Emmitt Smith vs. Eric Dickerson

[Hilltopper]

Seems like most members of the media are falling all over themselves to showed Emmitt Smith with accolades, and rightly so. I'm curious where PonyFans think he ranks .... partly in comparison to SMU-ex Eric Dickerson. There are many definitions: best overall running back, best pure runner, etc.

For best overall running backs, here's my rankings:
1. Walter Payton
2. Jim Brown
3. Gayle Sayers
4. Emmitt Smith
5. Barry Sanders
6. Eric Dickerson
7. John Riggins
8. Thurman Thomas
9. Curtis Martin
10. Franco Harris

Best pure runner:
1. Walter Payton
2. Eric Dickerson
3. Barry Sanders
4. Eric Dickerson
5. Jim Brown
6. Marshall Faulk
7. Edgerrin James
8. Tony Dorsett
9. LaDanian Tomlinson (man, it hurts to call a Frog "great")
10. Emmitt Smith

Thoughts?

[EastStang]

How did Eric get to be 2nd and 4th in best pure runner? It is so hard to judge. I guess if I had to take a crack at it, I'd say the following:

1. Jim Brown. He punished everyone when he ran and a great athlete (probably the best player ever to strap on a lacrosse sweater).

2. Walter Peyton. Just a great player and hard worker.
3. Eric Dickerson. He stuck around longer and put up great numbers, but no ring.
4. Emmet Smith. He benefitted from a tremendous line in Dallas.
5. Gale Sayers. If he hadn't gotten hurt, he was the most amazing I ever saw. Every handoff was a potential touchdown.
6. Barry Sanders. Probably would have been #2 if he wasn't a quitter.
7. Doak Walker. Got hurt early in his pro career, but an all pro. And he's a Mustang.
8. Franco Harris. Not mentioned very often but was a dependable blue collar guy. He also made the Immaculate Reception. 3 Super Bowl rings, too.

Honorable Mention: Elroy Hirsch, Bronco Nagurski, Paul Horning, Kyle Rote, John Riggins, Tony Dorsett, Jerome Bettis, Larry Csonka.

Tomlinson may very well crack that list, but its early yet. I didn't add for example Larry Brown who put up two years of Tomlinson like numbers with the Redskins, before blowing his knee out.

Thurman Thomas was good, but disappeared in three Super Bowls. Time may very well improve him with age.

[Col. Nathan R. Jessep]

On the field, we can debate their varying running styles & abilities.

Off the field, it's pretty easy:

Emmitt CLASS
Eric [deleted]

[Mike Damone]

I think its pretty hard to make a Top 10 list of the greatest without mentioning two USC Trojans you guys forgot:

Marcus Allen and OJ Simpson.

[Big Easy Pony]

MD is half-right: OJ Simpson has to be on this list, as does the great Earl Campbell (the Earl of Houston, not the Earl of New Orleans).

As for the Col.'s assessment of class: Dickerson was a mess on the sidelines during Monday Night Football games, and I sure don't like the way he has ignored his alma mater. But when you speak of class, three things about Emmitt come to mind:
1. His habit of ripping off his helmet and his "look at me" mugging for cameras after touchdowns, ultimately forcing the NFL to institute the so-called "Emmitt Smith Rule," requiring players to keep their helmets on when on the field.
2. In a game against the Giants, Emmitt broke through the line and was headed untouched toward the end zone. Instead of acting like he'd scored before and expected to do so again, he turned and waved, showing up the DB who was chasing him. Run hard, act like you've scored before and like you expect to do so again. Very bush-league.
3. The ridiculous two years in Arizona (not to mention the infamous "diamond surrounded by trash comment") that were nothing more than a shameless attempt to pad his records. Very greedy.

He wasn't always a saint, but I'd take the great Erick Dicketsson in a hurry.

[Col. Nathan R. Jessep]

On the field, we can debate their varying running styles & abilities.

Off the field, it's pretty easy:

Emmitt CLASS
Eric [deleted]

Forgot about the Helmet rule, Big Easy. But my comments were specific:
"Off The Field" (see above)

Emmitt was intense on the field, but he was pretty supporitve off the field of the community, his team & teammates.

ED's attitude & remarks toward SMU certainly set him apart from the others.

[RGV Pony]

I was just thinking....can you imagine the PR SMU would've gotten on MNF & other mediums of ED was a little less like ED & a lot more like Craig Swann?

[ponyte]

When a shy, introverted person is thrust into the public spot light, often that shyness is conveyed as arrogant and aloof. Dickerson is a shy person. He may have sucked on MNF but no worse than that Miller failure.

As to backs, Emmett has to be one of the best. A great runner and rarely put the ball on the ground. One can argue about who did what and who was best but each back has to be placed in context of the offense that surrounded them. ED worked in LA with a one-dimensional offense. ED left and ED right. Smith had the luxury of having a great QB and many very talented WR to diversify the offense. That does nothing but help the running game. ED did not have a passing offense to keep defenses honest and open up the running game. And I personally loved to watch a Walt garrison run. Not great but one determined back.

[Stallion]

you're right Eric's comments do separate him from OJ Simpson and Marcus Allen of USC and Emmitt Smith of Florida-because those schools do not have administrations that would ever consider gutting their athletic programs like SMU did. I guarantee you the Miami Boys or OU Boys or the USC Boys who have stayed so close to their schools athletic heritage , tradition and programs would have a lot more to say than Eric if those schools ever decided to play Ivy League Football. My question is WHY AREN'T THERE MORE PISSED OFF ERIC DICKERSONs AND WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS! Finally, Eric has never to my knowledge been busted for drugs, been arrested, slit her girlfriends throat, dropped out of school, or transferred to a Division 1AA school to become the greatest player in Sam Houston St or East Central Tennessee Barbershop College history. I'm damn glad that Eric Dickerson is an SMU Mustang-in his PRIME he was the greatest single runningback in the history of the NFL. His NFL Single Season Record and his Rookie Single Season Record still stand today TWENTY YEARS later. Almost 4,000 in two seasons. And excuse me if I'm wrong but didn't they play only 16 regular season games rather than 18 like they do today.

[DallasDiehard]

Where's Billy Sims in this conversation? His career wasn't long enough, but what a beautiful runner. So I'll do my list a little differently:

Biggest home run threat: Eric Dickerson

Toughest: I'm not a fan, but it's hard to put anyone but Emmitt Smith (see separated shoulder game) .... and it's hard not to say Walter Payton, considering everyone in the stadium knew he was going to get the ball on every play, and he still put up those absurd numbers

Most electrifying runner: (tie) Gayle Sayers, Barry Sanders

Most punishing runner: Jim Brown (with all due respect to John Riggins and Earl Campbell)

Most dangerous in the open field: (tie) Billy Sims, Walter Payton

Best hands: Joe Washington

Best blocking RB: Tom Rathman




And for what it's worth, I'm with Stallion -- I'm glad the great Eric Dickerson is a Mustang.

[MrMustang1965]

Hey, Stallion: Missed ya at the news conference AND the Mercury Grille events last week. Where were ya? I wanted to meet you. I was told that you don't attend these types of events. I'm curious...why not?

As to the topic in question: I don't care because I don't watch pro football any more. In fact, I'm not even sure I can tell you who is playing in this overblown media event called the Super Bowl today.

If ED was so damn good, why didn't he win the Heisman Trophy?

[ALEX LIFESON]

HEY MUSTANG1965, CONGRATS ON OUR NEW LB. COACH FROM SAM HOUSTON ST.!

[Hoss]

Where's Bo Jackson in this discussion? Had he not suffered his career-ending injury, there's no telling what kind of numbers he might have put up. I'd hazard a guess that had he stayed healthy, he might be up there with Smith, or at least with Dickerson, on the all-time rushing list. He was as much of a physical marvel at his position as Shaq is in basketball.

[MrMustang1965]

HEY MUSTANG1965, CONGRATS ON OUR NEW LB. COACH FROM SAM HOUSTON ST.!

Shhhh....don't tell Stallion!

[MrMustang1965]

Interesting anecdote about former TT coach Spyke Dykes & Eric Dickerson in DMN Kevin Sherrington's column earlier this week:

Dykes was in Sealy the day Eric Dickerson signed, and so were a lot of other coaches.

Only Dykes, a New Mexico assistant, had no illusions about signing Dickerson, putting him in the minority.

"There were some people who thought he was coming to their school," Dykes said, "and it wasn't just one."