All SportsHoopla All Hokie - RB

[HokieGhost]

I think you have to take into consideration the following factors in no particular order:

1. The offernsive line when the RB was playing for Tech - good, bad, or ugly
2. Pass-blocking skills
3. Ability to see the hole and explode through it
4. Ability to break away once in the open field - "home run hitter"
5. The strength of the competition
6. Ability to run over defenders
7. Pass-catching skills
8. A nose for the end zone when inside the Red Zone
9. Shiftiness - lateral movement without losing forward speed
10. Will not be denied that yard or two on 3rd-and-1

 

[awaz]

You all know to vote for three, correct?

@ me

 

[Hokie200proof]

I think you have to take into consideration the following factors in no particular order:

1. The offernsive line when the RB was playing for Tech - good, bad, or ugly
2. Pass-blocking skills
3. Ability to see the hole and explode through it
4. Ability to break away once in the open field - "home run hitter"
5. The strength of the competition
6. Ability to run over defenders
7. Pass-catching skills
8. A nose for the end zone when inside the Red Zone
9. Shiftiness - lateral movement without losing forward speed
10. Will not be denied that yard or two on 3rd-and-1

1. Would take more research than I'm willing to do, but I would expect that generally we've had better OL's lately... tough call though.

2. Also would require a great deal of research - either film or word of mouth from coaches. None stick out, other than RW had serious trouble with it in the beginning.

3. RW - easy pick, saw holes/angles better than any runner we've had. Mike Vick might be the only Hokie who was better at one-cut-and-go.

4. KJ, Suggs, DW, RW all run together for this one... in different ways though. KJ was the best improvisor, Suggs was the best through-resistance-to-space, DW had the speed when he hit the corner, RW had those runs because he saw the holes the best. They all had those runs though.

5. Another tough call... I think the more recent runners faced tougher competition and some did well vs. the higher skill level (DW was big in big games for one). But does this take into account #1? If our OL was shit and we played the '55 Sooners, whoever had positive yards that game was a hero.

6. DE. Hands down... and spikes in facemasks

7. DW. Of course, I think he was our most utilized RB in the passing game, so... might skew my vote here.

8. Suggs. Without question. He was nearly automatic. We could use more of that today.

9. DW... maybe KJ behind him, but far behind IMHO.

10. Suggs/DE. DE was consistent in keeping drives alive, but so was Suggs and Suggs was either a) a lot better at getting those tight yards where it mattered (redzone) or b) our play-calling was much more run-oriented when he played vs. when DE played.

Might as well throw in this one:

11. Who was the OC when they played (i.e. how much did the run game factor into Tech's total offense)?

 

[Sleepy T]

a) how do you forget David Wilson, and
b) why don't you add him now?

I boycott, as this is a significant oversight.

Tell me how to add him (after the fact) and I will be glad too. Clearly an oversight...my bad.

I agree DW deserves to be in the conversation, and I missed and probably should have put him in place of a few others. He did just finish his career at VT 3 months ago...regardless, he didn't make my top 3. Don't know that I would put him over Jones, Suggs, Lawrence, RW, maybe even Evans. I would make Evans 5a and DW 5b...

 

[sparko]

nah .. WIlson would be my solid #3 behind Jones and Suggs .. Ryan Williams will probably turn out to be the best NFL back of them all but he wasn't at VT long enough to be in the same company. DMFW was a contributor for 3 years solid.

 

[VTscores]

Any running back who that catches rabbits during practice and gets drafted to the NFL in the first round deserves to be in this discussion.

If I left him out of the poll, I'd start the poll over. But that's me.

 

[VTscores]

"They say David Wilson's tears cure cancer; too bad David Wilson doesn't cry."

"VT officials considered naming the Drillfield after David Wilson, but nobody crosses David Wilson and lives."

Please don't get me started.

 

[hokiecheme11]

I'm sorry, but I was really dissappointed with DW's career at Tech. Part of it is how he was used, but he had too many negative plays and not enough TDs for me to consider him top 5

 

[HokieGhost]

This will be an unpopular opinion, but before Brandon Ore went bat-guano crazy and drop-kicked his college career into limbo-land, he had an incredible jump-cut that I haven't seen before or since. I would actually give him the nod for #9 "Shiftiness - lateral movement without losing forward speed".

 

[hunzworth]

1) Suggs: best all around RB we've had IMO
2) RW
3) KJ

^with a bunch of guys getting HM

damn that was hard.

 

[hunzworth]

This will be an unpopular opinion, but before Brandon Ore went bat-guano crazy and drop-kicked his college career into limbo-land, he had an incredible jump-cut that I haven't seen before or since. I would actually give him the nod for #9 "Shiftiness - lateral movement without losing forward speed".

not unpopular with me! If his head had been in the right place Brandon "iron" Ore would be a legend at VT.

 

[VTscores]

I'm sorry, but I was really dissappointed with DW's career at Tech. Part of it is how he was used, but he had too many negative plays and not enough TDs for me to consider him top 5

Part of me agrees with that, but I think this is mostly because of that one reverse play in the Sugar bowl that lost a ridiculous number of yards.

I think he had a couple of those, and they were pretty costly at key points in games. The lack of touchdowns isn't entirely his fault, as it also has to do with the offensive line and how he was used.

I don't think he'd be in the top 2 based on his career at VT, but he deserves a mention, and I'm certain he deserves to be in the top 5.

 

[VTscores]

I voted, but under protest at David Wilson's inexcusable exclusion.