Greatest NFL backs #23, #22, #21...

Greatest Rbs ever…#23, #22, #21...

Shall we continue with the list?

We are counting down the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL, from the beginning to now…as in RIGHT now. That has to be made clear because as time goes on, these rankings are certainly subject to change.

If you have not read the first few blogs on this, you might want to bounce back and check them out. It will give you a better idea of how I came up with this ranking, and why.

Keep in mind as we move along, I am using a formula based on 4 major elements on what makes a running back “great”. They are the team accomplishments, individual stats, individual awards and era adjustment. I believe these factors establish a good player from a great player, and a great player from the greatest player.

So, with that in mind, let’s continue the countdown…

#23 Ottis Anderson: 30 points

Yes, technically Ottis Anderson is tied with Shaun Alexander, but in the event of a tie, I looked at the team accomplishments, and Anderson was much better than Shaun. Whereas Shaun WENT to a Superbowl, Ottis WON two of them, and captured a MVP in one of those Superbowls. He was one of those “old school” running backs that got the job done, and helped the Cardinals get to the playoffs. He rushed for 1000 yards 5 of the first 6 years of his career, the exception being that strike year. I have no problem placing this guy on my all time greatest rushing list.

Why not higher? As time goes on, Anderson may slip because of the era adjustment. He lost one point because he retired in the 90s and you’ll see that some of the scores are pretty close. Keep in mind there are some current players that still have time to catch him. And what may also hurt his ranking later is that he is in the bottom 30 of the list of yards and rushing touchdowns…he didn’t get a whole lot of individual stat points to begin with.

Why on the list? A running back that wins a Superbowl has an excellent chance of getting on this list. After all, by my formula that is 10 points. So Ottis Anderson winning 2 Superbowls is 20 points right off the bat! Add on the fact that he got Superbowl MVP and his other points makes Anderson a very credible back, and worthy of being one of the greatest of all time as of September 2008.

#22 Steve Van Buren: 31 points

So you’re wondering, how in the world is this old cat on the all time greatest list?

Simple…because he is great.

I had to go back and do a little research on Steve Van Buren and using my formula, I saw that he is clearly worthy of this list. You will notice that he finished only one point above a couple of other guys, and it quite deserving of this ranking. Those who know anything about the Philadelphia Eagles will probably send some “amens” this way because this was a very good back. Most of his points came from the fact that he won a couple of NFL Championship games. Years before there was a Superbowl, this guy was out there winning championships, and even after 5 decades, is STILL on the top 30 list of touchdowns by a running back. A great talent.

Why not higher? The biggest strike against Steve Van Buren being higher is simply the era adjustment. Because he retired in 1951, he loses 5 points for era adjustment. Remember folks, I have to deduct points for time because we all know that athletes are better than the decade before them. An athlete that played in the 50s, even if he was great, can hardly compare to the athletes of today, who are in much better physical condition. Were it not for that, Steve Van Buren could easily be higher.

Why on the list? Champions should always make the list, and Steve Van Buren is a champion. He got 25 points in the team accomplishment element, but got only 4 points in the individual stats section. He got points for being a 7 time all-bowl (before there was a pro-bowl). A great running back that wins championships is almost assured of being on this list…but as time goes on, he may slip further down. Steve Van Buren is proof that there can be great players from “long ago”.

#21 John Riggins: 32 points

Take it from a guy what is not a Redskins fan, this one was difficult but I could not ignore what this man has done. This was one TOUGH cat, and for him to have done all he did, even with injuries throughout his career is quite amazing. If there are personal Washington Redskins shrines out there, I am quite sure John Riggins will have some place in it for his toughness and power. Even after being gone from the NFL for over 20 years, he still ranks near the top as most touchdowns by a running back. Awesome! And to think, he originally played for the Jets and racked up numbers with Emerson Boozer.

Why not higher? This one is odd because John Riggins scored decently across the board. He is a champion because he won a Superbowl, and also lost one too, but I still give points to Superbowl losers. He scored well in the individual stats because he is still on the top 20 list of yards, and is even higher on touchdowns. He scores well on the individual awards as well, but loses 2 points because of era adjustment, as well as the fact that with all his great accomplishments, he only went to one pro-bowl. In fact, he scored one point less than the number 20 running back on my list.

Why on the list? A guy that rushes for over 11.000 yards and has over 100 touchdowns is GOING to be on the list. Add on a Superbowl MVP and other credits and you have the makings of a GREAT running back. John Riggins seems to embody all that a great running back is about. He is a proven winner, he enhances the team to make them better and he stands the test of time. I might not have been a Redskins fan, but as a true fan of the sport, I cannot ignore the greatness of this guy. He was (and by my list, still IS) a great running back.

So there’s your next 3 of the greatest running backs ever, we start moving further up the list as we go on. Before I go let’s share another name that didn’t make the list, and why:

Robert Smith: 13 points

What could have been for this guy….

Robert Smith played only 8 years, but in that period of time actually did some good work. It’s kinda ironic or symbolic that he retired to prevent himself from getting more injuries, because he focus of study was medicine. He was one of those guys that was wise enough to walk away from the game before being carted out.

But Robert Smith’s score shows that he can’t be put on the all time greatest list because of several factors. His yards per carry is very high and he got 7 points for that, and the fact that he went to two Pro-Bowls gives him two more points. His other 4 points came from his team accomplishment points. I award 10 points for every Superbowl a back wins, 5 points for every Superbowl lost, and 2 points for every conference championship a back loses.

Robert Smith helped the Vikings to the NFC Championship twice, losing to the Atlanta Falcons in 1998 (30-27) and the New York Giants in 2000 (41-0). Who is to say how much greater he would have been if he played just a couple more years?

Anyway, that’s my list so far, keep it tuned here for more as we climb up to number one on the greatest running backs of ALL time..

(wow, that sounded soooo corny, like I’m doing a musical countdown…)