Comments on: Rating the Running Backs

By: indianajim

indianajim — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:16:33 +0000

Yes. I left all of them out. A list of ten players would have made for a long blog post.

Joe Perry was the first player in NFL history to gain over 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons, but gained no more than 758 in any other season. His 53 touchdowns are a paltry number over 16 seasons in the league.

John Henry Johnson had a similar career to Joe Perry, playing most of the time with the Steelers, and only three seasons for the 49ers. His statistics with the 49ers aren’t even close to noteworthy next to Ricky Watters’ accomplishments with the team. He doesn’t even make The Curtain’s list of 100 Notable Steelers, despite being third all-time on the team in rushing.

Hugh McElhenny’s biggest accomplishment is playing 13 seasons and making the Hall of Fame.

Back in the Sixties and Seventies they were letting anybody into the Hall of Fame, and the three examples here are a testament to the fact. By the standard set here, Garrison Hearst is a lock! They all played before the 49ers won their first Division title in 1970, and the team’s record over this span was 120-128.

Ken Willard may have been a four-time Pro-Bowler, but when I make a list of the best Fullbacks, he’ll be on there. Same goes for Rathman, and I LOVE Tom Rathman. J.D. Smith was average at best.

Delvin Williams had one fantastic season with the 49ers, with 1,200 yards rushing and a 10.5 avg per catch in just 13 games. He also had a nearly identical season with the Dolphins in 1978. In the period he played, however, the team was well under .500.

These older players were perhaps heroes in the Bay Area, and may receive a nod and a wink around the league for being Hall of Famers, but they just don’t stack up because they weren’t crucial cogs in the team’s success. Especially when the team was not having any success at all.

Hearst is on the list becuase he was part of the original question. Watters and Craig are on the list because they was critical to Super Bowl victories. Frank Gore is on the list because he is the now, and if this team finds any success in the near future, you can bet Gore will be the most crucial part of that.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:09:15 +0000

You left out Joe Perry, John Henry Johnson, Hugh McElhenny, Delvin Williams and so many more. The Niners have been around for 60 years, not 25. Actually, Gore and Joe Perry were very similar.

By: Dee

Dee — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:52:01 +0000

Everyone seems to downplay Watters contributions to the team. He was THE CATALYST for that machine in ‘94. He was SO dangerous as a receiver and effective enough as a rusher that the rest of the offense would open up. He made the engine hum back then. Proof? Derek Loville. We sucked in ‘95 compared to ‘94 and we still had Jerry, Steve, Brent, and the O-line. Resigning Ricky would have brought home #6.

By: D. Asquith

D. Asquith — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:48:02 +0000

So your ratings apply only to the 21st century and the last two decades of the 20th? Who is the top RB in the last c. 27 years? What about the “million-dollar backfield” of the ’50s and early ’60s? Ken Willard, 4-time pro-bowler? JD Smith? Rathman? Perhaps they wouldn’t make your cut, but let’s not mislabel the list the “best ever” or “all time,” etc., without proper consideration.