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Other than Bo Jackson, who is AU's No. 1 RB?


StatTiger

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It's some balance between stats and preference of the watcher. Like you cannot make an argument that James Joseph (who I loved) is number two on the list. He never put up the numbers, but once you hit some threshold, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

Like I said, Cadillac is the guy for me. I loved knowing he would take 40 carries if need be. I loved his herky-jerky movements when he was trying to set up a juke. I loved the breakaway speed, and I loved his versatility as a pass catcher out of the backfield and as a punt returner. He was just a Dude.

I think I watched in person for every game Cadillac played. I believe that's right. Same for Ronnie, and I missed one for Rudi (so you can peg my years in school!!).

I didn't get to experience James Brooks, but in videos, that guy was electric. 

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Tre Smith is always going to be my favorite running back at Auburn, just because he did what he wasn't supposed to be able to do at just the right time.

I'm also a big Tre Mason fan because I remember watching him literally get blown up by linebackers his Freshman year only to have them dread facing him in 2013. 

As usual, I'm a fan of the underdog.

Unfortunately for me, I'd never even heard of Auburn back in the 70s-80s when Bo, Fullwood, Brooks, et al were running wild.

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I saw Bo and Fullwood play.  Top end speed - that was the only difference on the field IMO.  Fullwood had the same cuts and was a beast hitting holes.  Bo was so quick at getting to full speed, it was scary.  

 

Fullwood had a terrible nickname, that I won't share, because he did fumble more than anyone wanted. He was clearly number 2.  

My  'favorite to watch' was Ronnie Brown (the truck at the UT goal line?).  I doubt his numbers would have held up if he was carrying the entire load instead of splitting time with Cadillac.  Teams would have schemed more to stop him.  Kenny Irons would be my 2A - running style. Both those guys attacked defenders like K Pettway does.

Yes, K Pettway is the next 'great one'.

Edited by Beaker
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12 hours ago, mcgufcm said:

It's some balance between stats and preference of the watcher. Like you cannot make an argument that James Joseph (who I loved) is number two on the list. He never put up the numbers, but once you hit some threshold, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

Like I said, Cadillac is the guy for me. I loved knowing he would take 40 carries if need be. I loved his herky-jerky movements when he was trying to set up a juke. I loved the breakaway speed, and I loved his versatility as a pass catcher out of the backfield and as a punt returner. He was just a Dude.

I think I watched in person for every game Cadillac played. I believe that's right. Same for Ronnie, and I missed one for Rudi (so you can peg my years in school!!).

I didn't get to experience James Brooks, but in videos, that guy was electric. 

Well said.  I'd only add that our biases are influenced most by who we saw.  I was there during the Cribbs/Brooks era so I naturally compare all other backs to those two.  My last quarter at AU was Fall 1979 -- the year AU was on probation and prohibited from being on TV.  What a shame too because unless you went to the games, you couldn't ever watch those two in action.  In only 11 games (no bowl game due to probation,) both Brooks & Cribbs each rushed for over 1,000 yds.  One or both would break off a long run (50+ yds) at least once every game.  And I mean every game.  Brooks earned his nickname "Bye-Bye" because if he got to corner and turned it up-field, he was gone.  Down by 7 in the Iron Bowl that year after uat scored a TD with about 25 seconds left, Brooks took the KO and nearly ran it all the way back, getting tripped up a shoestring tackle at about the uat 20.  Even Bear Bryant said afterwards, "I nearly had heart failure every time he touched the ball."  Brooks WAS electric.      

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Ok for discussion purposes when did we switch to the I formation from the wishbone.  I think Brooks had to share a lot of carries with Cribbs and James during the wishbone period.  I believe that Fullwood ran out of the I but its been a lot of years.  Could someone clarify the offense that these backs ran out of?  With only my memories to go on I would think that Brooks would be the second best Auburn back.

Edited by Newbomb
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54 minutes ago, Newbomb said:

Ok for discussion purposes when did we switch to the I formation from the wishbone.  I think Brooks had to share a lot of carries with Cribbs and James during the wishbone period.  I believe that Fullwood ran out of the I but its been a lot of years.  Could someone clarify the offense that these backs ran out of?  With only my memories to go on I would think that Brooks would be the second best Auburn back.

I do not think Brooks or Cribbs every operated out of the wishbone. Dye brought it in. 

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I really liked Tre Mason, but I think as good as he was, he was in a good place at a great time, in 2013, with our offensive strategy and oline. I think Pettway has the tools to be one of the greats. 

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1 hour ago, Newbomb said:

Ok for discussion purposes when did we switch to the I formation from the wishbone.  I think Brooks had to share a lot of carries with Cribbs and James during the wishbone period.  I believe that Fullwood ran out of the I but its been a lot of years.  Could someone clarify the offense that these backs ran out of?  With only my memories to go on I would think that Brooks would be the second best Auburn back.

Pretty sure in 1985, Bo's Heisman year.

 

 

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I originally put Fullwood in my top 4 on here but the Fullwood love in this thread is very overstated. He was an exciting back but some seem to be rating him on "what he could have done" rather than what he actually did. The more I think about it, dont think I would put him in my top 4. His overall career doesnt merit it. Not to mention he was a big draft bust as the #4 pick, I think it was. If he was as great as whats being stated in this thread he could and would have been productive elsewhere. I will leave Cribbs & Brooks just below Bo in no particular order. Fullwood is more about what could have been, but still had a good career at AU.

Edited by boisnumber1
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30 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

I really liked Tre Mason, but I think as good as he was, he was in a good place at a great time, in 2013, with our offensive strategy and oline. I think Pettway has the tools to be one of the greats. 

Gus, Nick, Greg, Jay, Reese... I hope Tre had their pics in his pocket in New York. 

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7 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Gus, Nick, Greg, Jay, Reese... I hope Tre had their pics in his pocket in New York. 

It's always a team thing. The Marshall/Mason mesh alone was not to be duplicated by either participant with anyone else.

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1 minute ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

It's always a team thing. The Marshall/Mason mesh alone was not to be duplicated by either participant with anyone else.

!!!

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4 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

It's always a team thing.

Unless you're playing Techmo Bowl... then it's pretty much just a Bo thing :)

 

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7 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Unless you're playing Techmo Bowl... then it's pretty much just a Bo thing :)

 

Sorry - Had to Google it. In '87 I was wandering bars, wondering where all the Pong machines had gone.

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To me Fullwood had the best plant, cut and get up field ability of any back I have personally seen play at AU. Plus at @ 5'10" and 230 lbs he was hard to tackle. His only limitation was his top end speed.

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The numbers don't support it, but I was always a fan of Ronnie Brown. When he was on, he ran with power, speed and finesse...but he was inconsistent. What a backfield we had in 2004, though. As unreal an athlete as Bo Jackson was, it's equally crazy we had the quality of backs in 2004 playing at the same time like that. 

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1 hour ago, boisnumber1 said:

I originally put Fullwood in my top 4 on here but the Fullwood love in this thread is very overstated. He was an exciting back but some seem to be rating him on "what he could have done" rather than what he actually did. The more I think about it, dont think I would put him in my top 4. His overall career doesnt merit it. Not to mention he was a big draft bust as the #4 pick, I think it was. If he was as great as whats being stated in this thread he could and would have been productive elsewhere. I will leave Cribbs & Brooks just below Bo in no particular order. Fullwood is more about what could have been, but still had a good career at AU.

I think you missed the original supposition:  looking at their single best years and data like YPC, etc.   

Fullwood didn't make in the NFL, but that is a totally different analysis.  

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If this was a test question is be tempted to say all of the above. I think it was a game announcer that said one time that late in a game Auburn could take out Bo Jackson and put in Brent Fullwood and actually get better. I'm sure the defenses hated playing us then. I liked Cadillac because he was a threat to take it to the house just about anytime. To me that great ones are the ones who can move the chains even when the defense knows what's coming. Mason was that way and Pettway is that way. But in the end it's probably Cadillac for me after Bo. 

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4 hours ago, Tiger said:

1. Bo

2. Michael Burks

2A. Demontray Carter

You forgot Markeith Cooper

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I'm honestly too young to have this conversation but in all my years I think the second best is Tre Mason 

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