YouTube...Just released, today, 6-26. Top 10 (All-Time) OU Running Backs...

[Senior Sooner]

Ironically, we had comments on this subject, last week. This one claims to have been put together 'By Committee', rather than the one we chewed up and spit out, earlier. It was One Person's opinion.

Whether you agree, or disagree, with the choices for Top 10 (All-Time) OU Running Backs, I'm sure you'll agree that we've had some Studs come through. There are no Losers, here...All made us Proud, on any given Saturday...And Yes, some worthy of consideration were left out, and Yes, we could have fielded a Top 20 Group...

 

[K2C Sooner]

Ironically, we had comments on this subject, last week. This one claims to have been put together 'By Committee', rather than the one we chewed up and spit out, earlier. It was One Person's opinion.

Whether you agree, or disagree, with the choices for Top 10 (All-Time) OU Running Backs, I'm sure you'll agree that we've had some Studs come through. There are no Losers, here...All made us Proud, on any given Saturday...And Yes, some worthy of consideration were left out, and Yes, we could have fielded a Top 20 Group...

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Darn, I'm getting a green screen on U-tube again. Anybody care to list them?

 

[Oklabama]

I don't agree with the order, but I have no issue with group selected.

 

[Oklabama]

Darn, I'm getting a green screen on U-tube again. Anybody care to list them?

in the order #1 - #10. Billy Sims, Little Joe, Peterson, McDonald, DeMarco, Pruitt, Steve Owens, Billy Vessels, De'Mond Parker, Mike Gaddis.....honorable mentioned, Q and Marcus.

 

[Schoonerman]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

As Bama said, no issue with those on the list. Billy Sims, in my opinion, is still the greatest Sooner RB ever. But when I think if Mike Gaddis hadn't blown out his knee and DeMond Parker stayed for his senior season, that list would be quite different. Still, studs one and all on the list and the Honorable Mentions.

 

[Dastardly Deed]

I doubt any other university can boast this many truly great backs. USC might come close, but nobody else is within shouting distance. And Marcus D should be a whole lot higher than 9.

 

[Oklabama]

I doubt any other university can boast this many truly great backs. USC might come close, but nobody else is within shouting distance. And Marcus D should be a whole lot higher than 9.

Well, actually, Marcus was only a honorable mention. I hate criticizing rankings of OU players because I admire and appreciate each and every one, but I thought Tommy McDonald, who was my hero back when I was a youngster, is not the #4 running back in OU history. He was fantastic, but #4? But, again, they were all great, and if they had been playing in the same era, I'm sure the ranking would be a lot different. BTW, I would love to have Joe Washington in his prime this season.

 

[iasooner1]

Why is the board doing this to me, showing posts from 6/26 as if they've been bumped up from June? Do I need to reset something?

Nevermind, I don't know how it got that way, this was another great thread started by OUr gal Senior but I figured it out...

 

[CTOkie]

This is one of those rankings that is subjective. I have my own favorites, but I do not necessarily rank OU's top all time backs on statistics alone. Examples are Prentice Gautt (1957-1959), OU's first black player who also excelled at linebacker during that era of football and Billy Vessels (1950-1952), OU's first Heisman winner that went a long way in getting OU to its elite level of recognition. Steve Owens (1966-1968) is another.
None of these three had numbers and the physical abilities of Peterson, Murray, Dupree, Gaddis, Parker and others, but I respect what they did in representing OU during their time at OU.
I like all of OU's backs that are ranked here and many that were not ranked and I am looking forward to more in the future.

 

[BillyRay]

Mike Gaddis was so unbelievably good. Really sad to think of all the great RBs (and other players) that have had their careers derailed by knee injuries.

 

[Dastardly Deed]

Well, actually, Marcus was only a honorable mention. I hate criticizing rankings of OU players because I admire and appreciate each and every one, but I thought Tommy McDonald, who was my hero back when I was a youngster, is not the #4 running back in OU history. He was fantastic, but #4? But, again, they were all great, and if they had been playing in the same era, I'm sure the ranking would be a lot different. BTW, I would love to have Joe Washington in his prime this season.

Tommy McD was my favorite, too. But the fact that he didn't make it in the pros as a RB but as a great receiver supports your argument. Also, I would put Pruitt ahead of Murray. But all in all, one hell of a great list of backs at Running Back U!

 

[WP76]

Not a bad list at all. Billy Sims at #1 is a good call. I think Murray, McDonald, and Owens are a slot or two too high while I think Pruitt, Gaddis, and Dupree should be a couple of slots higher.

 

[CTOkie]

Dupree won't get a top ten ranking from me. Not for playing in 16 games in 1982-83 before leaving the team after a bad Texas defeat IN 1983. The entire Dupree "career" at OU was mishandled by Dupree, Switzer (who gave Dupree 12 carries for 20 yards in the first three games of the 1982 season in which OU lost 2 of its first 3 games before unleashing him against Texas) and the other adults in Dupree's young world of entitlements.
The greatest talent ever recruited by Oklahoma.....and without a doubt the greatest disappointment.

 

[sybarite]

Obviously, this is highly subjective. I do rank McDonald high, higher than Peterson. Peterson was a better prospect than performer, and it isn't all about yards. It's about what you do to win. McDonald was a winner, even as a pro.

I watched the videos, primarily because I wasn't around when DeMond and Gaddis were playing. I did notice that DeMond got caught from behind in almost very run in the video. Little Joe was not really noted as a speedster, but he was difficult to catch from behind. Pruitt and McDonald---you just didn't catch.

I don't think you can have a list without Buddy Leake, Kenny King, Clendon Thomas, Horace Ivory, Wayman Clark, Patrick Collins, Jim Littrell, Rodney Crosswhite, Billy Pricer, Prentice Gautt, or Eddie Hinton.

 

[Senior Sooner]

Obviously, this is highly subjective. I do rank McDonald high, higher than Peterson. Peterson was a better prospect than performer, and it isn't all about yards. It's about what you do to win. McDonald was a winner, even as a pro.

I watched the videos, primarily because I wasn't around when DeMond and Gaddis were playing. I did notice that DeMond got caught from behind in almost very run in the video. Little Joe was not really noted as a speedster, but he was difficult to catch from behind. Pruitt and McDonald---you just didn't catch.

I don't think you can have a list without Buddy Leake, Kenny King, Clendon Thomas, Horace Ivory, Wayman Clark, Patrick Collins, Jim Littrell, Rodney Crosswhite, Billy Pricer, Prentice Gautt, or Eddie Hinton.

Those were The Days, My Friend...Too bad they had to end...

 

[texasjocdoc]

Tommy McD was my favorite, too. But the fact that he didn't make it in the pros as a RB but as a great receiver supports your argument. Also, I would put Pruitt ahead of Murray. But all in all, one hell of a great list of backs at Running Back U!

I would like to share something you might never heard about Tommy. One season he had over a 60 percent average throwing option passes to the other halfback and the TE. Bud was a very creative in making changes. Another was a year they played hurray up offense like you wouldn't believe unless you saw it. He also loved that the Alumni would beat the Varsity each year when they were winning 47 games in a row. I could go on and on about Bud but I would expect you would stop believing me.

 

[fortworth4ou2]

Where will Samaje eventually be on this list?

 

[Senior Sooner]

I would like to share something you might never heard about Tommy. One season he had over a 60 percent average throwing option passes to the other halfback and the TE. Bud was a very creative in making changes. Another was a year they played hurray up offense like you wouldn't believe unless you saw it. He also loved that the Alumni would beat the Varsity each year when they were winning 47 games in a row. I could go on and on about Bud but I would expect you would stop believing me.

Not I...

 

[Schoonerman]

Where will Samaje eventually be on this list?

Agreed. Definitely need to update this list to include Samaje, which means Gaddis or Parker gets bumped off the list. Just to make it interesting would any of you add Joe Mixon to the Honorable Mention list?

 

[iasooner1]

I would bump DuPre first (just because) before any player that had played more games for OU. Sure he was great but obviously a Huge letdown for the Sooners.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

Where will Samaje eventually be on this list?

#1 in my book... and that is not a knock on any of them...

 

[jd1025]

#1 in my book... and that is not a knock on any of them...

It probably needs to be a top 15 because like some said we have had a boat load of great ones.....AD and Murray my guess will have the best overall pro careers as far as raw numbers, Steve Sewell played for some time with the Broncos and had a great pro career, and lil Joe seemed to play forever it seemed once he became the Skins 3rd down back. Spencer played quite a while as well as a special teams captain...David Overstreet would have had a good pro career too I would bet if he would have not passed away. Miami was just about to get Marino warmed up and they had just reported that Overstreet was going to be their feature back and then ran into the gas pumps...man that was a bad day

 

[soonerfastnloud]

It really is too bad with the knees back then. Now with new surgery it's made it possible for those that injure their knees to get back and play.

 

[Plainosooner]

I think there is a distinction between being the best runner, and being the best running back. Like the difference between being the best passing quarterback, and being the best thrower or passer. A guy with the best spiral might be higher in the latter.

Being the best running back includes being the best runner, but it includes more. Being the best running back means contributing to the team with all the skills required. Pass blocking, reliability, how were you in a close game in the fourth. And I'd rank how you were in your era, a little higher than if you could compete in 2009. But the athleticism counts too.

I was watching the Joe Washington all timer on MNF when he was new with the Colts last night, and then his three seasons of highlights. His freshmen year was omitted. There was this brilliance and subtlety about vision and anticipation that were remarkable. If not for the probation that he had nothing to do with, he'd have won the Heisman his senior year.

Sims should have won two Heismans. Joe should have won one, but like McDonald, he won two NC's and the second one was only possible because of two incredible plays he made at the end in Columbia Missouri. Not to mention hundreds of other incredible plays. So I totally agree with Sims and Joe Silvershoes at one, two.

I think Parker's too high, and I wouldn't come close to considering Dupree. They broke down all the norms to accommodate him, and then he screwed it up, anyway.

Peterson at three seems too low, but Adrian was the prime guy as a soph and junior and we weren't great. Three is about right. It's not about being the best NFL running back, later.

I'd have Q on the list over Gaddis, because anybody who scores the only TD in an NC win and is undefeated against Texas, including one win where he scored six touchdowns must be in the list.

McDonald at four is fair. He didn't lose a game in five years, won two NC's and had a more than a decade pro career. And I'd have Pruitt over Demarco. Nobody Murray this high until he had a great year in Dallas. That's noteworthy, but it doesn't count.

 

[bullmarket]

Ironically, we had comments on this subject, last week. This one claims to have been put together 'By Committee', rather than the one we chewed up and spit out, earlier. It was One Person's opinion.

Whether you agree, or disagree, with the choices for Top 10 (All-Time) OU Running Backs, I'm sure you'll agree that we've had some Studs come through. There are no Losers, here...All made us Proud, on any given Saturday...And Yes, some worthy of consideration were left out, and Yes, we could have fielded a Top 20 Group...

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I would have had Samaje Perine in the top 10 maybe replacing Demond Parker

Perine was also modest, a great team player and a high character person

 

[Oklabama]

I would have had Samaje Perine in the top 10 maybe replacing Demond Parker

Perine was also modest, a great team player and a high character person

Totally agree. Perine's OU career reminds me a lot of Earl Campbell's at Houston where he "carried" the Oilers for too many years. In Perine's case, he could have used another quality back his freshman year.....Keith Ford was about the only other RB available and he wasn't ready for prime time, IMO. Samaje was/is a baller. One of the best Sooners.

 

[CTOkie]

I rate my favorite Oklahoma running backs not so much by stats or physical ability, but how much I liked them, how they conducted themselves on and off the field and their impact.
I would list 9, in chronological order:
Vessels, McDonald, Owens, Pruitt, Washington, Sims, Griffin, Perine....and OU's own "Jackie Robinson", Prentice Gautt (1957-59) who was my favorite OU player as a kid, and still is. Gautt, Vessels and McDonald played at a time when players played both ways.

 

[Oklabama]

I rate my favorite Oklahoma running backs not so much by stats or physical ability, but how much I liked them, how they conducted themselves on and off the field and their impact.
I would list 9, in chronological order:
Vessels, McDonald, Owens, Pruitt, Washington, Sims, Griffin, Perine....and OU's own "Jackie Robinson", Prentice Gautt (1957-59) who was my favorite OU player as a kid, and still is. Gautt, Vessels and McDonald played at a time when players played both ways.

Can you just imagine what the game would be like today with guys playing both ways. Ha,ha.
Heck, you don't see a lot of that in high school anymore. Well, not like it was back when I was playing high school ball.

 

[Senior Sooner]

I rate my favorite Oklahoma running backs not so much by stats or physical ability, but how much I liked them, how they conducted themselves on and off the field and their impact.
I would list 9, in chronological order:
Vessels, McDonald, Owens, Pruitt, Washington, Sims, Griffin, Perine....and OU's own "Jackie Robinson", Prentice Gautt (1957-59) who was my favorite OU player as a kid, and still is. Gautt, Vessels and McDonald played at a time when players played both ways.

I agree, CT...I weight my picks on the 'Extenuatings', also, and for that reason, I give bonus points to Prentice, and take away points from Dupree, and Mixon...Not for his behavior, so much as that, IMO, he was a short-timer...almost a One, and Done. The players who stayed the course, and gave their all to OU will always get the nod from me...

And since today is Valentine's Day, I suggest a 'Heart Award', and my vote goes to Q, who raised the bar! Can you imagine anyone his size playing any BIGGER, Every Down?

 

[Oklabama]

The players who stayed the course, and gave their all to OU will always get the nod from me...

Yes!

 

[Saigo]

Agreed. Definitely need to update this list to include Samaje, which means Gaddis or Parker gets bumped off the list. Just to make it interesting would any of you add Joe Mixon to the Honorable Mention list?

Joe Mixon didn't play enough seasons to warrant top 10 status. However, his talent is just behind Adrian Peterson's and maybe a tad behind DeMarco Murray's.

As far as honorable mention, yeah definitely!

 

[iasooner1]

QQQQ or Q, Senior ? Happy Valentines Day Madamme !

 

[sooner_cory]

De'Mond Parker on this list? Almost all of his runs on the clips showed him being caught from behind....just saying.

 

[CTOkie]

De'Mond Parker on this list? Almost all of his runs on the clips showed him being caught from behind....just saying.

Owens and Griffin did not have breakaway speed and I would not factor getting caught from behind into my equation of rating OU's backs. Parker spent a lot of energy breaking tackles and juking defenders which prevented him from breaking some runs that might have gone the distance.

 

[Oklabama]

Mike Gaddis vs Parker? Two that didn't go the full distance eligibly wise but for different reasons. I like Mike because i feel he was the better of the two.

 

[BillyRay]

Owens and Griffin did not have breakaway speed and I would not factor getting caught from behind into my equation of rating OU's backs. Parker spent a lot of energy breaking tackles and juking defenders which prevented him from breaking some runs that might have gone the distance.

Ya who cares about if a RB gets caught from behind or not. The amount of yards Parker rolled up while playing for those god-awful John Blake teams says it all.

 

[CTOkie]

I think in retrospect, Parker made a mistake going pro.
As for OU, maybe Griffin could have redshirted the entire 1999 season had Parker stayed another season....not that it would have made any difference.

 

[Oklabama]

I think in retrospect, Parker made a mistake going pro.
As for OU, maybe Griffin could have redshirted the entire 1999 season had Parker stayed another season....not that it would have made any difference.

Maybe, maybe not. I would have liked to have seen Q play out his career as a redshirt senior. Just saying.

 

[JConXtsy]

I think in retrospect, Parker made a mistake going pro.
As for OU, maybe Griffin could have redshirted the entire 1999 season had Parker stayed another season....not that it would have made any difference.

Always thought the 1999 team would have been much better than 7-5 had Parker remained. We had a decent lead in a number of those losses and then couldn't fall back on a running game to burn out the clock.

 

[CTOkie]

Always thought the 1999 team would have been much better than 7-5 had Parker remained. We had a decent lead in a number of those losses and then couldn't fall back on a running game to burn out the clock.

Having Griffin available only during the last 4 games of the 1999 season didn't help either. His first action came against Missouri on November 6th as Stoops was forced to remove his redshirt status when RB Mike Thornton (all 5'5" 187 lbs of him) was injured after gaining 383 yards in OU's first 7 games.