Greatest College RB of all time

[bigboydan]

Okay, I lets pick a topic which will have mulitple great answers..."Who was the greatest college running back of All-time?"

I have gotten to see some good ones...Bo Jackson, Hershal Walker just to name a couple.

I think I remember being in awe more of the power backs...of which Jackson and Walker were awesome, but I remember thinking that Walker was in a class by himself. I always wondered what kind of stats he would have piled up had he gone to the NFL and not the USFL.

I also remember thinking that the SMU backfield of Dickerson and Craig James was the best combo I have seen.

[Willie Bee]

Hate to mention his name along with the word 'greatest,' but OJ Simpson was an excellent running back in his day.

Statistically, hard to argue with Charles White supporters.

And capping off a USC trio, Marcus Allen was one of the most versatile and dazzling backs ever in the college ranks. Without Allen playing fullback to White's tailback, White would have never had the numbers he did.

From Texas, Ricky Williams posted some excellent numbers. I got to watch Earl Campbell play on three levels --- high school (where I erroneously thought he would one day become a great linebacker), college and pros --- over almost two decades. He was definitely one of the best running backs all-time.

North of the Red River, Billy Sims deserves mentioning from OU. And moving north even further, Ron Dayne was also solid and probably underrated as far as his collegiate career went. Mike Rozier at Nebraska and Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State should get a nod. And for my money, the most underrated college running back over the last four decades or so is Troy Davis out of Iowa State. Maybe if Nebraska hadn't squashed Iowa State while Davis was there, he'd be better remembered.

[pags11]

Marshall Faulk...

[tacomax]

The Great One will provide the definitive verdict.

[priceperheadexpert]

Johnny Rogers at nebraska..scary..OJ..nothing more needs to be said..Faulk was silly..Bush no joke..

[mschild]

Dorsett

[bigboydan]

wow, i would have thought somebody would have mentioned barry sanders already.

[Willie Bee]

wow, i would have thought somebody would have mentioned barry sanders already.

Mentioned, but not seconded until you Will return favor and second your nods to Dickerson; got to see both him and James play on three levels.

The only 2-time Heisman winner hasn't been mentioned. And another guy who had a great collegiate career that didn't translate professionally was George Rogers at South Carolina.

[isetcap]

The Great One will provide the definitive verdict.

Peyton Manning. All you guys keep talking about the Homeboys and of course they're good runners because they're always running from the cops but that won't make them good fathers or more importantly quarterbacks. Everything I say is true. Nobody can prove me wrong. I have a great body and I'm 6'5" and all the slutty whores want to be with me. Plus steroids are great...

[daystrom]

anyone remember the SI article about Ken Hall? Must have been about 30 years ago. The Sugarland Express is the greatest high school player but was miscast by Bear Bryant at Texas a&m. Too bad too.

[Willie Bee]

I used to live about a mile from Ken Hall Drive (actually there is a North and a South Hall Drive) in Sugar Land. It was the early 1950s when he set all of those high school records...

11,232 yards rushing, career
32.9 points per game, season
4.8 TD per game, season
337.1 yards rushing per game, season

In one game in 1953, he ran for 520 yards on 11 carries

A lot of people equate the time he played with the notion that Hall was maybe a smaller guy. Not true since he was between 180-200 pounds when he was playing high school ball. He was not a running back at the time, instead coming out of the QB position in that old single wing offense. Second place on the career rushing chart is almost 1,000 yards behind Hall's total. Making Hall's totals even more amazing is he very rarely played the entire game.

He still holds the record for the Houston Oilers with a 104-yd kickoff return. Amazing that a great coach like Bear Bryant would have even thought about playing him on defense instead of offense at Texas A&M!

He eventually opened up a popular BBQ joint in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was still living in Fredericksburg, about an hour or so away from the SBR offices, last fall when just about every little newspaper in this part of the state does an annual feature on him.

[The Great One]

Interesting question.

I think from a yardage standpoint, most will go with ron dayne or Ricky Williams. But I don't think that is completely accurate because they both had outstanding lines; especially Dayne. hence is complete lack of success in the NFL.

For instance, in high school my junior year, we had a tailback that ran for 3,245 yards in just 13 games. No, that is not a misprint. He got no major attention from Division I schools even though he led the entire nation in high school rushing that year. Why? because he had a great line. Plus, the tailback was white and only played on offense. i don't think too many schools are going to give a white tailback, not fullback a scholarship to run the ball because their game doesn't translate well.

Not racist, just true as evident from current colleges and NFL. he ended up not ever playing football anywhere at any school.

Having said that, I'd probably go with Faulk if you take the line out of the equation.

[presley177]

I used to live about a mile from Ken Hall Drive (actually there is a North and a South Hall Drive) in Sugar Land. It was the early 1950s when he set all of those high school records...

11,232 yards rushing, career
32.9 points per game, season
4.8 TD per game, season
337.1 yards rushing per game, season

In one game in 1953, he ran for 520 yards on 11 carries

A lot of people equate the time he played with the notion that Hall was maybe a smaller guy. Not true since he was between 180-200 pounds when he was playing high school ball. He was not a running back at the time, instead coming out of the QB position in that old single wing offense. Second place on the career rushing chart is almost 1,000 yards behind Hall's total. Making Hall's totals even more amazing is he very rarely played the entire game.

He still holds the record for the Houston Oilers with a 104-yd kickoff return. Amazing that a great coach like Bear Bryant would have even thought about playing him on defense instead of offense at Texas A&M!

He eventually opened up a popular BBQ joint in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was still living in Fredericksburg, about an hour or so away from the SBR offices, last fall when just about every little newspaper in this part of the state does an annual feature on him.

geeze those are some truly sick numbers there..

[SBR_John]

OJ Simpson. He ran inside a lot in his USC days. What a great college player.

[daystrom]

OJ was quite the slasher.

[bigboydan]

OJ was quite the slasher.

in every possable meaning of the term too

[BettingProphets]

TOMLINSON!!!!

[bigboydan]

tomlinson was good BP. but the thing with him was he was in the wishbone offense. so, with that being said. i'm wondering how good he really was way back when, because we see what he's doing in the pros right now.

[EBone]

I think, for my generation, Herschel Walker was one helluva college back. I would give Earl Campbell a very close 2nd. Those two were the best that I can recall. I always thought Ricky Williams was a great college back but I still think Walker and Campbell were better.



E

[BuddyBear]

Lorenzo White.....great power running back.

[SBR_John]

How about that thug from Nebraska? Man he was a stud. Of course as a texan I sat in many end zone seats to see Earl 'the pearl' Cambell. And now that I think about it how about the RB from SMU that went on to play for the Rams? Wow! he was great.

[bigboydan]

i guess your refering too lawerence phillips uh John ?

yes, that kid did have some moves in that option style offense there at nebraska.

[SBR_John]

How about that kid out of SMU who went on to play for the Rams. Eric Dickerson right?

If I had a 4th and 2 and my life depended on making it I'd give it to either him or Earl. They both had power and incredible speed and drive.. ie the'd run your azz over.

[bigboydan]

The problem with Dickerson is he ran way too upright. i really don't think i'd want that type of player making that type of play John.