NFL: Gil Brandt's 25 greatest NFL running backs of all time (Emmitt 11th)

CODE_BLUE56

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Dropping that Jackie knowledge, thanks Blue and Hayes :bow:

I did watch a recent documentary on him, tho I don’t remember where. Sad also that it was recent and I don’t remember where lol

It’s apparent I woefully overlooked him, even as it was spoon fed to me via the boob-tube.

Thanks fellas, for educating this 30-something dude over here
Not to make you feel bad or anything, but I am actually younger than you are lol. I just have an interest in sports history :). But thanks!
 

Alexander

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I've always said Emmitt was the best big game running back I've ever seen.... that's good enough for me.
I don't personally think Emmitt Smith was the best RB in NFL history.

But if someone argues he was, I don't see the value in arguing to the contrary.

He has the numbers. He earned everything he got.
 

CODE_BLUE56

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Here’s the thing too many of us forget about Jackie Robinson. Not only was he a great three sport athlete (baseball, football and track) but none of us will ever be able to understand what kind of hatred and pressure he was under in 1947 as he broke the color barrier. The verbal abuse, spitting, spiking and chin music he received would have crushed most athletes mentally.

Jackie Robinson’s greatest athletic gift was his mental toughness. That is one of the most underrated qualities of a great athlete. Mental toughness. It’s not speed or quickness or strength. Its the ability to overcome the vice-like pressure of people constantly hating on you and hoping you fail. Not to mention the pressure of representing an entire ethnic group as the icon of that sport. None of us could ever know what kind of mental toughness that required. And he was a great player despite all that. Jackie Robinson is an American hero, regardless of athletic ranking.
Very good point regarding mental toughness. A player's psyche is crucial to their performance. No doubt Robinson faced incredible adversity, and was able to persevere despite that. Nothing short of remarkable.
 

diefree666

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I'm not too familiar with Jackie Robinson's physical tools, but he played four sports at UCLA, and baseball was his worst lol. But yea, I don't think Jackie is really on Thorpe or Bo's level.

MJ is up there, he was ridiculously good at basketball, but I don't know that his abilities were as translatable to other sports. Wasn't that great of a baseball player.


Maybe if Ruth took care of himself lol. But yea he was stupid good at baseball.

Trying to think of some others: Wilt was a freak. He's up there

LeBron and Usain Bolt also come to mind.

It can be a tricky question. I am putting a little more weight on pure physical ability and being able to play multiple sports well. That's where I think some of the baseball guys might lack a little, to be honest.
I consider Ruth the greatest baseball player because he is the only one that would have made the HOF as either a pitcher or as a regular player.
 

Trouty

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Not to make you feel bad or anything, but I am actually younger than you are lol. I just have an interest in sports history :). But thanks!
Gah! As do I (have an interet in sport’s history).

I have been heavily distracted tonight, and also haven’t seen Jackie on very many top-all-time athlete lists.

As I previously mentioned, I recently watched a documentary on him (maybe HBO?) but I didn’t pay close enough attention, obviously, as he has come up in this thread several times, regarding all-time athletes. There’s merit to that, in lieu of the narrative from posters such as yourself and Hayes bringing him up. It’s intriguing. Really!

But “gah” I say to your age, relative to knowledge of sports history and how inadequate it’s making me feel right now! :) jk :)

I hope you’re, like, 33 lol :D
 

CODE_BLUE56

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Gah! As do I (have an interet in sport’s history).

I have been heavily distracted tonight, and also haven’t seen Jackie on very many top-all-time athlete lists.

As I previously mentioned, I recently watched a documentary on him (maybe HBO?) but I didn’t pay close enough attention, obviously, as he has come up in this thread several times, regarding all-time athletes. There’s merit to that, in lieu of the narrative from posters such as yourself and Hayes bringing him up. It’s intriguing. Really!

But “gah” I say to your age, relative to knowledge of sports history and how inadequate it’s making me feel right now! :) jk :)

I hope you’re, like, 33 lol :D

To be fair, I also took a sports history class in college in which we talked about Jackie a bit(because why the hell wouldn't we?) and that's why I remembered him being a 4 sport athlete. That helps lol. Best elective I took for sure(I was engineering so nice break from heavy math and science).

But yea, Jackie is a hell of an athlete.

And yea, I'm, uh, 33. We'll go with that....
 

Melonfeud

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When I said earlier in the thread that I wasn’t alone in thinking Emmitt wasn’t the ‘best ever’, I wasn’t really agreeing with Gil’s list (Emmitt at 11th is nonsense imo).

I agree that there are many in the conversation as best ever. Emmitt is part of that conversation with about 3 or 4 others. The bottom line is that there are just so many great RBs that’s it’s hard to pick a clear “#1”. This is not a slight on Emmitt. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of RBs. That should be enough.
Y'all know this cat is an under the wire sapper of philly fandom, also,RIGHT?:facepalm:
 

casmith07

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I'll give someone Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown over Emmitt...but after that I'm not sure who else you can legitimately argue was or is better than him -- even throwing out the championships (which everyone should do in any discussion like this in a team sport).
 

kskboys

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I don't personally think Emmitt Smith was the best RB in NFL history.

But if someone argues he was, I don't see the value in arguing to the contrary.

He has the numbers. He earned everything he got.
That's pretty much the way I feel.
 

kskboys

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I'll give someone Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown over Emmitt...but after that I'm not sure who else you can legitimately argue was or is better than him -- even throwing out the championships (which everyone should do in any discussion like this in a team sport).
You should go watch some tapes of Earl Campbell his first 5 years!!!!!!
 

casmith07

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You should go watch some tapes of Earl Campbell his first 5 years!!!!!!

Sure, but only his first 5 years? A few of Emmitt's hallmarks were durability and longevity. I think those are important attributes to consider when ranking all-time greats.
 

kskboys

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Sure, but only his first 5 years? A few of Emmitt's hallmarks were durability and longevity. I think those are important attributes to consider when ranking all-time greats.
Absolutely!!!!!!

I'm a huge Gale Sayers fan, but I wouldn't put him this high, because he played for such a short time. He had some yds after his gruesome injury, but he wasn't all that effective any more.

Bo doesn't have anywhere near enough yds to even enter this conversation. Geez, there's guys who rushed for almost his career total in one season.

And do you include the one dimensional guys like AP and Dickerson? Yes, they were great runners, but just how great are they when they won't even block? If we're talking about the best of all time, shouldn't that be considered?

The Edge, Marshall Faulk, Bettis, and LT are grossly underrated as RB's by many/most.
 

Keithfansince5

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Just one mans opinion. Who cares? To me, ES is the best all time. He is the NFL ALL TIME LEADING RUSHER.
 

TheFinisher

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These lists are fun to spark debate, but there's really no method to formulating an accurate "greatest of all time" list.

Having said that, leaving the all time leading rusher out of the top 10 seems odd.
 
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