Best Running Back of the Super Bowl Era

[RoadWarriorYajuta]

I only wanted names from the Super Bowl era because those are guys we are all familiar with. Jim Brown was a great, great back. He did play in an entirely different era than guys now, and feel he was like the Wilt Chamberlain of his sport. A dominating presence that was way ahead of his time. I think Jim would be a good back today, but not put up the prolific numbers that he did then. How many of us got to see guys like Bronko Nagurski, Red Grange, Joe Guyon, Doak Walker or Jim Thorpe run? Some notable ommisions were Franco Harris, Terrelle Davis, Roger Craig, Marcus Allen, and Larry Csonka. Harris does have numerous rings and the most famous play in NFL history, but his stats are okay, not great. TD was very good, and injuries derailed what could have been a record breaking career. Roger Craig, much like Harris was the man cog in his team's multiple Super Bowl wins. His stats were okay, not great.(He was the first back to rush for 1,000 yards and caught for 1,000 yards in the same season) Marcus Allen does have impressive touchdown totals, but his rushing stats were okay. His feud with Al Davis probably hurt him there. Csonka was one hell of a Fullback. He was a tenacious blocker, and could run people over. He was a Fullback, and despite rushing for a thousand yards, didn't get as many touches as backfield mate Mercury Morris. Bo Jackson could have been a great one had injuries not derailed his careers. A Change of scenery may do Corey Dillon, Clinton Portis, and Eddie George some good. Anyway, whom do you rank as the best RB? If you choose someone different than listed, please say who and why.

[RoadWarriorYajuta]

I chose Walter Payton. He played on some woefully inept Bears teams, and even though people knew he was coming, they couldn't stop him. He never had the Offensive Lines that Emmit Smith did, or as many good offensive players around him as Emmit. Barry Sanders was great, but he was the Detroit Lions offense. For every beautiful run he had, he would run for a loss more than them. Sweetness is the man!

[Xenorama ™]

I went with Payton as well, although if Terrell had been in the poll I would have gone with him- two Superbowls for the Broncos in two years with him and John, not too bad.
Those darn injuries, though.

[005]

Walter Payton. Why? The Super Bowl Shuffle.

It also seems to me from the few NFL Films shows about the '85 Bears I've seen that McMahon did not have any really good receivers. I'm assuming that Payton was a real workhorse, though not quite as much as Ricky Williams was. And Jim McMahon, while brash and gutsy, did have a major burnout a couple years after. Couldn't have been that good.

Though it's also hard to judge Larry Csonka real fairly, since the Dolphins had a lot of depth at RB in the early 70s. Csonka, Mercury Morris, and Jim Kiick.

Again, I judge based solely on the NFL Films presentations I've seen. All I cared about in my childhood were the Dolphins, so I didn't pay much attention to Emmitt, though I have watched the Super Bowl every year since '90 or so. My memory just ain't that great.