Tomlinson is halfway to Emmitt

[THUMPER]

I just saw that LaDanian Tomlinson has 9176 rushing yards and needs 9179 yards to catch Emmitt's 18355 yards, almost exactly halfway after only 6 seasons. He is more than halfway in rushing TDs with 100 while Emmitt has 164.

That said, Tomlinson would need to average about 1150 yards for the next 8 seasons to pass Emmitt. That doesn't sound like much for a guy who is averaging over 1500 yards per year now but he has only missed one game so far and if he gets hurt even slightly it would drop that average down.

Also, he is 27 now and in 8 years will be 35, that's getting up there for RBs and only a very few guys were able to maintain even a semblance of their former abilities. Injuries and just the wear and tear of carrying the ball so many times breaks guys down.

Personally, I don't believe that LT will be able to stay healthy and near the top of his game long enough to pass Emmitt although I do believe that he will get close (top-5 for sure). I thought Curtis Martin might come close but even though he had an amazing year in 2004 his body broke down on him the following year and he retired 4000+ yards short.

No one else has a realistic shot at the record besides LT so do you think he might make it?

He may break Emmitt's TD record though, especially at the rate he is going now as he is already in 6th place after only 6 seasons. Truly an amazing RB!

It just goes to show how great Emmitt really was.

So yes or no, will LT break Emmitt's all-time rushing record?

I say NO.

 

[Alexander]

If he does, more power to him. I won't worry about it, that record is very hard to overcome.

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Emmitt- 3 Super Bowls
Tomlinson- 0 Super bowls

 

[AbeBeta]

This is all about being healthy.

That said, I think that the way the Chargers use LT, they may end up running him into the ground. He has nearly 400 catches in his 6 seasons. He's touching the over 400 times a season on average.

That's a formula for big numbers but also for getting hurt.

But if anyone breaks the record, LT would be a great guy to do it.

 

[Future]

i dont think he is going to be playing still when he is 35...he would need a couple of outstanding years, compared to what he is already done, to even have a chance imo

i just dont foresee this record getting broken any time in the near future

 

[Alexander]

Emmitt- 3 Super Bowls
Tomlinson- 0 Super bowls

Jim Brown - 0 Super Bowls.

Walter Payton - 1 Super Bowls.

That doesn't diminish what any of them acccomplished.

 

[ghst187]

well, I honestly think Tomlinson is a better player than Emmitt was, not by much, but he just might be a little better. He has a good attitude also, so if someone is going to break it, Tomlinson wouldn't be so bad.
That said, what usually happens, and I certainly don't wish this on him or anyone else, is that a RB that starts getting talk of catching Emmitt gets injured...comes back and gets injured...and the injuries snowball into retirement. Terrell Davis, Curtis Martin....when a RB gets old, the pounding just takes its toll and injuries get harder to recover from. I think when Tom hits 14,000, then we can start legitimately talking about him breaking the record. Its a lot harder to break that record than just being a great back, you have to be a great back for a LONG time, play on winning teams, and stay relatively injury free most of it...and then hope the team lets you keep playing long enough vice bringing in someone younger....
its going to be a tough record to catch, not impossible, but tough

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Jim Brown - 0 Super Bowls.

Walter Payton - 1 Super Bowls.

That doesn't diminish what any of them acccomplished.

Agreed, but it's not something to sneeze at either.

 

[Alexander]

well, I honestly think Tomlinson is a better player than Emmitt was

I believe he is far more of an offensive weapon. Running and catching, he is superior.

He had his best season with what amounts to a rookie quarterback, a good tight end, a rookie left tackle and virtually no wide receiver threats on his offense. And he dominated. Take Aikman, Irvin and the OL away from Emmitt Smith, I wonder if you see the same type of production.

 

[AbeBeta]

I believe he is far more of an offensive weapon. Running and catching, he is superior.

He had his best season with what amounts to a rookie quarterback, a good tight end, a rookie left tackle and virtually no wide receiver threats on his offense. And he dominated. Take Aikman, Irvin and the OL away from Emmitt Smith, I wonder if you see the same type of production.

ahhh, another version of the old "if Barry Sanders had Emmitt's OL...." argument.

 

[Alexander]

ahhh, another version of the old "if Barry Sanders had Emmitt's OL...." argument.

I never said that. I just do not believe that Emmitt Smith was capable of being what we recall him as under any other circumstances. We had the right team, the right line, the right situation when he was in his prime. And no free agency. Once that occurred his OL get picked apart and we lost some of his better blockers like Stepnoski and Gogan. Smith was a battering ram who did his best work after we jumped out via the pass. He was not a single-man show like Tomlinson has been for the most part.

 

[Crown Royal]

The comparisons aren't a big deal to me. Emmitt was greatness and will always be remembered in this league. He was a Cowboys and an adopted Texan.

That being said, a born Texan & TCU player has my eye too. In my short life, I have never seen a football player more dominant than Tomlinson. There is nothing he isn't great at. He is playing better right now than Emmitt, Barry, Payton, Brown, etc. blah blah blah ever played at any point in their career.

The only question is if he will keep it up.

 

[burmafrd]

Its a valid point though. Every D that LT faced this year knew that stopping him meant stopping SD. Didn't do much good. And it is true that for the best years of his career Emmitt had the best offense in football around him. A great O line untill about 1999. ANd A top QB and WR and TE to take the pressure off.

 

[burmafrd]

During his best years Brown was more dominant.

 

[McCordsville Cowboy]

Tyson Thompson would own Jim Brown..

 

[RealCowboyfan]

Emmitt- 3 Super Bowls
Tomlinson- 0 Super bowls

Really. That's the real stat right there. No doubt Emmitt is still going to be the best runningback but I do have to say that in rushing statistics I believe L.T. is going to surpass Emmitt, why? because he has durability and he knows how to avoid them clean hits. This is a rusher that's probably going to surpass the all-total yards, but what does all that mean and you don't have a ring on your finger. hmmmmm.... Remind you of anyone? Does Dan Marino comes in mind?, I wonder.

 

[Alexander]

The comparisons aren't a big deal to me.

Nor should they be.

I think Roger Staubach was an outstanding QB, but someone saying Joe Montana was better doesn't get my BVDs riding up my bottom either.

I know enough what Roger did for THIS team and what it meant to me. Comparing the "greatest ever" doesn't have my application to a team sport such as football either. The great ones were often products of luck and circumstance as much as pure ability. This isn't like baseball where the individual element does play a bigger role.

 

[Crown Royal]

Nor should they be.

I think Roger Staubach was an outstanding QB, but someone saying Joe Montana was better doesn't get my BVDs riding up my bottom either.

I know enough what Roger did for THIS team and what it meant to me. Comparing the "greatest ever" doesn't have my application to a team sport such as football either. The great ones were often products of luck and circumstance as much as pure ability. This isn't like baseball where the individual element does play a bigger role.

It's early, but this might be the post of the day.

For me - I'm more of a football fan than a Cowboys fan. I love the Cowboys, I grew up in Dallas, but I have just as much fun watching HS football if it's a good game.

The same kinda goes for the players - when it gets to that level, it becomes someone ridiculous to talk about the 'greatest ever.' They are all pretty damn good. Some did things better than others, big deal. I can still admire Emmitt with much respect while being amazed at what Tomlinson has accomplished.

 

[burmafrd]

LT has lucked out in that he came into the Chargers when they finally started to come back from the funk they had been in since their SB year. Like Emmitt coming in just as we were putting it all together.

 

[Hoofbite]

If there was any player who I would like to see break that record, LT would be the guy.

He plays the game right. Aside from him being a little sour about losing to the Pats, LT is the meaning of the word "professional". He seems like a really good guy and he is exactly what the NFL should be about.

Its good to see guys who deserve to succeed and if anyone is going to break that record, LT would be my choice. Not some loud mouth hero who tells you about how good he is or spends most of his time during the week thinking about how to get on sportscenter with his endzone celebration. LT is a classy guy and if he breaks it, then more power to him because he deserved every bit of it.