In my lifetime UT has been Blessed by GREAT running backs - Who is your favorite?

#102
#102
Montario Hardesty became one of the best when he was a senior. That juke spin for a TD vs USC was a thing of beauty. And the masterpiece that he pulled on Cal as a freshmen was a byoot as well.
 
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#104
#104
Cobb-Webb 1989 said:
That is cool.

How about Gene McEver the “Bristol Blizzard”
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Don’t leave out Beattie Feathers either. Before my time, but he,McEvers and Bad News were not men to be ignored. OP asked for our likes, not necessarily who we think was the best, so here goes; best liked, Curt Watson because of his service to our country and his love for UT; best RB, Jamal Lewis; best run remembered, Jeff Powell against Miami in the Sugar Bowl and best FB, Shawn Bryson of the ‘98 team.
 
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#105
#105
Not one of the best but I do want to say based on the OG list Jalen Hurd, if he had stayed and continued at RB, would be our current all time leading rusher. Not the best Vols RB of all time but without a doubt the most underrated.
 
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#107
#107
MurphyVol said:
Yes Garner was a Senior, so let's compare apples to apples (freshman year to freshman year). Jamal's freshman year he matched Webb's 5.9 ypc and had 100 more yards (and tacked on 266 more receiving yards than Webb). Overall, I'd say Jamal had the greatest freshman year of any rb at UT.
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You left out the bowl games. That would give us:

Webb- 235c, 1486y(6.3ypc) 14td
Lewis-246c, 1454y(5.9ypc) 7td

Webb also missed the last regular season game altogether so that would undoubtedly been a nice stat game for him against 1-10 Vandy.

I watched both and would put Webb ahead but as others posited it's almost a 1A/1B scenario. It's just frustrating as hell how the two backs most (at least the ones old enough to remember) would consider our most talented had major knee injuries.
 
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#109
#109
hndog609 said:
You left out the bowl games. That would give us:

Webb- 235c, 1486y(6.3ypc) 14td
Lewis-246c, 1454y(5.9ypc) 7td

Webb also missed the last regular season game altogether so that would undoubtedly been a nice stat game for him against 1-10 Vandy.

I watched both and would put Webb ahead but as others posited it's almost a 1A/1B scenario. It's just frustrating as hell how the two backs most (at least the ones old enough to remember) would consider our most talented had major knee injuries.
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I had forgotten about that. Wasn't that vandy game fairly close? We win 17-10 or something like that. Very nice post
 
#112
#112
UT has never been a single feature back school like Barry Sanders at OK St. or Ron Dayne at Wisconsin.

With that, there are a dozen or so RBs that are legit. All of them have been listed in this thread.
 
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#113
#113
Brave Volunteer said:
My favorite probably isnt one at the top of most of yall's lists. But I really enjoyed watching Cedric Houston tote the rock when he was here. Nobody ran harder than he did!
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I really like Houston and Hardesty. The offense was relatively bland those years, but the RB’s ran hard and made things happen. A lot like Sampson.

Kamara was a magician. He was the shiftiest RB I can remember from the SEC.

Jamal made it look so easy, I still can’t really understand how he broke into the secondary so often.

I think Henry may be my favorite though. Lacked Lewis’s speed, but he ran better when the defense was in front of him. Travis Henry thrived against contact.
 
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#119
#119
I know he has a black eye now and I hate it has happened to him.

Jay Graham was a stud as well. He could tote the note and was easily one of the best back to play at Tennessee. Shouldn’t have coached at Bama. Ruined his mind. 🤪
 
#124
#124
I had forgotten how good of a receiver Amsler was. He always reminded me of a Larry Csonka-like runner. And always acted like he had been there before when he scored or had a big play. Very cool.
 
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#125
#125
It's not recency bias to say Sampson was the best I've ever seen (born 95). My argument is honestly he is the best Vol RB ever.

Eventually you have to face the fact that the sport has evolved to a science and that some of the legends are legends forever ABSOLUTELY. I could definitely understand that older generational players were arguably TOUGHER due to less safety, targeting, tackling, all around danger. But the game is much more technical now. Sampson would likely be heisman in the 60s and 70s and 80s and 90s if he retained all his modern techniques and evolved football knowledge. Because he was trained to be a robot of perfection down to the millisecond of reading gaps, running angles, ball handling and tackle evasion, and the compiling knowledge of 100 years of the game, and the internet availability for coaches practice curriculum, modern technology, modern workout regiments, billions of dollars involved in perfecting modern athletes, nutrition, training evolution, coaching evolution, etc, vs a freak show talent display over 190lb linebackers. It's a hot take, maybe super ignorant, but I do want to pick the brains of more wise fans who could change my mind and actually have seen both.
 
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