Which NFL players are your all-time favorites?

[IM2]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

 

[Kat]

Walter Payton was great

Sweetness

 

[bluzman61]

Walter Payton was great

Sweetness

Yep. HE was the player that really got me interested in watching football and rooting for the Bears. I believe he was THE best all-round running back ever. He was a great runner, he had quickness AND strength. He was a very good blocker, when the QB was passing, or if another RB was running the ball. He played when almost all teams used a two-running back formation. I've rarely seen it the last 20 years or so. Walter was also a good pass receiver coming out of the backfield, and very hard to tackle after he caught the ball. He could also pass the ball quite well. I believe he had 3 or 4 TD passes to his credit, and he was also listed as 3rd string QB on most of the Bears teams he played on. He was just an incredible player, it's a shame he died so young.

 

[IM2]

Walter Payton was great

Sweetness

He was that.

 

[IM2]

Walter Payton was great

Sweetness

Yep. HE was the player that really got me interested in watching football and rooting for the Bears. I believe he was THE best all-round running back ever. He was a great runner, he had quickness AND strength. He was a very good blocker, when the QB was passing, or if another RB was running the ball. He played when almost all teams used a two-running back formation. I've rarely seen it the last 20 years or so. Walter was also a good pass receiver coming out of the backfield, and very hard to tackle after he caught the ball. He could also pass the ball quite well. I believe he had 3 or 4 TD passes to his credit, and he was also listed as 3rd string QB on most of the Bears teams he played on. He was just an incredible player, it's a shame he died so young.

Barry Sanders, And I am not disrespecting Payton by saying this. Both men are in the HOF and deservedly so.

 

[bluzman61]

Walter Payton was great

Sweetness

Yep. HE was the player that really got me interested in watching football and rooting for the Bears. I believe he was THE best all-round running back ever. He was a great runner, he had quickness AND strength. He was a very good blocker, when the QB was passing, or if another RB was running the ball. He played when almost all teams used a two-running back formation. I've rarely seen it the last 20 years or so. Walter was also a good pass receiver coming out of the backfield, and very hard to tackle after he caught the ball. He could also pass the ball quite well. I believe he had 3 or 4 TD passes to his credit, and he was also listed as 3rd string QB on most of the Bears teams he played on. He was just an incredible player, it's a shame he died so young.

I checked Walter's career stats, he actually passed for EIGHT TD's. Counting these, plus his career total TD's rushing and receiving, he was responsible for 133 TD'S in his 13 year career. 110 rushing, 15 receiving, and 8 passing.

 

[gipper]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

The difference between Walter and Barry is Walter never ran out of bounds or went to the ground before contact. Both were tremendous runners but I agree Barry was better, even though he played his entire career for a shitty team.

 

[Montrovant]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

The difference between Walter and Barry is Walter never ran out of bounds or went to the ground before contact. Both were tremendous runners but I agree Barry was better, even though he played his entire career for a shitty team.

It's so hard to judge. Barry Sanders may have been the most agile running back ever. His ability to change directions in an instant was incredible and incredibly fun to watch. I don't think he was as well rounded as Payton, though.

One thing that seems clear is that Sanders could easily have taken the all-time rushing lead had he continued playing. With just a few more years he would have ended up with way more yards than Emmitt Smith.

 

[JoeMoma]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

 

[IM2]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

OJ was a great running back, but no Walter Payton, Earl Campbell or Barry Sanders. And one back we forget in all this is Eric Dickerson.

 

[IM2]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

The difference between Walter and Barry is Walter never ran out of bounds or went to the ground before contact. Both were tremendous runners but I agree Barry was better, even though he played his entire career for a shitty team.

I don't think that's accurate but there is no sane argument against Walter Payton being one of the top 2 running backs of all time, if not the best.

 

[gipper]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

OJ was a great running back, but no Walter Payton, Earl Campbell or Barry Sanders. And one back we forget in all this is Eric Dickerson.

Earl Campbell was amazing and fun to watch. I bet every secondary in the NFL hated seeing him at full speed. There was no one more physical at the position.

 

[IM2]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

OJ was a great running back, but no Walter Payton, Earl Campbell or Barry Sanders. And one back we forget in all this is Eric Dickerson.

Earl Campbell was amazing and fun to watch. I bet every secondary in the NFL hated seeing him at full speed. There was no one more physical at the position.

No doubt about it. Many collarbones suffered as a result of meeting Mr. Campbell. But the greatest football collision of all time was Campbell and Tatum at the goal line. Both men were never the same after that one.

 

[IM2]

 

[candycorn]

Another guy I loved watching was Lester Hayes. Probably over-rated in terms of stats but he was an intimidating sonofabitch. The guy was probably the original shut-down corner when he was at his prime. He had so much stick-em on him at times, you'd wonder if the astro-turf would come up when he tried to get up.

 

[candycorn]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

OJ was a great running back, but no Walter Payton, Earl Campbell or Barry Sanders. And one back we forget in all this is Eric Dickerson.

Jim Brown (From what I saw--and you only really see highlights) was incredible. Frank Gifford said that Brown was the only opposing player that he would watch during a game.

 

[IM2]

Another guy I loved watching was Lester Hayes. Probably over-rated in terms of stats but he was an intimidating sonofabitch. The guy was probably the original shut-down corner when he was at his prime. He had so much stick-em on him at times, you'd wonder if the astro-turf would come up when he tried to get up.

View attachment 323677

Lester was a bad man. So was Everson Walls and Mike Haynes, All great shutdown corners before Dion and Sherman

 

[IM2]

O J Simpson was before......well you know.

OJ was a great running back, but no Walter Payton, Earl Campbell or Barry Sanders. And one back we forget in all this is Eric Dickerson.

Jim Brown (From what I saw--and you only really see highlights) was incredible. Frank Gifford said that Brown was the only opposing player that he would watch during a game.

No doubt Brown was great, but imo he was not better than Payton or Sanders. But if you make a Mt. Rushmore of running backs, he on the mountain.

 

[rightwinger]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

The difference between Walter and Barry is Walter never ran out of bounds or went to the ground before contact. Both were tremendous runners but I agree Barry was better, even though he played his entire career for a shitty team.

Everybody runs out of bounds
Being a tough guy and taking unnecessary hits only risks injury and increases the likelihood of fumbling

 

[IM2]

Payton. Have his jersey and his memorabilia and, his and Cal Ripken Jrs. are the only people I've ever spent my money on.

Payton was the shit. Great in all facets, team player, sportsman and loved playing the game. Who can forget the smile on the guy's face as he shredded defenses, or got creamed, then popped up to give his tackler a hand up, or how he stretched the ball forward every single time to try to grind out another inch or two, or the goosestep into the endzone.

His workouts, preparation and performance, and, most importantly IMO, sportmanship are legendary. He played to win and did it with class.

We may never see another that comes close to hitting all the notes the way he did.

Walter Payton was great but I think Barry Sanders was better. They all work out and Sanders had great sportsmanship although I don't grade sportsmanship high when you play a violent sport. You expect some nastiness to come in such a physical game.

Sanders was great also, no doubt. Crazy explosive running back that coud make db's look foolish every Sunday.

I'm sticking with Payton, although I'm biased. Grew up watching the guy.

So did I. I also watched Sanders run through my former high school football team years after I had graduated that had one of the best defenses in the state for 190 yards, then watched him run for damn near 3,000 yards in one college season in the Big 8 conference, and then run to within a few hundred yards of Payton in less time and choose to retire. Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely a Walter Payton fan, but Sanders IMO was better. Two of a kind if you ask me.

But my favorite was Earl Campbell. He was brutal.

The difference between Walter and Barry is Walter never ran out of bounds or went to the ground before contact. Both were tremendous runners but I agree Barry was better, even though he played his entire career for a shitty team.

Everybody runs out of bounds
Being a tough guy and taking unnecessary hits only risks injury and increases the likelihood of fumbling

And CTE.