If you guys had to choose one of these backs, when they were in their prime, which would it be? I have to say that I would have to choose Emmett Smith. Here is my thinking, the back that gets the consistent three or four yards is more valuable than the back that loses 3 yards first down, 6 yards second down, and does not get the ball on third down because the team needs twenty yards for a first down. Its just hard to sustain drives that way. Now having said that, let me say this Barry Sanders was a spectacular player. He was capable of breaking it every time he touched the ball. Just thought I could get some opinions from the Tidefans Nation.
Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith?
- Thread starter NatSmck
- Start date
Give Barry Sanders the offensive line that Emmitt had, and give Emmitt the offensive line that Barry had and you'd never have even heard of Emmitt.
I always thought Detroit had a great O-line. I think they were both great, I have to agree with NatSmck though. If you can get 3 1/3 yards and a cloud of dust every down, you are gonna be impossible to stop. Barry was like a qb who could throw the long ball, but always had trouble with the touch passes.
Barry...hands down
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"They have never rolled over one time, they just play hard. That’s a great characteristic to have, it’s pretty simple, but it’s true about our team.â€Â
Coach Gottfried
!!!ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
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"They have never rolled over one time, they just play hard. That’s a great characteristic to have, it’s pretty simple, but it’s true about our team.â€Â
Coach Gottfried
!!!ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
Barry Sanders can run the ball better, but Emmitt can block and catch the ball out of the backfield better. I think Emmitt is a better all around back.
Without a doubt, Barry was more gifted, but Emmitt was the man when you wanted to move the chains and control the game.
Even though I am a lifelong Cowboys fan, I would honestly have to say that Barry Sanders was better than Emmitt. If Barry had not left in his prime, he would be the NFL's current all time leading rusher, not Emmitt, and probably would have been able to rush for 20,000 yds in a career, if you ask me. He was that good.
I agree with this, Jim Brown has said it a hundred times as well. Smith without a doubt is a great running back but Sanders was the best. Just my opinion.
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"Alabama players don't win Heisman Trophies, Bama Teams win national championships"
(Paul "Bear" Bryant)
DiamondDust
Hall of Fame
No doubt in my mind... Barry Sanders.
It's scary to think what Barry Sanders could have done if he was on a decent team. If he had switched places with Emmitt, and he had played with Dallas during the 90's... good lord, I don't think anyone would have ever been able to touch the records he would have set.
It's scary to think what Barry Sanders could have done if he was on a decent team. If he had switched places with Emmitt, and he had played with Dallas during the 90's... good lord, I don't think anyone would have ever been able to touch the records he would have set.
barry sanders hands down....just imagine teams just totally keyed on barry and he still ran wild...he could run circles around emmitt anyday
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R.I.P. Zach Culpepper (1980-1998)
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R.I.P. Zach Culpepper (1980-1998)
BARRY SANDERS!!!
He could have been one of the best RBs if he would have played longer. He retired TOO soon!
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Roll Tide!
Kristi-LadyinRed
LadyinRed's Bama Page: www.LadyinRed.net
He could have been one of the best RBs if he would have played longer. He retired TOO soon!
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Roll Tide!
Kristi-LadyinRed
LadyinRed's Bama Page: www.LadyinRed.net
For posterity's sake. Barry was the best of the two. He retired way too early. On the other hand, I believe that if Bo Jackson hadn't been hurt, and he only played football and not baseball, Barry Sanders would have had to take a back seat to Bo.
JMO
JMO
Emmitt played on a team that sent 9 players from the starting offensive unit to the Pro-Bowl in a single year. Barry never played on a team with nearly as much support - either from a solid O-Line or from other talent so that the opposing defenses could not put 8 men in the box, as they often did with Barry. And, somehow, Barry's numbers were better in almost every category every year.
Barry gets my vote...
Barry gets my vote...
BARRY
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University Of Alabama:
12 NCAA Championships
21 SEC Championships
51 Bowl Appearances
87 First Team All Amer.
3rd Highest Winning % in D1 History
ANY QUESTIONS? RTR
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University Of Alabama:
12 NCAA Championships
21 SEC Championships
51 Bowl Appearances
87 First Team All Amer.
3rd Highest Winning % in D1 History
ANY QUESTIONS? RTR
Emmitt.
They were both awesome talents.
Without a doubt, Emmitt was surrounded by better players. Was Barry a more talented RB? Probably, but not as much as some people think, IMO.
To me, what separated Emmitt and Barry was Emmitt's leadership on the field. Not putting Barry down, but other players looked to Emmitt for leadership, and Barry seemed to be kind of a loner. On a team loaded with superstars, Emmitt was the unquestionable heart and soul of those great teams.
I also would say Emmitt was mentally and physically tougher. The game against Philly comes to mind when he played with a separated shoulder (or some other serious injury). It was truly a gutty performance.
Could Barry have been better over time? Who knows? For whatever reason, he decided to mail it in.
JMO.
[This message has been edited by UAtlantaTider (edited 05-24-2004).]
They were both awesome talents.
Without a doubt, Emmitt was surrounded by better players. Was Barry a more talented RB? Probably, but not as much as some people think, IMO.
To me, what separated Emmitt and Barry was Emmitt's leadership on the field. Not putting Barry down, but other players looked to Emmitt for leadership, and Barry seemed to be kind of a loner. On a team loaded with superstars, Emmitt was the unquestionable heart and soul of those great teams.
I also would say Emmitt was mentally and physically tougher. The game against Philly comes to mind when he played with a separated shoulder (or some other serious injury). It was truly a gutty performance.
Could Barry have been better over time? Who knows? For whatever reason, he decided to mail it in.
JMO.
[This message has been edited by UAtlantaTider (edited 05-24-2004).]
Yes!
Also, Emmitt almost always had an outstanding FB as a lead blocker, while Sanders was almost always in a one-back set.
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"Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman. Believing what he had read made him mad." -- George Bernard Shaw
I'm not a big Dallas Cowboy fan but I would pick Emmett Smith. Thurman Thomas was good enough at Oklahoma State to keep Barry Sanders on the bench behind him. Those were two great backs who just happened to be on the same team. But Thurman was the starter and made Barry wait his turn. Emmett was the man at Florida. In high school, Smith amassed 8804 rushing yards and scored 106 TDs. He is the current NFL leader in career rushing yards, with over 17,000 yards.
EMMITT SMITH, THE ALL-TIME leader! Screw all the Dallas haters!
[This message has been edited by BamaJeff (edited 05-24-2004).]
[This message has been edited by BamaJeff (edited 05-24-2004).]
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