NFLN - Top 10 Most Elusive Runners...

[JonJon]

Double hammer for you.

I don't know what people are smoking... how do you people think Faulk amassed so many yards? Teams knew that he was going to get the ball on screen plays and dumpoffs yet he almost always made the first guy miss.

Rashard Lee was great in the open field and made people miss when he had the ball in his hand. That doesn't mean he deserves to be on the all time most elusive runner list. I can name a handful of players that are elusive that didn't make the list: Warrick Dunn, Dante Hall, Deion Sanders, Brian Mitchell, Desmond Howard, Eric Metcalf...all of whom I consider more elusive than Faulk. Like I said before, Faulk was more like Smith with Speed; a RB that used his vision and cutback abilities to get yardage. He did make people miss, but I believe his elusive ability is exaggerated by this list.

 

[DallasEast]

Marshall Faulk definitely deserves to make that list because he made plenty of people look stupid in the open field and in traffic...

* following Bouncing Cheese's lead on this... *



Two more mentionables. The list wasn't restricted to running backs only. And Faulk's listing can't be regulated to RB elusiveness only. He's one of the League's all-time combined yardage leaders and also demonstrated his elusiveness as a receiver.

 

[iceberg]

You just have to love the fact that Emmitt gets labeled as a downfield runner because he hit the hole and then made his moves in the secondary. It really is very funny I have to say. He was a great inside runner who then was very elusive in the defensive backfield.

It makes me laugh at how little credit Emmitt gets at times.

11 or 12th in every list:laugh2:

emmitt gets a LOT of credit and love. it's just amazing to me how many "emmitt fans" think that every time a RB is mentioned they get more defensive about emmitt than he likely does *if* emmitt isn't shown "proper love".

 

[Stautner]

You just have to love the fact that Emmitt gets labeled as a downfield runner because he hit the hole and then made his moves in the secondary. It really is very funny I have to say. He was a great inside runner who then was very elusive in the defensive backfield.

It makes me laugh at how little credit Emmitt gets at times.

11 or 12th in every list:laugh2:

Again, I have to wonder if you are judging from highlight films.

Emmitt didn't get big gaines by being elusive in the defensive backfield, typically it was because he hit the hole so hard that he was through it and running by the LB's and DB's before they could react.

He was typically more of a one hard cut guy then just drive his legs and try and break through the tackles.

He rarely ever made "moves" in the secondary - it was typically one cut and drive with his legs.

The elite guys in terms of being elusive are the ones that made their yardage by avodiing contact at all, not by making one cut and driving through tackles.

Don't you see the difference?

No one is saying Emmitt wasn't elusive, but he wasn't one of those guys that built is career by out juking and faking defenders, and on getting yardage by avoiding contact.

Hell, he didn't even try to make his yardage that way.

 

[cowboyeric8]

I'm not complaining about the ranking, because well I only knew 3-4 guys on the list and have basically only seen highlight films. So I'm not complaining about the rankings. But I think the Top 10 topic is just dumb, entirely to large of topic to be discussed. JMO, anyway Emmitt needs to be on the list darnit, haha kidding.

 

[JonJon]

Well Donavan McNabb needs to be on that list because he always seems to elude winning a championship game. Ha Ha.

 

[Stautner]

I'm not complaining about the ranking, because well I only knew 3-4 guys on the list and have basically only seen highlight films. So I'm not complaining about the rankings. But I think the Top 10 topic is just dumb, entirely to large of topic to be discussed. JMO, anyway Emmitt needs to be on the list darnit, haha kidding.

You are right, it is a large topic, and there are a lot of borderline candidates for this list, and probably a few that don't belong.

I just don't like people giving characterstics to players that don't really describe them just becasue they like them. Posters should at least try and be fair and honest.

Some seem to think it's a slap in Emmitt's face if was say anything other than he was the fastest, strongest, most elusive, most instinct RB ever, with the best balance and vision of any RB in history.

Let's be realistic, Emmitt was what Emmitt was - good in all of those categories, and phenominal in some - and what Emmitt did carried him to an amazing career.

That's it. If he was phenominal in EVERY category he would have rushed for 30,000 yards. NO ONE - not even our beloved Emmitt - is phenominal in all categories.

 

[cowboyeric8]

You are right, it is a large topic, and there are a lot of borderline candidates for this list, and probably a few that don't belong.

I just don't like people giving characterstics to players that don't really describe them just becasue they like them. Posters should at least try and be fair and honest.

Some seem to think it's a slap in Emmitt's face if was say anything other than he was the fastest, strongest, most elusive, most instinct RB ever, with the best balance and vision of any RB in history.

Let's be realistic, Emmitt was what Emmitt was - good in all of those categories, and phenominal in some - and what Emmitt did carried him to an amazing career.

That's it. If he was phenominal in EVERY category he would have rushed for 30,000 yards. NO ONE - not even our beloved Emmitt - is phenominal in all categories.

completely agree

 

[cowboyeric8]

Well Donavan McNabb needs to be on that list because he always seems to elude winning a championship game. Ha Ha.

Haha, I enjoy any comment on any eagle player

 

[Big Country]

I knew right when they advertised this show that Barry Sanders would be the #1 most elusive runner... hands down... the rest of them just garnish the trade.

 

[jackrussell]

1A- Barry Sanders
1B- Gale Sayers

















The rest.

 

[iceberg]

1A- Barry Sanders
1B- Gale Sayers

The rest.

i never got to see sayers play but from what i understood he was *damn* elusive.

most backs have their traits. elusive is just one that not all backs have. just because someone misses you from time to time doesn't mean that RB has a "10" in that category.

sherman williams has people miss him too. well, not after he was cut, no...

if you list a top 10 *overall* backs in all time then yes, emmitt should be high up on the list. but if you target a segment then there are many who did in fact excel in that area worthy of mention.

as a complete package emmitt was one of the best and rightfully so. but that alone doesn't mean he needs to be mentioned anytime someone has a RB list they create for whatever reason. there is a world of football outside of dallas.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

1A- Barry Sanders
1B- Gale Sayers

















The rest.

People don't know how really great Sayers was. Sanders was great but Sayers had the moves and the power to go with it. Just a real shame his career was cut short.

As an aside, Reggie Bush will be on this list very, very soon.

 

[joseephuss]

i never got to see sayers play but from what i understood he was *damn* elusive.

most backs have their traits. elusive is just one that not all backs have. just because someone misses you from time to time doesn't mean that RB has a "10" in that category.

sherman williams has people miss him too. well, not after he was cut, no...

if you list a top 10 *overall* backs in all time then yes, emmitt should be high up on the list. but if you target a segment then there are many who did in fact excel in that area worthy of mention.

as a complete package emmitt was one of the best and rightfully so. but that alone doesn't mean he needs to be mentioned anytime someone has a RB list they create for whatever reason. there is a world of football outside of dallas.

Top 10 fastest running back of all time. Emmitt would not make that list. Heck, he probably isn't top 100. He was not slow, but there were plenty of guys who were straight line faster. Guys like Justin Fargas, Tyrone Wheatley, Tyson Thompson and a whole bunch of other nobodies make that list. Other than speed, what else have they done. That still doesn't take away from what Emmitt accomplished, which is a lot. He is a top 5 back of all time in my opinion. He, Payton, Brown, Sanders and pick whomever you want at #5. He did that without great speed or being the most elusive of all time. What would he have done if he was the best at those two traits?

 

[jimmy40]

What a stupid list.

Having two of the top running backs ever, and who have the most yards ever, NOT on the list (Payton and Smith) reeks of asininity.

Ask all the defenders Payton ran over if he even tried to be elusive?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Ask all the defenders Payton ran over if he even tried to be elusive?

Ask Earl. That's where that discussion starts and stops IMO.

 

[jimmy40]

Ask Earl. That's where that discussion starts and stops IMO.

Payton ran a hell of alot more like Earl than he ran like Sanders. I can't believe anyone could see Payton as an elusive runner.
The only time I saw Earl try to elude someone was the guy from OU he hurdled.

 

[JonJon]

I knew right when they advertised this show that Barry Sanders would be the #1 most elusive runner... hands down... the rest of them just garnish the trade.

Barry Sanders was my favorite player outside of anyone who ever wore a Dallas Cowboys uniform. He was such a phenomenal and exciting player to watch. You can't just focus on the highlight reels either, because there were so many plays in which he just embarrassed defenses with his elusiveness, even on plays in which he didn't gain many yards. I remember a play in which he juked about 7 players running sideways. The play only gained about 3 yards, but he ran about 40 yards to get it. Until this day, I believe that if Sanders didn't retire early, he would have be the all-time rushing yardage leader and would have put the record out of Emmitt's reach. Treachery? No. Being realistic? Yes.

Edit: For those of you that still do not know what being elusive is, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-szKE2FXDQ

And check out what he did to our very own at the 1:16 minute mark.

 

[joseephuss]

Barry Sanders was my favorite player outside of anyone who ever wore a Dallas Cowboys uniform. He was such a phenomenal and exciting player to watch. You can't just focus on the highlight reels either, because there were so many plays in which he just embarrassed defenses with his elusiveness, even on plays in which he didn't gain many yards. I remember a play in which he juked about 7 players running sideways. The play only gained about 3 yards, but he ran about 40 yards to get it. Until this day, I believe that if Sanders didn't retire early, he would have be the all-time rushing yardage leader and would have put the record out of Emmitt's reach. Treachery? No. Being realistic? Yes.

Edit: For those of you that still do not know what being elusive is, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-szKE2FXDQ

And check out what he did to our very own at the 1:16 minute mark.

All I know is that a Barry Sanders juke caused Rod Woodson to tear his ACL. That is elusiveness.

 

[jackrussell]

i never got to see sayers play but from what i understood he was *damn* elusive.

People don't know how really great Sayers was. Sanders was great but Sayers had the moves and the power to go with it. Just a real shame his career was cut short.

As an aside, Reggie Bush will be on this list very, very soon.

EDIT:

1A Gale Sayers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtfZYe7JDw0

2- Barry Sanders

Perhaps I've allowed the new age crowd talk me into Barry Sanders being the most elusive runner.....but upon further review....I'll stick with the Kansas Comet.

The impact he made as a RB/KR in just 6 years is unmatched...with Bo Jackson a distant 2nd. Good gawd..HOF with just 6 years? Even more amazing he would have made it if he had just played 5..maybe even 4.

Gale was silky smooth elusive on the move....and had the after burners to go with it.

Saying he wasn't that elusive because of an injury shortened career is just plain ignorant. If there was the medical technology available then as there is today, those knees would have taken him for many more yards.