Which one of these two running backs was the better one? I have to say Herschel because I am a Dawgs fan. I have to give Bo a lot of credit because he may very well be one of the best all around athletes of all time.  
This afternoon I watched the 1982 Georgia/ Florida game and Herschel had a hell of a game that day.
Discuss.

BO knows Runnin'.

bo should slap the taste out of herchel's mouth for you even suggesting he's in the same league


go gators

Walter Payton




Walter Payton's guns

I'm going to go with Herschel! but I'm not partial or anything!!!

on a side note...I work with Barry Young... some of you may remember that he had a large hand many of Herschel's touchdowns. He's a great guy.

Emmitt Smith  



(Bo was actually the best I've ever seen in college)

Bo was the greatest athlete I have ever seen.

Quoted: Walter Payton www.photofile.com/Photos/Photos_Of_The_Day/06_06_08/HA18806.jpg Walter Payton's guns www.payton34.com/images/image%206.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%203.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%202.jpg www.swac.org/images/payton.jpg

You sir, are correct.

Bo Jackson.

Bo.. he was an incredible athlete!

Bo, I brought his Nike Air shoes in HS.

Quoted: Quoted: Walter Payton www.photofile.com/Photos/Photos_Of_The_Day/06_06_08/HA18806.jpg Walter Payton's guns www.payton34.com/images/image%206.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%203.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%202.jpg www.swac.org/images/payton.jpg You sir, are correct.

+2.  Walter did 99% of his running on garbage teams with poor lines.  

Barry Sanders..............

No votes for OJ Simpson huh?

Don't forget Jim Brown, O.J. was a great but Walter Payton was and still is the greatest running back of all time------to date. Seriously doubt anyone has the balls in this day and age (environment) to grab that title for themselves.

Quoted: Barry Sanders..............

+1...pound for pound the best ever....and a classy athlete too.




roy d.....but from the option given, Bo Jackson

Quoted: Quoted: Barry Sanders.............. +1...pound for pound the best ever....and a classy athlete too. roy d.....but from the option given, Bo Jackson

I agree.

Bo hands down from the two above.

Herchel"I couldn't make a cut if I had to" Walker.  The man that single-handedly assisted the Cowboys with two Superbowl victorys....or was it three?

Quoted: Herchel"I couldn't make a cut if I had to" Walker.  The man that single-handedly assisted the Cowboys with two Superbowl victorys....or was it three?

Absolutely correct!  The Vikings gave up way too much for this POS.  I still get mad thinking about it .

Quoted: bo should slap the taste out of herchel's mouth for you even suggesting he's in the same league go gators

I think Bo was a better pro back, Herschel the better college back.

Herschel gave Florida all they wanted over 20 years ago...and we have been Florida's bitch ever since.

I think I'd swap that '82 butt-whoopin we all like to remember for a 50/50 win loss rate ever since then.

I love my dawgs, but I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.  I'll watch, but thank the Lord that God let man invent beer.

Quoted: Quoted: Herchel"I couldn't make a cut if I had to" Walker.  The man that single-handedly assisted the Cowboys with two Superbowl victorys....or was it three? Absolutely correct!  The Vikings gave up way too much for this POS.  I still get mad thinking about it .

Yeah, but it wasn't Herchel's fault...he was a power runner with an offense that wasn't built around his style of running. Old Wrinkles Burns should have known that before they traded away their future. The blame rests entirely on Burns and Vikings mgmt. Herchel's prime was pissed away in Minnesota, and us Vike's fans suffered through (surprisingly) more disappointment than any fan should...again. He was supposed to be the missing answer to our offense...instead he was the Cowboys future. I am suprised Dallas hasn't erected a statue of Herchel and Jerry Burns outside Texas Stadium.



roy d....vikes fans are true fans...anyone can love a winner

Quoted: Quoted: bo should slap the taste out of herchel's mouth for you even suggesting he's in the same league go gators I think Bo was a better pro back, Herschel the better college back. Herschel gave Florida all they wanted over 20 years ago...and we have been Florida's bitch ever since. I think I'd swap that '82 butt-whoopin we all like to remember for a 50/50 win loss rate ever since then. I love my dawgs, but I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.  I'll watch, but thank the Lord that God let man invent beer.

I feel ya brother...I feel ya....


Still praying....

Ga-Dawg

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Walter Payton www.photofile.com/Photos/Photos_Of_The_Day/06_06_08/HA18806.jpg Walter Payton's guns www.payton34.com/images/image%206.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%203.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%202.jpg www.swac.org/images/payton.jpg You sir, are correct. +2.  Walter did 99% of his running on garbage teams with poor lines.

+3 Walter Payton was the best running back the game has seen (so far).  

Barry Sanders.

Quoted: Barry Sanders..............

+1, Best the game has seen in three decades anyway.

I say Jackson out of the two choices listed above.

Herschel and Bo weren't even the best Pro backs of their time, much less all time. In the same time window you've got Walter winding down and Barry and Emmit starting off.

Bo and Herschel are at the same Pro level as a Ricky Watters

Barry or Walter[not to mention Emmitt,Tony Dorsett,  or Earl Campbell]were better than either of those two.

Both played on a lot of crap teams that were behind in the second half of games and didn't get the additional carries they should have.

Few pro atheletes carried themselves with the class of  those two[Have you ever heard anyone say anything bad about Sweetness].

Barry Sanders was poised to become the all-time leading rusher while Walter Payton was for all intents on his deathbed.

So what does he do:  he walks away.

In todays game of whiney "me first" players  either of them [in their prime or not ]would be my MVP.

Quoted: Herschel and Bo weren't even the best Pro backs of their time, much less all time. In the same time window you've got Walter winding down and Barry and Emmit starting off. Bo and Herschel are at the same Pro level as a Ricky Watters

who said anything about pro?

Eric Dickerson in his prime was the best ive seen in person

sweetness and Earl campbell , right behind

My dad tells me Jim Brown was the best athlete hes ever seen
and Gayle Sayers the most electifying

Bo Jackson had all the tools to be one of the best ever, but he had that horrible hip injury. Herschel wasted a lot of time and talent in the USFL. in the end they probably do level out with Ricky Watters. As far as who was the best ever, my choice would be between Payton, Jim Brown and Jim Thorpe. YMMV.

Jerome Bettis. Run OVER not around.
Trashcan

It would be impossible to name the #1 running back of all time but I can say with confidence it would be one of these guys:

Earl Campbell: So dominating that defenses put two guys on him every play whether he had the ball or not. His career was short due to the stress that put on his body. Was just as powerful a runner as anyone who ever played and could also outrun anyone short of the fleetest of defensive backs. Perhaps only two or three other backs could do the same.

Walter Payton: Pound for pound, the toughest back in history. Labored on crappy Bears teams for years, carrying them on his back with his grit. By the time the Bears were turning into a powerhouse, Payton's career was winding down. He was Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, and Christian Okoye before there was a Sanders, Allen, or Okoye.

Bo Jackson: No better athlete ever played running back. Had the speed of an Olympic sprinter and the power of a bruising fullback. If he concentrated on just playing in the NFL instead of playing in both MLB and then showing up for football when baseball season was over...he may have put the career rushing yardage record in a place where Emmitt Smith could only have dreamed of going. He certainly would have surpassed 20,000 yards and 25,000 might have been a possibility. That record would never have been broken.

Eric Dickerson: Had an uncanny ability to know exactly where the hole would be and when it would open. Only one or two other backs had his speed, a high gear that would leave even defensive backs in the dust. His ability to hit high gear caused defenders to miss tackles, leading to very long runs time and again.

Barry Sanders: No one short of Walter Payton ever did more with such lousy teams as Sanders. His teams were so bad for so long he always was playing for pride and nothing else. He was the Michael Jordan of the NFL. Every time he played, people wanted to watch just to see what he might do on the next play. No other player in history was as exciting to watch while he carried the ball. He retired early because his team sucked to bad and he couldn't stand playing for them anymore.

No votes for Thurman "Thermal" Thomas yet?

Quoted: No votes for Thurman "Thermal" Thomas yet?

Very good running back. Not in the top ten of all time, though. Probably around 11-15.

Of those 2, Bo. All time, Jim "Ill beat yo ass, bich" Brown.

Quoted: Of those 2, Bo. All time, Jim "Ill beat yo ass, bich" Brown.

Earl Campbell was a better Jim Brown.

Quoted: Don't forget Jim Brown, O.J. was a great but Walter Payton was and still is the greatest running back of all time------to date. Seriously doubt anyone has the balls in this day and age (environment) to grab that title for themselves.

+1, college and pro. Not to mention the nude scenes he did with Raquel Welch.

Franco Harris

Rocky Blier

Tony Dorsett.

Quoted: Franco Harris 19th Rocky Blier196th Tony Dorsett.22nd

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Walter Payton www.photofile.com/Photos/Photos_Of_The_Day/06_06_08/HA18806.jpg Walter Payton's guns www.payton34.com/images/image%206.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%203.jpg www.payton34.com/images/image%202.jpg www.swac.org/images/payton.jpg You sir, are correct. +2.  Walter did 99% of his running on garbage teams with poor lines.   +3 Walter Payton was the best running back the game has seen (so far).

+4
If he couldn't go through the defense, he could always go over them. He had what seemed a perfect combination of power and agility.