In celebration of the National Football League's 100th season, NFL Network has filled it's Friday night programming this season with a series of wonderful lists. Best Plays, Biggest Characters, Best Teams. The Player Roundtable Discussions were outstanding. Last night kicked off the reveal of the 100 greatest players and 10 greatest coaches in NFL history. Rich Eisen hosted the show, Bill Belichick and Cris Collinsworth provided analysis. NFL Films provided the site and their film library. It was and will be fantastic football fun.
The Running Backs were up first.
1. Jim Brown
2. Emmitt Smith
3. Eric Dickerson
4. Barry Sanders
5. O.J. Simpson
6. Gale Sayers
7. Dutch Clark
8. Steve Van Buren
9. Lenny Moore
10. Walter Payton
11. Marion Motley
12. Earl Campbell
Other than the top back the order doesn't matter. The 12 great running backs come as a group. I like that. There's just no way that Walter Payton is tenth on any reasonable list of the 12 greatest running backs.
Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, and Barry Sanders were on hand to take part in the discussion. It's always fun to hear the players talk football. Just football.
What I like best about the chosen 12 is the inclusion of the players that played before 1950. Dutch Clark, Steve Van Buren, and Marion Motley are so rarely included in today's discussions of the best backs that it's safe to say that they are never included. Clark isn't just one of my favorite football players of all time he's one of the best football players of all time. The majority of football fans, even serious football fans, don't know a thing about him. That's why intelligent, serious, thorough, non-biased, well-publicized football lists like this are so important. Keep Dutch Clark alive! Long live Dutch Clark!
Bill Belichick was hesitant to call Lenny Moore underrated. After all, how can someone call a player underrated if that player is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and deserving of mention as one of the best running backs of all time? Despite that puzzle, Moore is underrated. He's honored in Canton as a running back. He could've made it as a receiver. His versatility would fit nicely in today's offenses. He was way ahead of his time in the 1950s and 1960s. For the football fans and media talking heads that see Super Bowl I as the start of the league's history, this might be their first introduction to Lenny Moore.
I was disappointed that Adrian Peterson didn't make the list. My passion and appreciation for the league's history erases personal biases but I still think that Peterson is one of the best running back to ever play. I understand why he isn't on this list mostly because this list includes Clark, Van Buren, and Motley. If I were to force Peterson's inclusion it'd probably be at the expense of Earl Campbell. That's a tough decision to make because Campbell was so damn fun to watch. Maybe I boot Simpson instead.
Everything touched by NFL Films is the best. I highly recommend all of the NFL 100 programming. Listening to Bill Belichick talk football (and smile) is reason enough to watch.
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