Is Emmit Smith in the top 5 of all time backs?

NovaStar · Post by **NovaStar** » Tue Oct 29, 2002 4:03 pm

My top 5:
 
 1 Barry Sanders
 
 2.Walter Payton
 
 3. Jim Brown
 
 4. Eric Dickerson
 
 5. Gale Sayers
 
 I know reasonable minds may differ, but Emmit to me is a very efficient runner, but I am glad he has the record. A class guy all the way.

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Tue Oct 29, 2002 4:20 pm

I think he is. I would replace Eric Dickerson with Emmit Smith in your list. Otherwise, we see things about the same!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Oct 29, 2002 6:27 pm

My top five:
 
 1. Jim Brown
 
 2. Barry Sanders
 
 3. Walter Payton
 
 4. Emmitt Smith
 
 5. O.J. Simpson
 
 No one tops Brown in my eyes. The guy averaged more than 5 yards per carry for his career and had a combination of power, size and speed that no back ever has topped.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 29-10-2002 14:27 ]

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Tue Oct 29, 2002 7:30 pm

pk nailed my top 5.....
 
 my personal favorite that i ever saw would be walter payton
 
 
 jim brown statistically was heads n shoulders above the rest if you average things out

Post by **Jared** » Tue Oct 29, 2002 9:35 pm

1. Payton
 2. Smith (the Gator in me wants to put him at #1....but I just can´t)
 3. Brown (he could easily be #1, but I tend to put a little more weight to players I actually saw)
 4. Dickerson
 5. Sanders (too selfish, never played well in the clutch...actually, Simpson and Sayers should probably be above him......)

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Wed Oct 30, 2002 4:28 am

This is a difficult list to make, since RB´s from different era´s are tough to compare. But here´s my list.
 
 1. Payton
 2. Brown
 3. Smith
 4. Sanders
 5. Marshall Faulk. Quite simply the most versatile back I have ever seen play not named Payton.

Galley · Post by **Galley** » Wed Oct 30, 2002 11:22 am

Barry Sanders
 Jim Brown
 Walter Dayton
 Emmit Smith
 Billy Simms - the dude could really "fly".

Neckthai · Post by **Neckthai** » Wed Oct 30, 2002 1:29 pm

Was trying to stay away from this debate since I am originally from the Dallas area and though I quit being a Cowboy fan when the JJ´s came to town, I´ve always liked Emmitt Smith.
 
 That said. Payton ran behind maybe one or two Pro Bowlers in his entire career. Emmitt ran behind guys who had 25 Pro Bowl appearances among them, making what Walter did all the more impressive.
 
 As for a top-five all-time? I think Emmitt is right up in there with Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers and O.J. Simpson.
 
 He´s first or second now in attempts, yardage, rushing touchdowns and in the top five in all-purpose yards and total touchdowns.
 
 Not bad for a guy who was too slow to play in the NFL and too small to take the punishment of being an NFL back.

K_Mosley · Post by **K_Mosley** » Thu Oct 31, 2002 11:32 am

1. Jim Brown
 
 2. Walter Payton
 
 3. Barry Sanders
 
 4. Emmitt Smith
 
 5. Bo Jackson*
 
 *The best athlete I´ve seen in my lifetime (1971-). It´s too bad his career was cut short by injury.
 
 Kevin