You missed the Peterson discussion yesterday. I see your Emmitt Smith who he is not built like and raise you Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis, Gayle Sayers, Marcus Allen, Roger Craig, Floyd Little, Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, Thurman Thomas, and Earl Thomas all whom were HoF and tanked before age 30. Most of them were down by age 27.
You have Riggins and the three twins and then you have everyone else. The percentages are horrible even for HoF running backs. 4 of 14 is 28%.
Also, I see your fluff emotional piece and raise you:
He is following the tosb trajectory.
I'm jumping on this because correction is needed, Fuzzy. I watched Gale Sayers play. He was my childhood hero.
He blew out his knee on a hit by 49er DB Kermit Alexander in game 10 of the '68 season - at the time he was averaging 6.2 ypc and leading the NFL in rushing. Despite prehistoric surgical techniques by today's standards, Sayers returned to lead the NFL in rushing the following season. Sayers ran a 9.5 100 yd dash at Kansas and, except for Jim Brown, I have seen every great NFL running back of the past six decades, and of those, none was as electrifying as Sayers (not even Barry, IMO). He did not
tank out by age 30. He never was the same after a devastating injury and never had a run of longer than 28 yd after his first knee injury. He retired in 1970 at the age of 27 (IRIC). Gale was known for not so much his straight line speed - and he was blazing fast - but for his ability to accelerate and cut on a dime. Shredded knee ligaments, not age, robbed him of his greatest God-given abilities.
Jim Brown retired at age 29 after posting the 2nd most productive season of his nine-year career. He had over 1500 yd and 17 TD in 14 games. He left in his prime. He hardly
tanked out by age 30.
At ages 29 and 30, Emmitt had 700+ touches for 3000+ yd from scrimmage, scored 28 TD and had seven fumbles. And this was at a time when the Cowboys' 90s dynasty was clearly in decline, if not free fall. He was not the Emmitt of 91-95, but he hardly tanked.
Barry rushed for 2053 yd at age 29 and had a combined 4100+ yd from scrimmage at ages 29-30. He retired at 30 after just missing another 1500 yd season by nine yards. He had Walter Payton's career record in his sights, and barring serious injury, was a lock to reach it. Hardly tanking, IMO.
Walter Payton had over 7800 YdScm, including nearly 6000 yd rushing between ages 29 and 32. I watched his entire career, and at 32 he was still punishing bigger LBers. Walter finally "tanked" at 33 when Neil Anderson took over the brunt of rushing duties for the Bears.
Also, Allen, Craig, Bettis and Thomas were all fine backs, but none were as good as Adrian Peterson. Allen had great longevity and was a very versatile overall back (as was Craig), but Peterson is head and shoulders over those guys (IMO) and why I did not address any of them above.
If you want to make the argument (along with others on this thread) that Peterson is ready for AARP benefits then at least back it up with facts. If you don't want Peterson in a Cowboys uniform, that's fine. You are as much entitled to your opinion as I am of mine.
I've watched the careers of Walter Payton and Adrian Peterson. Walter was 5'10" 205 lb, was probably the most physical back of his era (or at the least, was second only to Earl Campbell), and had the heart of a lion. Peterson, at 6'1" 217 lb, is almost as physical at Walter was (I do stress "almost"), more explosive in his cuts and faster than Walter, and, like Walter, is a warrior, plays all-out every down and in incredible physical condition.
Because I see some of Walter's traits in him, I do believe Peterson has two more
great years left in him. I think he can do great things behind the Cowboys O-line, which is probably the best run-blocking line in football and, for the first time in his career, with a top tier QB in the same backfield.
I watched Dorsett play at Pitt, Campbell at Texas, the constant train of great USC running backs from the late 60s through the 70s, and I saw all of the NFL greats from Sayers' rookie year forward. Adrian Peterson belongs in that rarified air with the best of all-time. IMO, Peterson is somewhere between no. 7 and no. 9 among the greatest RBs ever. I think, at 30, he will give the Cowboys much more than Gordon or Coleman or Ajayi or anyone else at 22, including Gurley when his knee is healed. I don't see Peterson tanking in 2015, and certainly not behind what is developing into the best run blocking line in the past 20 years.
