TheRealMcCoy Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) The Athletic is doing a Top 100 NFL Players Ever and they have Gale Sayers listed at #53. Quote Fifty years after his last run, Gale Sayers is revered not for yards, records, nor championships, certainly not championships. He is revered for style. No one has played the game like Sayers did — not before him, not after him. He was Fred Astaire in cleats, with grace, subtlety and savvy that was not of this world. “It was a gift,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2010. “And trust me, it was easy. It was so easy, I can’t even explain it.” Teammate Johnny Morris said Sayers was the only player he has seen who could change directions in mid-air. It was as if his feet didn’t need the ground for him to propel himself. Most running backs make rounded cuts. Sayers’ cuts were sharp and hard, like the corners of a square hickory table. And he could make those cuts at full speed, physics’ laws be damned. “Every runner I know, deep down, would like to run the way Gale Sayers did,” Jim Brown wrote in his autobiography, “Out of Bounds.” “No one has ever run prettier.” Runners usually have a plan. Sayers? He was all instinct. “Really, I don’t know where I’m going,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “I go where my feet take me.” His feet took him where defenders couldn’t get a hand on him, let alone a hit or a tackle. He said he never was hit solidly on a kick return or punt return because of his peripheral vision. Sayers could make defenders, even some of the best defenders who ever lived, look like they were playing in slow motion while he was on fast-forward. One of Sayers’ cuts on a 63-yard run left Lions hall of famer Lem Barney on the ground. What I mean when I said he paved the way for Barry Sanders and LeSean McCoy. Quote Instead of his greatness being diminished by playing in only 68 games and what amounted to five seasons, Sayers’ mystique was heightened by it. He is remembered as the one who transcended his brutish sport. As with Marilyn, Hendrix, and Tupac, we are left to wonder what could have been if Sayers had not been stopped too soon. “If he hadn’t gotten injured, if he could have played 10 or 11 years, Gale might hold every legitimate record there is,” Brown wrote. “His performance never will be forgotten by anyone who understands football.” Big time humility to admit that from Brown who is heralded as a top 10 player ever and usually top 5. Quote What Sayers probably did best was return kicks. His 30.6 yard average per kick return remains the best in NFL history. Crazy. Quote It is possible, maybe probable, that no one in the history of the National Football League ever had a better performance than Sayers did on Dec. 12, 1965, against the 49ers at Wrigley Field. The rain was steady and the playing field was gray, as grass had stopped growing months prior and dirt had become mud. Everyone struggled with their footing — except Sayers. He once said on that day, he cut on the back part of his feet instead of the balls of his feet. He slipped one time, however — on the last play of the game, he fell at midfield on a punt return just as he was about to break free for what could have been a touchdown. It would have been his seventh. As it was, he tied an NFL record. Sayers took nine handoffs and scored on four of them. One of his two receptions went for an 80-yard touchdown. He fielded five punts and scored on one of the returns. He said he was hit on only one of them, as he was going into the end zone. Oh, and he totaled 336 yards. Sayers could have scored another touchdown if head coach George Halas had not pulled him in the fourth quarter with the Bears about to score. Halas said he had a premonition Sayers would get hurt on the next play. Sayers’ backup, Jon Arnett, ran it in from two yards out and was vigorously booed. Out of this world stuff. Quote The 49ers had come up with a special scheme for Sayers called “The Chicago Defense.” It called for defenders to be disciplined in their run gaps and double-team Bears blockers. “I just wonder how many Sayers would have scored if we hadn’t set our defense to stop him,” 49ers assistant coach Y.A. Tittle said. In November of 1968, Sayers took a pitch on a play called 49 Toss Left and planted his right leg. San Francisco safety Kermit Alexander drove his shoulder into Sayers’ knee, which bent sideways. Teammates Ralph Kurek, Rudy Kuechenberg and Mike Reilly carried Sayers off the field, and Halas, known as impervious, wept on the sidelines. Just three and a half years into his career, the great Sayers as we knew him was no more. But he showed his greatness was multidimensional the following year when his will became more imposing than his skill. Sayers changed his running style, bullying his way to an NFL-high 1,032 rushing yards. @Danger Edited August 9, 2021 by TheRealMcCoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babyatemydingo Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 15 hours ago, Daimonas said: I don't watch college ball so correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't saquon and gurley both considered transcendent talents as rbs. Guys in every sport get that designation. It is about people in charge knowing the difference. I mean, pick any draft from more than five years ago and redo it. For example ... 2010 NFL Draft 1st 10: Sam Bradford Ndamukong Suh Gerald McCoy Trent Williams Eric Berry Russell Okung Joe Haden Rolando McClain C.J. Spiller Tyson Alualu Next 10: Anthony Davis Ryan Mathews Brandon Graham Earl Thomas Jason Pierre-Paul Derrick Morgan Mike Iupati Maurkice Pouncey Sean Weatherspoon Kareem Jackson 10 taken later: Rob Gronkowski Carlos Dunlap Sean Lee Golden Tate Emmanuel Sandres Jimmy Graham Everson Griffen Geno Atkins Reshad Jones Antonio Brown It is all about how good you are at drafting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babyatemydingo Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 8 hours ago, Jroc04 said: Still though, you can argue Barry was wasted in DET. He was maybe the best RB of all time and he enjoyed what, 4-5 winning seasons? I remember them being really good one year and even then didn’t get to a SB. All other playoff years were one and done. Funny thing is, Derek Thomas and Deion Sanders were picked directly behind him and I’d say they were probably a better fit. One was the best shut down CB of all time and the other was an elite pass rusher most all of his career, both HoFs and better building blocks. Point is, he maybe was a “can’t miss” but his franchise wasted his talent because they were just not ready to compete. He was wasted due to the Lion's inability to draft. Here are the top three rounds or top three picks surrounding and including Sanders: 1987 -Reggie Rogers DE (7) *Jerry Ball DE Garland Rivers DB 1988 *Bennie Blades DB (3) *Chris Spielman LB Pat Carter TE Ray Roundtree WR 1989 *Barry Sanders (3 overall) John Ford WR -Mike Utley OG 1990 Andre Ware QB (7) -Dan Owens DE -Mark Spindler DE 1991 *Herman Moore (10) Reggie Barrett WR Robert Hinckley LB The Lions got serious contributors in just five out of 16 picks in the first three rounds or picks over five years, including Sanders. This doesn't even account for the WR failures in subsequent years. Sanders wasn't a bad pick. He was a great one. It was a lot of the other picks that were deficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabbs4u Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) I'd be willing to bet there have been more Top 10 busts at QB then at RB over the years. I mean you can't predict injury but for every Barry you might draft a Ki-Janna Carter. However just as easily a GM could be drafting the next Ryan Leaf instead of Peyton Manning. The draft is a crap shoot, especially for the majority of the NFL FO that are actually pis$ poor at drafting players. Everyone loves to believe their teams draft well but you can probably count on one hand really the GM's that have built through the draft well enough to Win SB. Saquon would of been a phenomenal pick, even over Allen if he never got hurt, he was that filthy. But he did. It's not the position, it's the player, his bad luck. The Sean Lee of RB's. 😎 Allen as a Giant could of easily been Sam Darnold, not the $260M Man he's transformed into this past season. Edited August 9, 2021 by Nabbs4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jroc04 Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 13 hours ago, babyatemydingo said: He was wasted due to the Lion's inability to draft. Here are the top three rounds or top three picks surrounding and including Sanders: 1987 -Reggie Rogers DE (7) *Jerry Ball DE Garland Rivers DB 1988 *Bennie Blades DB (3) *Chris Spielman LB Pat Carter TE Ray Roundtree WR 1989 *Barry Sanders (3 overall) John Ford WR -Mike Utley OG 1990 Andre Ware QB (7) -Dan Owens DE -Mark Spindler DE 1991 *Herman Moore (10) Reggie Barrett WR Robert Hinckley LB The Lions got serious contributors in just five out of 16 picks in the first three rounds or picks over five years, including Sanders. This doesn't even account for the WR failures in subsequent years. Sanders wasn't a bad pick. He was a great one. It was a lot of the other picks that were deficient. He was wasted. So we agree. He was a great footballer. Not a great pick, imo. Barry toiled away in Detroit because there was no reason for DET to draft a RB when that’s a complimentary piece compared to OL, QB and a defensive stalwart like CB or DE to a franchise. Let’s be clear, Barry is the best RB I’ve ever seen with my eyes. And he performed like a HoF RB, as he is. Bottom line, you hit a homerun with a RB and the rest of your team is trash then you’re going to be trash but if you invest in the OL and get yourself a decent QB then you can have some success. Barry wasn’t a wasted pick but it was a waste of a career for DET to pick Barry. The proof is in his career. Terrell Davis who had probably the best 3 years back to back in Barry’s era was taken in the 6th round. And he was the cherry that put the Broncos over the top. It just doesn’t make sense to me, no matter how talented the player, HoF or not, Barry or not, to take a RB and build around him. I’d rather swing and miss on a cornerstone positon over and over before taking a RB early and hoping he can carry the team. It’s been proven over and over RBs are just complimentary to a good team and easily replaced when other components are in place. It would be like taking Ricky Williams over Donovan McNabb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaglesPeteC Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Lol this is wild to think about 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMcCoy Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Such an underrated pick-up. He was fantastic in the slot. One of the best in the league that year. I remember reporters kept talking about how much he was getting cooked in training camp too lol. Enjoy retirement PRob. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babyatemydingo Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 On 8/9/2021 at 2:03 PM, Jroc04 said: He was wasted. So we agree. He was a great footballer. Not a great pick, imo. Barry toiled away in Detroit because there was no reason for DET to draft a RB when that’s a complimentary piece compared to OL, QB and a defensive stalwart like CB or DE to a franchise. Let’s be clear, Barry is the best RB I’ve ever seen with my eyes. And he performed like a HoF RB, as he is. Bottom line, you hit a homerun with a RB and the rest of your team is trash then you’re going to be trash but if you invest in the OL and get yourself a decent QB then you can have some success. Barry wasn’t a wasted pick but it was a waste of a career for DET to pick Barry. The proof is in his career. Terrell Davis who had probably the best 3 years back to back in Barry’s era was taken in the 6th round. And he was the cherry that put the Broncos over the top. It just doesn’t make sense to me, no matter how talented the player, HoF or not, Barry or not, to take a RB and build around him. I’d rather swing and miss on a cornerstone positon over and over before taking a RB early and hoping he can carry the team. It’s been proven over and over RBs are just complimentary to a good team and easily replaced when other components are in place. It would be like taking Ricky Williams over Donovan McNabb. I don't agree. In fact, you don't either. (see in bold) You can't say it was a bad pick because they got arguably the best player at his position ever. It isn't like they took a kicker or punter. Outside of those positions, any GOAT is worthy of the selection. I mean, you could argue that Deion Sanders was a slightly better pick, but not that Barry Sanders was a bad one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiltman Posted August 11, 2021 Author Share Posted August 11, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeezla Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 3 minutes ago, Kiltman said: Curious what his next injury will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiltman Posted August 11, 2021 Author Share Posted August 11, 2021 1 hour ago, Jeezla said: Curious what his next injury will be. Knowing him a shoulder if he can’t plant as well. Will be something he hurts overcompensating for the foot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeezla Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Just now, Kiltman said: Knowing him a shoulder if he can’t plant as well. Will be something he hurts overcompensating for the foot Something that will cost him 31% of the snaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMcCoy Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 I.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiltman Posted August 14, 2021 Author Share Posted August 14, 2021 22 minutes ago, TheRealMcCoy said: I.. Could be major or just a technicality for going over state lines. Either way he’ll to the no with dealing with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 Pederson now spotted at Colts camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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