Just read this and wanted to post it cuz I thought it was pretty cool.  The only complaint I have is that I believe Sanders and Payton should be flip-flopped.  Barry was definitely the most electrifying, but any RB who had to be taken out around the goal line, put up terrible postseason numbers and quit on his team should NOT be ahead of Sweetness, who was quite the contrary in all of those categories...



Don Shula, Marv Levy, Emmitt Thomas, Jack Bushofsky, Dan Reeves, Jerry Richardson, Robert Smith and Floyd Reese helped ESPN evaluate the best running backs in NFL history. ESPN.com weighed their contributions, balancing rankings with anecdotal evidence and statistics to create the following list:

 1. JIM BROWN
Career: Upon retiring before '66 season, the Browns' RB was all-time leader in rushing yards (12,312), all-purpose yards (15,549) and touchdowns (126).
Quick quote: "Incredible combination of speed and power. As a defensive back, I'm happy he retired just as I came into the league, because my career might have been a lot shorter if I had to tackle him.'' -- Thomas

2. BARRY SANDERS
Career: Sudden retirement in '99 came with the Lions' RB trailing only Walter Payton on the all-time rushing list. Ran for more than 1,500 yards in a season five times.
Quick quote: "He's the only guy I've ever seen who could hurt defenders without touching them. He'd have them twisting their ankles and running into each other.'' -- Reese

3. WALTER PAYTON
Career: Played on mediocre Bears teams until late in career but retired as leading rusher (16,726) in history.
Quick quote: "The most complete back ever."' -- Shula

4. EMMITT SMITH
Career: Smith, who played 13 seasons for Dallas and two for Arizona, took over as all-time rushing leader in '02. His 164 rushing touchdowns are the most in history.
Quick quote: "Phenomenal and extremely tough player. Incredible balance and leverage.'' -- Reeves

5. GALE SAYERS
Career: Knee problems forced him to retire in '71 after seven seasons with the Bears. At 33, he was the youngest person selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Quick quote: "I used to watch him and say, 'How can anybody be that good?'" -- Levy

6. LADAINIAN TOMLINSON
Career: The Chargers' RB has at least 1,200 rushing yards and 50 receptions in each of his first seven seasons.
Quick quote: "He brings as much versatility as any running back ever has.'' -- Smith

7. MARSHALL FAULK
Career: Began career with Indianapolis in '94 but was traded to St. Louis in '99 and became cornerstone of "Greatest Show on Turf." First running back in history to lead his team in receptions in five different seasons.
Quick quote: "Could have been an All-Pro as a wide receiver.'' -- Bushofsky

8. O.J. SIMPSON
Career: The Bills' great became the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season when he gained 2,003 in '73.
Quick quote: "He had it all. He had the same type balance as Jim Brown, and he could just keep going and going.'' -- Reeves

9. LENNY MOORE
Credentials: One of Johnny Unitas' key weapons for the Colts, he scored a touchdown in 18 straight regular-season appearances between '63 and '65.
Quick quote: "He may be underappreciated, but he was very similar to what Marshall Faulk has been more recently.'' -- Richardson, who was Moore's teammate for two years in Baltimore.

10. ERIC DICKERSON
Credentials: Reached 10,000 rushing yards in 91 games (the fastest pace in history) and rushed for 2,105 yards in '84. Played for Rams, Colts, Falcons and Raiders.
Quick quote: "He didn't look fast, but he was so long-legged that he could go the distance.'' -- Reeves

Barry was the reason I bought my Lion's season tickets.

The one thing people always tend to leave out about Barry is the one record he broke:

All-Time NFL Leader in Negative Yards

Barry was the man, do not get me wrong, but he put the Lions in tons of 2nd and 3rd and longs due to him not being consistent on every down like a Jim Brown or Emmit Smith.

I believe him and Brown are the only HOF RBs to average 5+ yards for their career.

That's exactly why he should not be in the conversation as the very best.  To me, it's either Brown or Payton, and I would even argue that Emmitt shoulde be higher than Barry...

before it's all said and done, AD, Adrian "All Day" Peterson will be in this discussion! guaranteed!

If he stays healthy, for sure - that is a big "if" though considering his history.

Just look at Terrell Davis... 

Matty O'Shea:

That's exactly why he should not be in the conversation as the very best.  To me, it's either Brown or Payton, and I would even argue that Emmitt shoulde be higher than Barry...

For my MONEY............SWEETNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For sure Emmitt should not be higher. Give Barry that line and team.

Also Matty, in defense of Barry, in regards to the negative yard statistic, he only averaged a little over 40 yards more than Walter in that area. Since Barry has the record, people forget Payton was not much better than Barry on negative yards.

Johnny Detroit:

For sure Emmitt should not be higher. Give Barry that line and team.

Also Matty, in defense of Barry, in regards to the negative yard statistic, he only averaged a little over 40 yards more than Walter in that area. Since Barry has the record, people forget Payton was not much better than Barry on negative yards.

I strongly disagree with this misconception JD. What did Dallas average rushing with that great line when Emmitt didn't play? Try 58.3 yards in seven games. This is the most overrated argument ever. Emmitt was great. Case closed. He made that line look good because of the tiny holes he would slip through. Now, the line was good, I'm not arguing that but it's not like you could just line up any back and he was going to run wild behind it. Emmitt is the best player in the history of the Dallas Cowboys and that's saying a lot. It's like Nate Newton said when Emmitt sat out the first two games of the 2003 season, "Before Emmitt got here we were average. Then he arrived and we turned into Pro Bowlers. Now he's gone and we're back to being average."

 Having said, I think Sanders was better. It took me until both guys retired to come to that conclusion but the guy simply did things I have yet to see again. Emmitt himself says Sanders is the best RB to ever play, along with Payton, so that alone is good enough for me. He was an amazing football player, it's just a shame his career was cut short because that idiot Wayne Fontes sucked the life out of him.

Dickerson gets freaking screwed in all these rankings. Below LT? Are you kidding me? Go take a look at the offenses Dickerson led to the playoffs with the Rams. Take a look at the quarterbacks. Dieter Brock? Give me a break. Maybe it's because he's one of my favorite players ever but I think Dickerson is one of the best of all-time. OJ should be ahead of LT as well. A know a lot of people from that time who say he was the Barry Sanders of that era. Besides, at least those two didn't stand on the sidelines acting like a bitch when the Super Bowl was on the line.

Payton is the single best football player I've ever seen. I did not see Jim Brown play, so I can't really speak intelligently about him, but I heard he wasn't bad either.

Averaged more than 40 yards in negative yardage?  That sounds like a lot to me.  At least the Bears left Sweetness in at the goal line so he could go over the top for a TD.  Not enough players do that anymore cuz they're afraid to get hurt.

JD, I am actually surprised that you stick up for Barry so much even though he is a quitter.  That would break my heart as a fan, and I would never get over it... 

Tommy Rider:

Johnny Detroit:

For sure Emmitt should not be higher. Give Barry that line and team.

Also Matty, in defense of Barry, in regards to the negative yard statistic, he only averaged a little over 40 yards more than Walter in that area. Since Barry has the record, people forget Payton was not much better than Barry on negative yards.

I strongly disagree with this misconception JD. What did Dallas average rushing with that great line when Emmitt didn't play? Try 58.3 yards in seven games. This is the most overrated argument ever. Emmitt was great. Case closed. He made that line look good because of the tiny holes he would slip through. Now, the line was good, I'm not arguing that but it's not like you could just line up any back and he was going to run wild behind it. Emmitt is the best player in the history of the Dallas Cowboys and that's saying a lot. Having said, I think Sanders was better. It took me until both guys retired to come to that conclusion but the guy simply did things I have yet to see again. He was an amazing football player, it's just a shame his career was cut short because Wayne Fontes sucked the life out of him.

Dickerson gets freaking screwed in all these rankings. Below LT? Are you kidding me? Go take a look at the offenses Dickerson led to the playoffs with the Rams. Take a look at the quarterbacks. Dieter Brock? Give me a break. Maybe it's because he's one of my favorite players ever but I think Dickerson is one of the best of all-time. OJ should be ahead of LT as well. A know a lot of people from that time who say he was the Barry Sanders of that era. Besides, at least those two didn't stand on the sidelines acting like a bitch when the Super Bowl was on the line.

Payton is the single best football player I've ever seen. I did not see Jim Brown play, so I can't really speak intelligently about him, but I heard he wasn't bad either.

 

I didn't appreciate Jim Brown until I went to Syracuse, and he is everywhere.  The guy was drafted to play in the NBA and is also known as one of the greatest lacrosse players ever.  Check this out...

"Brown played basketball his sophomore and junior years at Syracuse, averaging 13.1 points per game. He was a ferocious rebounder, and the best athlete on the floor. Brown would not return for his senior season however, because he was not permitted to be a starter. An unwritten rule of the time forbid schools to start three black athletes in basketball, and Syracuse had Vinnie Cohen and Manny Breland also on the team. Cohen believed Syracuse would have won the national title in basketball in 1957 if Brown had played with them; as it was, they lost in the elite eight.  He was drafted in the 9th round of the 1957 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals, but decided to play football (where he would become an NFL legend) instead."