was a drive provider, chunk after chunk time after time.

Barry often came out on 3rd down because his pass blocking was poor, Emmitt as mentioned never left the field as he was an excellent blocker so his pass receiving and running skills were still a threat on 3rd down.

Barry generally left the field on goal line situations for bigger backs, his size viewed as detriment down deep. Emmitt was a goal line touchdown phenomenon.

Barry's line in Detroit was a very good one despite myths saying otherwise.

Emmitt was a leader, driving his teammates, never allowing them to let up.

I would be willing to bet a lot of money that if you polled all the NFL coaches from that era more than 80% would make Emmitt their back of choice over Barry all things considered.

All in all i simply don't have the time or skills to truly do justice to the Emmitt versus Barry debate, there are people much more gifted than myself who break this down better than i do. Emmitt was the better player without question.

Despite the skills you claim not to have, this is a very good breakdown.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

He didn't. The announcer was either wrong or you remembered it incorrectly. If he'd signed with OSU then he certainly couldn't have signed his letter of intent with Florida. On top of that, he would have had to sit out a year due to the transfer so there would be a big gap in his playing career between college and high school. For those of us around during that time, it's pretty easy to remember his college career since he was such a decorated HS player. It took him a few games before he started at UF, but he quickly became the man. Galen Hall was his college coach through most of his career there until he was fired (resigned) part of the way through the '89 season. After the bowl game, when Emmitt saw that Spurrier was coming in to coach, he declared for the draft.

I can only say what I remember. Me and the guys at work years ago found the article that said Smith was at OSU then transferred before the season even started. He and Barry were freshmen. Smith basically took one look at Barry knew he wasn't going to get playing time and left. So he never played a down at OSU.

Dont know much about college rules but sitting out a season only happens after a player has aquired a certain number of snaps. Players transfer all the time without having to sit out because they haven't played enough. That's the one rule I do know.

 

[Ranching]

I’m too lazy to look it up but I believe it took Emmitt a couple years longer just to reach Barry’s total rushing yards and yeah he played behind a much worse O line and didn’t have the same threats Emmitt did to take pressure off him.

I wish Barry had played for us....we would probably won three superbowls in four years.....

 

[Thomas82]

NOTE: Something they didn't do back then is swap autographed jersey which is the way it is meant to be. These athletes today are too much of a fanboy with their opponents.

You have a good point there.

 

[lkelly]

I can only say what I remember. Me and the guys at work years ago found the article that said Smith was at OSU then transferred before the season even started. He and Barry were freshmen. Smith basically took one look at Barry knew he wasn't going to get playing time and left. So he never played a down at OSU.

Dont know much about college rules but sitting out a season only happens after a player has aquired a certain number of snaps. Players transfer all the time without having to sit out because they haven't played enough. That's the one rule I do know.

The rules just a few years ago were much different than today regarding transfers. Once you signed your letter of intent (before you even stepped foot on campus), you were bound to the school. To transfer, a coach would have to release you from your letter of intent and he could block certain schools as a condition. If Emmitt, in this tangent universe, had signed with OSU, he would have at least sat out the 1987 season just to be able to transfer. A more likely tangent universe scenario is that he would have stayed at OSU for his freshman season, then transferred in the spring. In that case he would have had to sit out in 1988.

Of course none of this happened, just like he wasn't drafted by the Jets, took one look at Blair Thomas, then demanded a trade to Dallas. It's clearly documented that he was Florida's top hyped recruit after a record setting career at Escambia, he signed with Galen Hall and UF, starred as a freshman, and left after his junior year.

Perhaps your news source tried to imply that he was recruited by OSU and decided not to sign there because Barry Sanders was coming off a 325 yard, 2 TD season and that was somehow enough to dissuade him from joining the team. I don't know enough about Emmitt's recruiting visits, but my guess is that he was Florida's to lose (or at least one of the in-state schools). Barry didn't really explode onto the scene until his 1988 junior year.