If Adrian Peterson had stayed healthy for his three years at OU

[HuskerOC]

Would you view him with the likes of Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders? These three are arguably the greatest ever in college.

Yes.

He was the most dominant and physical running back I had seen dating back to Bo and Herschel.

That is saying a mouthful, but the combination of size and speed that can run over the biggest of LBs and take it to the house from 80 yards is an extremely rare combination.

The guy runs as hard and angry as anybody I've ever seen with an extreme amount of size and physical skills.

 

[sooner4life130]

im not saying hes not better, but its not like there werent others with his numbers

Oh, I suppose I should have been more specific. Its more on lines of their legacy. Take Bo for example. He didnt set any records besides the cobine but yet anyone who watched him would say hes the greatest they had ever seen in the NFL. So if we had the pleasure of watching AD fully healthy and run the way that he did 340 times a year, I would bet people would have called him a "gift from God" to the sports world. The myth that people create kind of thing. Stats are stats unless you put up 2800 like Barry lol

 

[SteelersPride]

Oh, I suppose I should have been more specific. Its more on lines of their legacy. Take Bo for example. He didnt set any records besides the cobine but yet anyone who watched him would say hes the greatest they had ever seen in the NFL. So if we had the pleasure of watching AD fully healthy and run the way that he did 340 times a year, I would bet people would have called him a "gift from God" to the sports world. The myth that people create kind of thing. Stats are stats unless you put up 2800 like Barry lol

ok with explanation, and thats my bad, yes, no doubt.........

 

[Nosferatu]

Barry Sanders offensive line SUCKED in Detroit. Pathetic. Horrible. The QB play wasn't any good either and he still did what he did. How many times did that guy get hit in the backfield as he was getting the handoff with those defenses crowding the line of scrimmage on him and do something absolutely incredible? Too many times to count. The guy was something else, simply amazing.

Maybe the biggest misconception in sports history is that Barry played on horrible teams or had a horrible offensive line. Neither is true. First Barry never followed a block anyhow so it didn't matter if he didn't have the best line in front of him, yet he still had a couple pro bowlers on the line, some of that could have been due to Barry himself but it's still a fact. The QB play he had was like Joe Montana compared to what Walter Payton played with and Barry was on a team that had the first tandem of WR's to both go over 100 receptions in the same season.

 

[Kevin12773]

AD should've been the first freshman to win the heisman. Man among boys

 

[Codaxx]

Barry Sanders offensive line SUCKED in Detroit. Pathetic. Horrible. The QB play wasn't any good either and he still did what he did. How many times did that guy get hit in the backfield as he was getting the handoff with those defenses crowding the line of scrimmage on him and do something absolutely incredible? Too many times to count. The guy was something else, simply amazing.

But in truth, he was not a complete RB. I loved watching him, but Detriot would routinely take him out in short yardage situations. He was just as likely to lose 3 yards, as to gain 2. Just the kind of RB he was.

 

[HuskerOC]

Maybe the biggest misconception in sports history is that Barry played on horrible teams or had a horrible offensive line. Neither is true. First Barry never followed a block anyhow so it didn't matter if he didn't have the best line in front of him, yet he still had a couple pro bowlers on the line, some of that could have been due to Barry himself but it's still a fact. The QB play he had was like Joe Montana compared to what Walter Payton played with and Barry was on a team that had the first tandem of WR's to both go over 100 receptions in the same season.

But in truth, he was not a complete RB. I loved watching him, but Detriot would routinely take him out in short yardage situations. He was just as likely to lose 3 yards, as to gain 2. Just the kind of RB he was.

Agree with both.

Barry's biggest strength, yet biggest weakness was his natural instincts to free-lance on just about every play. It was great entertainment, and he was must watch TV every time he strapped it up, but he was never a guy that you would grind it out with on 3 carries for 1st downs in a 4 minute offense.

He would string together 10 consecutive carries for 3 yards, and then bust one for 48. The number of carries he had for 2 yards or less, has to be some kind of NFL record.

Great great great player. 1st ballot HOF, and I don't want to diminish Barry's greatness, but I firmly believe that Adrian Peterson is better. Hell, Sanders only started for a single season at Oklahoma State, albeit maybe the greatest year any college RB has ever had.

 

[Pariah]

That was such a stupid, pointless dive into the endzone against Iowa State, completely unnecessary. I'll never forget that play. There was no one even near him. He busted his collarbone after jumping and twisting high into the air to land on his back and then snap! Cost him the second half of that season and he didn't return until the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Dumb move, incredible player. Beastly.

I thought he actually got tripped from behind.

 

[outofyourmind]

Actually, I think this guy would have been better than all of them, if he had just kept his shit together.
9.5 hundred/240lbs

 

[Boise4Life]

I thought he actually got tripped from behind.

There was no one near him. The dive was completely unneeded.

 

[Pariah]

There was no one near him. The dive was completely unneeded.

Dunno, I remember it differently.

I thought a group of people was around him and he got tangled with someone.

 

[Boise4Life]

Dunno, I remember it differently.

I thought a group of people was around him and he got tangled with someone.

Well what do you know? I just watched the replay and you are absolutely right. I stand corrected. My apologies.

It's funny that at the time people were saying that TD run would be his last as a Sooner, not so. But in reality, his final run would come against Boise in the Fiesta in overtime, also a touchdown. Fitting for the dude. Everyone knew he was outta there after his junior year. No need to stay, especially as a tailback. Those dudes take so much punishment.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Barry imo greatest RB of all time.

Jerry Rice greatest NFL player of all time.

AD would have been 1 of the best collegiate RBs of all time if he never missed a game.

AD is an amazing RB, easily better than Emmitt. I see him more as a Jim Brown than a Barry.

 

[Codaxx]

Barry imo greatest RB of all time.

Jerry Rice greatest NFL player of all time.

AD would have been 1 of the best collegiate RBs of all time if he never missed a game.

AD is an amazing RB, easily better than Emmitt. I see him more as a Jim Brown than a Barry.

I have Calvin as the best WR of All-time. Him and Moss were/are just on another level athletically. Shame Moss never really cared about his craft. It would have been amazing if his talent and attitude matched

 

[theSabanator20]

Barry Sanders could break your ankles in a phone booth
AD can run through a phone booth
Herschel Walker eats phone booths
Bo Jackson is a phone booth with legs

 

[Wishbone]

Amazing that even with Barry Sanders and Mike Gundy Okie Light couldn't beat OU.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Adrian Peterson is the only recruit that still upsets me we didn't land. Imgagine that Rose Bowl with Vince, Charles, and Peterson in the back field. It would've been over by half time.

 

[Smart]

RB A: 325 carries, 2109 Yards, 6.5 YPC, 21 TDs
RB B: 339 carries, 1925 Yards, 5.7 YPC, 15 TDs

Funny how in healthy form as a Freshman, RB A looks like a better college back. And RB A did stay healthy for four years, broke the NCAA Rushing Record, and finished with more YPC in his career than RB B ever did in a season. Yet you didn't list RB A as one of the best college running backs ever.

If RB A isn't one of the best backs ever, neither is healthy RB B. Of course, neither are Bo Jackson or Herschel Walker, and Barry Sanders shouldn't be in that group because he's a 1 year wonder. So I guess based on your Ron Dayne-less standards of a great running back, there are no great running backs ever. Maybe by the end of the year, Melvin "highest YPC ever" Gordon will give us one.

 

[Codaxx]

Amazing that even with Barry Sanders and Mike Gundy Okie Light couldn't beat OU.

Gundy wasnt there. He was in in high school or chasing sorority girls. That was Pat Jones.

 

[Codaxx]

RB A: 325 carries, 2109 Yards, 6.5 YPC, 21 TDs
RB B: 339 carries, 1925 Yards, 5.7 YPC, 15 TDs

Funny how in healthy form as a Freshman, RB A looks like a better college back. And RB A did stay healthy for four years, broke the NCAA Rushing Record, and finished with more YPC in his career than RB B ever did in a season. Yet you didn't list RB A as one of the best college running backs ever.

If RB A isn't one of the best backs ever, neither is healthy RB B. Of course, neither are Bo Jackson or Herschel Walker, and Barry Sanders shouldn't be in that group because he's a 1 year wonder. So I guess based on your Ron Dayne-less standards of a great running back, there are no great running backs ever. Maybe by the end of the year, Melvin "highest YPC ever" Gordon will give us one.

I like him and i think he can be special, but its hard to gauge his effect. The top 3 runners for Wisconsin ran for 7.81 yards, 6.53 yards, and 8.16. Lot of Gordon's runs came on jet sweeps also.