with Ron Johnson for whom I had a poster on my wall while growing up. He was part of those loveable losing teams but there was something about the beauty of his game during those brutal years that struck me.
Tiki's final few seasons were spectacular in so many ways, he really did round himself into a terrific all around back. A few more years at that pace and he would have had HOF type numbers.
Bradshaw personifies everything I love in a back. Sure, he struggled with the foot problems but that never took away from his toughness and grit. He always seemed to get everything and more out of a play. I loved that little man's blood and guts attitude. He's probably my guy if push cones to shove.
Can't point to a single play by him it was more the sum total of his play. He seemed to never lose yards, always grinding it out when everyone knew he was getting the ball and looked like he was running against 12 in the box because he was the only offense the team had.
Anderson - TD run in superbowl 25....and on MNF in 1992 he lined up at FB in front of Hampton on the goal line and was the lead blocker for RH to score a TD. He had a huge smile on his face. A true team player
Joe Morris, Rodney Hampton and tiki are clear cut best ones Â
Probably Hampton--he could have replicated Tiki type performance in the Giant offense of the aughts. He was a fluid runner with size and good pass catching ability which was underused on the bad Giant teams he was stuck on.
Jacobs was loves for his trucking but he's the most overrated Giant back by a long shot. For every truck there was two soft failed 3rd and shorts. Found Bradshaw much tougher and better runner overall.
I was ecstatic when they drafted him in '90. With Joe Morris down and OJ getting up in years, I thought Rodney was the missing piece in the puzzle. Too bad he got hurt in the Bears game. Even though OJ was still starting, Hampton had become our #1 back at the end of that season.
Hi signature run was the long TD run in the '93 playoffs vs. Minny.
with Ron Johnson for whom I had a poster on my wall while growing up. He was part of those loveable losing teams but there was something about the beauty of his game during those brutal years that struck me.
Johnson was actually a part of the Giants only two winning seasons during the "15 years of lousy football." Not a bad percentage of his career considering he only played here 4 (or 5?) years due to injury (could be mis-remembering, didn't look it up).
Guy was dominant his first year here in 1970 on Giants 9-5 team and came back to run for over 1000 yards on the Norm Snead QB'd 8-6 1972 team after blowing out a knee in 1971.
Hampton's game against Dallas/Enmitt Smith is greatest single RB game memory I think.
Tiki's games against Wash and Oak, and his overall career makes him best of all Giants backs I've seen.
Post Tiki favorite is BJ in a close shave over Bradshaw (although Bradshaw was probably more talented).
Honorable mention: Kotar, Carpenter, Morris, Meggett (dishonorable mention???), Way (do FBs count?), Bradshaw and Fredrickson (my first Giants hero after Tittle).
and 2nd place isn't close really for me. He carried a team on his back when they needed it most.
Jacobs has better signature plays and you could certainly say that the violent collisions by Jacobs sparked the team, but the KC game in 2005, and the Redskins game in 2006 by Tiki are two of the best games I've seen from a RB, any RB.
And his 2005 and 2006 seasons among the best I've ever seen from any RB.
Also, not a run, but his football recovery vs. the Pats in XLII. I think we were down 7-3 @ the time & deep in our own territory. Bradshaw muffs it, a Patriot falls right on top of it, & somehow AB recovers it. I still have no idea how he came up with that ball.
Bradshaw for me. He's one of my favorite Giants in my lifetime, regardless of position. His run in Buffalo when the rain turned to snow mid run will always be the signature run for me.
Rob Carpenter - 1981 playoffs he was the load carrier. Not the most talented but a tough SOB.
Rodney Hampton - I felt bad for him, he was a great player and all they had.
Ron Johnson - IMO the most talented RB the Giants have had.
Morris - SB run was great
Caveat - I really never saw Gifford play, but I'm sure he should be on every list.
Tiki. Best offensive player , along with Eli, the Giants have..... Â
ever had. Disappointed that his legacy is tarnished by some of his dickhead behavior at the end of his career, but on the field, easily Giants best back in my lifetime as a fan.
tried to go back and figure out his first big run. I want to say it was during the 89 season and he had a 62 yard TD. As a kid I had never seen a runningback take a screen pass like that. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball.
David Wilson reminded me of him...wish it could have worked out.
Morris, Anderson, Hampton, Tiki, Jacobs and Bradshaw all had great aspects to them.
Tiki was the best overall (running, pass catching, pass blocking).
Jacobs could be the most punishing; bled Giants blue.
Bradshaw probably was the toughest; greatest spirit / drive.
Hampton was another great overall RB; a "running back's RB".
Anderson, as a grizzly vet; was a tough old SOB. SBXXV!
Morris had great power for his size; Bradshaw like / light.
Just a tough nasty runner. Tons of heart. And he always seemed hungry to win.
agreed. played a lot bigger than his size would indicate. never forget that bs call in green bay which negated what would have been the game winner. we won anyway but still bothers me
Like he was smallish solid bowling ball type runner. He several big games in career. Remember one vs Washington on Monday night in 86' ...Just rooted him on.
Other, honorable mention Rob Carpenter even though came via trade.
with Ron Johnson for whom I had a poster on my wall while growing up. He was part of those loveable losing teams but there was something about the beauty of his game during those brutal years that struck me.
Johnson was actually a part of the Giants only two winning seasons during the "15 years of lousy football." Not a bad percentage of his career considering he only played here 4 (or 5?) years due to injury (could be mis-remembering, didn't look it up).
Guy was dominant his first year here in 1970 on Giants 9-5 team and came back to run for over 1000 yards on the Norm Snead QB'd 8-6 1972 team after blowing out a knee in 1971.
Hampton's game against Dallas/Enmitt Smith is greatest single RB game memory I think.
Tiki's games against Wash and Oak, and his overall career makes him best of all Giants backs I've seen.
Post Tiki favorite is BJ in a close shave over Bradshaw (although Bradshaw was probably more talented).
Honorable mention: Kotar, Carpenter, Morris, Meggett (dishonorable mention???), Way (do FBs count?), Bradshaw and Fredrickson (my first Giants hero after Tittle).
Aquid, I was very young at the time but my recollection during the 70's was of a hapless team for the most part. It was during that time frame that my deep disdain for that team from Dallas that was cemented.
Tiki was the most talented, and Bradshaw was the hardest working. Loved them both. Honorable mention to Rodney Hampton who was the only talented guy on our offense for many years.
Jacobs is my favorite for a couple of reasons. The first is that he could change the tone of the game with one run. He set a tone of physicality in some games that raised the play of the whole team. The playoff game in Lambeau was the most significant example.
The second reason is that I just don't think anyone loved being a New York Giant more than him. He hated our rivals - especially the Cowboys - and you get the sense he loved the team like a fan. I have always appreciated that from him, and it's why he is one of my all-time favorite Giants.
was the starting RB when I started watching the Giants on a regular basis in 1979. He was a good back but the Giants were terrible, and he never ran for over 1000 yards.
Tiki was obviously the best Giants RB in my lifetime, and I loved watching him on the field, but the BS he brought to the locker room made me sick. He was an enigma to me. Calls Strahan greedy in the press for holding out for more money. Calls the soon to be face of the franchise a joke to the media. Then prima donna retires after 10 years to be a media superstar and his it all falls to pieces. Strahan eventually got the life that he felt he deserved. It was addition by subtraction when he and Shockey left the team. He was clearly the most talented player, but I will take the heart and should of Jacobs and Bradshaw, who helped the Giants win 2 Super Bowls, over Tiki's divisive talent.
Can't take away what Tiki Barber did he should of and could have played 2-3 more years and May have sniffed Canton .
I'm Old School I just take Traits from each .
Ron Johnson was so friggen tough and smooth remember he met Dick Butkus in the Hole Johnson had a full head of steam and knocked Butkus out cold .
Little Joe Morris languished behind Butch Woolfolk for three years before taking over the RB Position . I remember I wrote a Letter to the Giants News Weekly and it was Published My statement was how does Woolfolk get 43 carries in one Game more than Joe Morris did in 3 years ' I also stated that after going 3-12-1 that the defense would carry us back to the playoffs and it happened .
Rodney Hampton was amazing Pre_season to the KO back like
102 yards for a TD big game against Dallas with 170 yards
carried the Team on his back .
Bradshaw ran like a Wolverine ....
BJ Was just flat scary and No One wanted to mix it up with him .
Jacobs is my favorite Johnson a close second .
Right from his first run from scrimmage in the pre-season. Reeves ruined him.
Jacobs next - The obvious trucking of Landry. But, I also love that long swing pass that went for a TD. I loved the way his feet were chopping.
Barber - I think it was his first game. He had a run down near the goalline to the right against the Cards, got bottled up behind the LOS and came all the way back to the left for a TD.
Joe Morris - Ran right out of his sneaker against the Steelers and went about 45 yards with his sock flapping
Also, not a run, but his football recovery vs. the Pats in XLII. I think we were down 7-3 @ the time & deep in our own territory. Bradshaw muffs it, a Patriot falls right on top of it, & somehow AB recovers it. I still have no idea how he came up with that ball.
agree with this
Bradshaw put us on the path to the Superbowl in 2007 with that run
It was the equivalent of the Cruz catch against the Jets in 2011
Rookies Tucker Frederickson, Chuck Mercein, and Ernie Koy, joined Steve Thurlow and Ernie Wheelwright, and were known as the "Baby Bulls".....after the 1964 season, they were a breath of fresh air....
But 1965 was the peak for the Baby Bulls......Frederickson, drafted #1 in the NFL, was suppose to be the next wunderkind.....NY media built himup, and there was some comparisons to Brown, which was completely stupid....Tucker had around 650 yards rushing, compared to over 1500 for Brown.....that was the rookie year for Sayers who scored 14 rushing tds....Brown had 17....
After that season, it was the Dark Ages until the trade for Ron Johnson, probably next to the Tittle trade, the second greatest trade I ever saw, until Eli came along...
Then after Johnson, it was the Dark ages again, until Carpenter showed up......we did not have much of an OL, but this guy would just run over people.....
Finally, we have Morris, Tiki, Jacobs, and Bradshaw....Morris was a guy, who could just take it to the house.....Bradshaw, if not for the bad wheels, could have really been something special....Jacobs, I always felt, could have been a much better runner....yes he was famous for bowling over little DB's.....But because he was such a big, upright runner, how many times did we see him fly through a hole and get tripped up, losing big yardage he should have made.....and because of him running upright, he was not really a guy who could move the pile......
Which brings me to Tiki....just an average runner his first 3 seasons, and then he became the best runner the Giants ever had, over the last 7 seasons....I never saw Gifford run, so I can't really assess him....
Who will be that next Giant runner that we can compare to these guys?
Becoming a fan in the 60s, I broke in on the end of Gifford and the breakdown of Tucker Fredickson. In the aftermath, there was a run of flawed, sometimes capable, sometimes big-hearted backs like Joe Morrison, Ernie Koy, Bobby Duhon, Ronnie Bly, Johnny Fuqua.
And then we got the real deal, Ron Johnson. So fast, graceful, and powerful.
Flawless.
So, I guess my early sense of the Giants was as fortune's fools, noble but lovable losers. Until Ron Johnson.
There are the championship backs, the guys driving the bus, and the guys that get the bus out of the ditch. Apples, oranges, I'm grateful to all, but have a special spot for #30.
Johnson ran inside and outside. He was there for 3rd & 1 or 3rd & 15. He was also an excellent receiver out of the back field. 3 Winning seasons between 1964 & 1983 and Ron Johnson led 2 of those teams. Johnson played on Giant teams that had small and poor offense lines. In 1970 he had a great QB, but in '72, it was him, Bob Tucker and nothing else.
Barber & Gifford didn't play short yardage downs, but Gifford was a threat to throw the option pass.
When I started to really pay attention to the Giants as a kid, Carpenter was the spark on offense that helped the Gmen finally make the playoffs. Just loved his big cut back runs. Just great.
Tiki Barber was my favorite. I liked the way he played. He appeared to me to be a sportsmen. Always played hard, and it looked like he acknowledged the opposing players for tackling him. Didn't talk smack as far as I could see. It really hurt when it turned out what turd he really was off the field.
Have to go with Bradshaw, his pure toughness and playmaking are so difficult to replicate with any other back. Tiki was supremely talented but I think wasted it.
The play I will remember most about Brandon Jacobs is when he trucked Charles Woodson in the 2007 NFC Championship game. That's an all-time favourite play/moment for me.
But AB is my guy if I had to pick ONE Giants RB for all time in my life of watching them. 3 plays come to mind:
1 - 2007 vs Buffalo when he busted that long TD run in the rain/snow to clinch the win and the playoffs.
2 - 2011 vs the Jets when he ran over their safety en-route to a TD.
3 - 2011 vs the Packers in the playoffs, a very unheralded play IMO. He caught a simple pass in the flat at the end of the first half, then amazingly turned it into a long catch and run for a first down, while also getting out of bounds and putting the Giants in a position to attempt a legitimate Hail Mary. Such a smart but also athletic play and sums up AB as a football player. We all know what happened next - Nicks in the end-zone on an amazing end of the half Hail Mary Touchdown.. And the rest of that game was history.
Frank Gifford throwing the option pass for another big gain or TD. Contrary to the ESPN incompetents, he was THE MOST VERSATILE player ever to see action in the NFL.
Rob Carpenter carrying the GIANTS into the playoffs on his back after fifteen-plus years of lousy football.
Rodney Hampton gaining yard after yard in the honest, old fashioned run-it-down-their-throat way as the heart of the offense on some pretty mediocre teams.
Brandon Jacobs trucking the Redskins safety, knocking a dogging 'backer flat on his back, firing the ball at the Cowboys' scoreboard after scoring a TD, being a cheerleader on the sidelines, and numerous other similar actions.
My favorite Giants running backs the last time they wore the jersey... Â
...were Barber, Meggett and Hampton. Post Giants career behavior has eliminated two of those 'gentleman' from consideration making Rodney Hampton my all time favorite Diants running back. Old school, tough as nails and very productive in every situation.
he was unfortunately saddled with bad coaches and poor QB play for most of his giants career so was always a favourite for me,close second joe morris the little guy running behind that huge OL will always be a giants great for me but he had LT and simms and a great OL and DL which hampton didnt have
i would have said tiki but the manner of his exit and vitriol for the team afterwards means he soured his legacy with the giants for me he could have played several years more and that was a factor too
He left a bad taste in my mouth with some of his comments particularly the one about Eli's leadership being comical but I ran into him off the field twice and he was a friendly guy, he actually talked football with me and my dad for a good 20 minutes. Signature play, there is just too many to list he made a lot out of a little, running and receiving. I think his ability to get small behind the line and disappear off the screen then reappear on the other side of the pile totally losing me and even the game camera man was pretty slick I must say. Loved me some tiki, sad he never won a title, can't fault his efforts on the field that's for sure, he just packed it in a year too early.
Great heart great pass protector. Ran like he was mad at the grass. The run against Buffalo is the one I'll always remember. Hampton my second Jacobs third.
RE: Joe Morris, Rodney Hampton and tiki are clear cut best ones Â
Jacobs was loves for his trucking but he's the most overrated Giant back by a long shot. For every truck there was two soft failed 3rd and shorts.
I agree. Jacobs has just as much bad as he did good. I recall a back that was hurt a lot, fumbled and tried to run like a scat back, pouted when he lost the starting job. Didn't see how good it was in NY till he went to SF. Jacobs is just "Meh" to me.
Hampton was such a complete back. I liked him so much I actually wanted him to take the 49ers offer so he could play on a good team.
to the Giants ground game and offense. I thought he was tremendous for this team at the time, but not the most talented guy. Tiki was the most talented with the ball in his hand, and also was extremely durable. Rodney Hampton was a breath of fresh air also and had the quickest feet I ever saw for a guy his size. Bradshaw and Jacobs were quite the tandem and add Ward into that mix and the Earth, Wind and Fire was something to behold. Nobody could stop our ground game then. Of course much of that success could be attributed to the great Oline we had, as well. Bradshaw and Jacobs were both hard, tough runners and brought much needed attitude to the offense. OJ Anderson was a wily vet and also brought that great running attitude, but of course he was in the later part of his career with us and didn't quite have the speed he did at one time either. I'd have to say Joe Morris was probably my favorite RB. Guy could make something out of nothing, had great balance and was instrumental in getting us that 1st Super Bowl win too. He could do everything; run, catch and block and you just knew that it was just a matter of time before he took the ball to the house.
toughest players I have seen. He led the league in rushing one year. Jim Taylor later reminded me of Eddie Price. He was my favorite with Gifford second. Of course, Tiki is the best, though.
knows nothing about football and Tiki Barber was the first running back she watched. When she watched other running backs with the football, she was confused why nobody had ran, made plays, had the ability to escape guys/make them miss and had the vision like Tiki and I said, because they they’re not Tiki lol
One of my favorite Giants to watch, but such a condescending boob-head off the field
Nothing he said, says, did or does changes the fact that he was the best RB in the history of this franchise and an absolutely incredible RB at his peak who was capable of putting the entire team on his back and winning a football game on his own.
I loved Hampton when I was a kid... he was really the NYG RB I have my first real memories of watching on a weekly basis. All of us were big fans of both Jacobs and Bradshaw but I can't answer this question with anyone other than Tiki.
Joe Morrison played for 15 years. Was part of the 1960s era team thru the 1970s. Played HB, FB, flanker, DB, special teams and threw the option pass. He along with Greg Larsen were the final links to the Conerly-Tittle teams.
In his last years he was out there hustling on special teams.
The guy was great. I was around 40 at the time he came to the team. I had been waiting for a back like that for years to come to the Giants.
Are you really 'around' 120 years bold? Isn't that some kind of a record for longevity?
Or did you mean that you weighed 40 lbs. at the time Leemans arrived (1936)?
Joe Morris, Tiki, Bradshaw (not neccessarily in that order) Â
My favorite play by a RB - Otis Anderson in the superbowl - the uppercut club to the defender coming down the sideline.
Honorable mention to Maurice Carthon (The battering ram) - for his blocking efforts.
In the 80's Parcells used to give out game balls and one week Joe Morris received one. With the award came the use of a car for the week ... Morris didn't miss a beat. He took the keys and threw them right to Carthon.
What's wrong? Doesn't anyone here remember Joe Don Looney (Tunes)? Â
As a player, Tiki without question. Favorite to root for was Joe Morris with Bradshaw/Jacobs a close tie for second just because of what they meant to the team.
with Ron Johnson for whom I had a poster on my wall while growing up. He was part of those loveable losing teams but there was something about the beauty of his game during those brutal years that struck me.
Tiki's final few seasons were spectacular in so many ways, he really did round himself into a terrific all around back. A few more years at that pace and he would have had HOF type numbers.
Bradshaw personifies everything I love in a back. Sure, he struggled with the foot problems but that never took away from his toughness and grit. He always seemed to get everything and more out of a play. I loved that little man's blood and guts attitude. He's probably my guy if push cones to shove.
I bet I had that same Ron Johnson poster on my wall. I had one of him and also one of Spider Lockhart, my two favorite players at the time.
Seriously though Rodney Hampton is my all time favorite. A true workhorse mired on some teams that would basically sucks without his consistency and durability. Tiki Barber would truly be my choice hands down if he wasn't such a scumbag.
His arrival marked the beginning of the modern era Giants... They were a laughingstock through the 70s. That changed the day the Giants got a real back.
how come no mention on my fathers friend ken strong who i think is in canton hof only other runner from gients in hof is gifford who is my favorite and i still wear his number 16 jersey at times
the one guy i thought would be real good that never panned out was Joe Montgomery, tough inside runner, good vision. Think injury derailed him. Tiki was the best runner in the game at his peak. A joy to watch.
Converted more big third downs than anyone. Would take a dump off pass that was going nowhere and make something out of it. Tiki knew how to use blockers better than any other Giants RB, but Meggett could make things happen on his own better than any Giants RB I have seen.
When Dayne was drafted. He was probably better than Dayne and in particular in short yardage and inside the tackle. Of course he never really did much....
He had two good years when even Derrick ward ran for over 1000 yards behind a stud o line. Straight line guy with no wiggle or much pass catch. Also not a good short yardage back. Really too big to play back.
Many forgetting the complaints of 2009-11.
Bradshaw was much better to me. Even Rashard Jennings has had some runs and plays like the catch for a td in buffalo that are better than Jacobs best stuff. I'm sure he would have run as well as Jacobs in the same situation. And Rashard Jennings is no great back.
Megget was a very worthy mention btw. Meant so much to Giant offense for several years.
and Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs was my favorite for the short time that he was dominant. Anderson was my favorite emotionally for how he changed his game to become a GREAT rb for the Giants. And Hampton was the best overall RB in Giants history imo.
And while I'm at it - Barber was the worst RB in Giants history. His off the field disruption make him one of the most destructive players in Giants history at any position. Plax was close but Barber was much worse. It is no coincidence he doesn't have a SB ring. Football is a team sport and Barber could have played at his highest level for 100 years and wouldn't ever win a ring.
I know he got a ring his rookie year, but I really wish we could have seen him with a good QB instead of the revolving door of mediocrity we had post-Simms. Also, I need to ask. Who else was really excited when we drafted Wheatley? I thought we got a star. Unfortunately for him, he was in a toxic situation where Reeves wanted Rahsaan Salaam, and the FO ended up overruling him. I heard chatter about Wheatley's poor work ethic, but I also saw Reeves put him in position to fail countless times. All we ever did was run that stupid Toss when #28 checked in.
I agree. Wheatley was misused and was not given enough inside the tackle runs. He was in need of volume to hit a couple of long runs but rarely got touches that way with nyg.
Tiki's final few seasons were spectacular in so many ways, he really did round himself into a terrific all around back. A few more years at that pace and he would have had HOF type numbers.
Bradshaw personifies everything I love in a back. Sure, he struggled with the foot problems but that never took away from his toughness and grit. He always seemed to get everything and more out of a play. I loved that little man's blood and guts attitude. He's probably my guy if push cones to shove.
But Brandon Jacobs was such a special presence and special player in the recent run that I'm going to vote for him.
But Brandon Jacobs was such a special presence and special player in the recent run that I'm going to vote for him.
Hard to remember a signature play for JM, though the way he'd gash through the line throughout the 86 playoff run kind of lingers.
BJ, the signature plays are trucking Urlacher and Brewski.
Showing up in 81' and finally giving the Giants a hint of a running game was huge.
Anderson - TD run in superbowl 25....and on MNF in 1992 he lined up at FB in front of Hampton on the goal line and was the lead blocker for RH to score a TD. He had a huge smile on his face. A true team player
Probably Hampton--he could have replicated Tiki type performance in the Giant offense of the aughts. He was a fluid runner with size and good pass catching ability which was underused on the bad Giant teams he was stuck on.
Jacobs was loves for his trucking but he's the most overrated Giant back by a long shot. For every truck there was two soft failed 3rd and shorts. Found Bradshaw much tougher and better runner overall.
Hi signature run was the long TD run in the '93 playoffs vs. Minny.
Johnson was actually a part of the Giants only two winning seasons during the "15 years of lousy football." Not a bad percentage of his career considering he only played here 4 (or 5?) years due to injury (could be mis-remembering, didn't look it up).
Guy was dominant his first year here in 1970 on Giants 9-5 team and came back to run for over 1000 yards on the Norm Snead QB'd 8-6 1972 team after blowing out a knee in 1971.
Hampton's game against Dallas/Enmitt Smith is greatest single RB game memory I think.
Tiki's games against Wash and Oak, and his overall career makes him best of all Giants backs I've seen.
Post Tiki favorite is BJ in a close shave over Bradshaw (although Bradshaw was probably more talented).
Honorable mention: Kotar, Carpenter, Morris, Meggett (dishonorable mention???), Way (do FBs count?), Bradshaw and Fredrickson (my first Giants hero after Tittle).
Jacobs has better signature plays and you could certainly say that the violent collisions by Jacobs sparked the team, but the KC game in 2005, and the Redskins game in 2006 by Tiki are two of the best games I've seen from a RB, any RB.
And his 2005 and 2006 seasons among the best I've ever seen from any RB.
Also, not a run, but his football recovery vs. the Pats in XLII. I think we were down 7-3 @ the time & deep in our own territory. Bradshaw muffs it, a Patriot falls right on top of it, & somehow AB recovers it. I still have no idea how he came up with that ball.
Joe Morrison is 1A he helped bring all that misery to an end!!
Brandon Jacobs because he restored a certain physical identity to the Giants they had been missing for over a decade.
Loved Bradshaw. Someone once said he ran like he was angry at the ground.
Loved Tiki. He really improved with age, working on his body and fumbling issues. Underrated at blitz pickups, too.
Joe Morrison is 1A he helped bring all that misery to an end!!
Jim Morrison's brother?
Rodney Hampton - I felt bad for him, he was a great player and all they had.
Ron Johnson - IMO the most talented RB the Giants have had.
Morris - SB run was great
Caveat - I really never saw Gifford play, but I'm sure he should be on every list.
tried to go back and figure out his first big run. I want to say it was during the 89 season and he had a 62 yard TD. As a kid I had never seen a runningback take a screen pass like that. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball.
David Wilson reminded me of him...wish it could have worked out.
O J Anderson was unbelievable in the Super Bowl.
Tiki was also a great back.
Tiki was the best overall (running, pass catching, pass blocking).
Jacobs could be the most punishing; bled Giants blue.
Bradshaw probably was the toughest; greatest spirit / drive.
Hampton was another great overall RB; a "running back's RB".
Anderson, as a grizzly vet; was a tough old SOB. SBXXV!
Morris had great power for his size; Bradshaw like / light.
agreed. played a lot bigger than his size would indicate. never forget that bs call in green bay which negated what would have been the game winner. we won anyway but still bothers me
Other, honorable mention Rob Carpenter even though came via trade.
Quote:
with Ron Johnson for whom I had a poster on my wall while growing up. He was part of those loveable losing teams but there was something about the beauty of his game during those brutal years that struck me.
Johnson was actually a part of the Giants only two winning seasons during the "15 years of lousy football." Not a bad percentage of his career considering he only played here 4 (or 5?) years due to injury (could be mis-remembering, didn't look it up).
Guy was dominant his first year here in 1970 on Giants 9-5 team and came back to run for over 1000 yards on the Norm Snead QB'd 8-6 1972 team after blowing out a knee in 1971.
Hampton's game against Dallas/Enmitt Smith is greatest single RB game memory I think.
Tiki's games against Wash and Oak, and his overall career makes him best of all Giants backs I've seen.
Post Tiki favorite is BJ in a close shave over Bradshaw (although Bradshaw was probably more talented).
Honorable mention: Kotar, Carpenter, Morris, Meggett (dishonorable mention???), Way (do FBs count?), Bradshaw and Fredrickson (my first Giants hero after Tittle).
Aquid, I was very young at the time but my recollection during the 70's was of a hapless team for the most part. It was during that time frame that my deep disdain for that team from Dallas that was cemented.
Quote:
Joe Morrison is 1A he helped bring all that misery to an end!!
Jim Morrison's brother?
VAX, LOL!! Yeah his shorter brother from another mother! Sorry!
Jacobs is my favorite for a couple of reasons. The first is that he could change the tone of the game with one run. He set a tone of physicality in some games that raised the play of the whole team. The playoff game in Lambeau was the most significant example.
The second reason is that I just don't think anyone loved being a New York Giant more than him. He hated our rivals - especially the Cowboys - and you get the sense he loved the team like a fan. I have always appreciated that from him, and it's why he is one of my all-time favorite Giants.
Tiki was obviously the best Giants RB in my lifetime, and I loved watching him on the field, but the BS he brought to the locker room made me sick. He was an enigma to me. Calls Strahan greedy in the press for holding out for more money. Calls the soon to be face of the franchise a joke to the media. Then prima donna retires after 10 years to be a media superstar and his it all falls to pieces. Strahan eventually got the life that he felt he deserved. It was addition by subtraction when he and Shockey left the team. He was clearly the most talented player, but I will take the heart and should of Jacobs and Bradshaw, who helped the Giants win 2 Super Bowls, over Tiki's divisive talent.
I'm Old School I just take Traits from each .
Ron Johnson was so friggen tough and smooth remember he met Dick Butkus in the Hole Johnson had a full head of steam and knocked Butkus out cold .
Little Joe Morris languished behind Butch Woolfolk for three years before taking over the RB Position . I remember I wrote a Letter to the Giants News Weekly and it was Published My statement was how does Woolfolk get 43 carries in one Game more than Joe Morris did in 3 years ' I also stated that after going 3-12-1 that the defense would carry us back to the playoffs and it happened .
Rodney Hampton was amazing Pre_season to the KO back like
102 yards for a TD big game against Dallas with 170 yards
carried the Team on his back .
Bradshaw ran like a Wolverine ....
BJ Was just flat scary and No One wanted to mix it up with him .
Jacobs is my favorite Johnson a close second .
Jacobs next - The obvious trucking of Landry. But, I also love that long swing pass that went for a TD. I loved the way his feet were chopping.
Barber - I think it was his first game. He had a run down near the goalline to the right against the Cards, got bottled up behind the LOS and came all the way back to the left for a TD.
Joe Morris - Ran right out of his sneaker against the Steelers and went about 45 yards with his sock flapping
Also, not a run, but his football recovery vs. the Pats in XLII. I think we were down 7-3 @ the time & deep in our own territory. Bradshaw muffs it, a Patriot falls right on top of it, & somehow AB recovers it. I still have no idea how he came up with that ball.
agree with this
Bradshaw put us on the path to the Superbowl in 2007 with that run
It was the equivalent of the Cruz catch against the Jets in 2011
and loved OJ Anderson's Superbowl uppercut
But 1965 was the peak for the Baby Bulls......Frederickson, drafted #1 in the NFL, was suppose to be the next wunderkind.....NY media built himup, and there was some comparisons to Brown, which was completely stupid....Tucker had around 650 yards rushing, compared to over 1500 for Brown.....that was the rookie year for Sayers who scored 14 rushing tds....Brown had 17....
After that season, it was the Dark Ages until the trade for Ron Johnson, probably next to the Tittle trade, the second greatest trade I ever saw, until Eli came along...
Then after Johnson, it was the Dark ages again, until Carpenter showed up......we did not have much of an OL, but this guy would just run over people.....
Finally, we have Morris, Tiki, Jacobs, and Bradshaw....Morris was a guy, who could just take it to the house.....Bradshaw, if not for the bad wheels, could have really been something special....Jacobs, I always felt, could have been a much better runner....yes he was famous for bowling over little DB's.....But because he was such a big, upright runner, how many times did we see him fly through a hole and get tripped up, losing big yardage he should have made.....and because of him running upright, he was not really a guy who could move the pile......
Which brings me to Tiki....just an average runner his first 3 seasons, and then he became the best runner the Giants ever had, over the last 7 seasons....I never saw Gifford run, so I can't really assess him....
Who will be that next Giant runner that we can compare to these guys?
And as many mention shout out to:
Ron Johnson,
Tikki
OJ Anderson
Hampton
And as many mention shout out to:
Ron Johnson,
Tikki
OJ Anderson
Hampton
And Joe Morris.
And then we got the real deal, Ron Johnson. So fast, graceful, and powerful.
Flawless.
So, I guess my early sense of the Giants was as fortune's fools, noble but lovable losers. Until Ron Johnson.
There are the championship backs, the guys driving the bus, and the guys that get the bus out of the ditch. Apples, oranges, I'm grateful to all, but have a special spot for #30.
Barber & Gifford didn't play short yardage downs, but Gifford was a threat to throw the option pass.
Tiki converted over 60% of his 3rd/4th and short, and almost 70% of his any down and short carries.
Tiki Barber was my favorite. I liked the way he played. He appeared to me to be a sportsmen. Always played hard, and it looked like he acknowledged the opposing players for tackling him. Didn't talk smack as far as I could see. It really hurt when it turned out what turd he really was off the field.
Have to go with Bradshaw, his pure toughness and playmaking are so difficult to replicate with any other back. Tiki was supremely talented but I think wasted it.
The play I will remember most about Brandon Jacobs is when he trucked Charles Woodson in the 2007 NFC Championship game. That's an all-time favourite play/moment for me.
But AB is my guy if I had to pick ONE Giants RB for all time in my life of watching them. 3 plays come to mind:
1 - 2007 vs Buffalo when he busted that long TD run in the rain/snow to clinch the win and the playoffs.
2 - 2011 vs the Jets when he ran over their safety en-route to a TD.
3 - 2011 vs the Packers in the playoffs, a very unheralded play IMO. He caught a simple pass in the flat at the end of the first half, then amazingly turned it into a long catch and run for a first down, while also getting out of bounds and putting the Giants in a position to attempt a legitimate Hail Mary. Such a smart but also athletic play and sums up AB as a football player. We all know what happened next - Nicks in the end-zone on an amazing end of the half Hail Mary Touchdown.. And the rest of that game was history.
Rob Carpenter carrying the GIANTS into the playoffs on his back after fifteen-plus years of lousy football.
Rodney Hampton gaining yard after yard in the honest, old fashioned run-it-down-their-throat way as the heart of the offense on some pretty mediocre teams.
Brandon Jacobs trucking the Redskins safety, knocking a dogging 'backer flat on his back, firing the ball at the Cowboys' scoreboard after scoring a TD, being a cheerleader on the sidelines, and numerous other similar actions.
i would have said tiki but the manner of his exit and vitriol for the team afterwards means he soured his legacy with the giants for me he could have played several years more and that was a factor too
Tiki converted over 60% of his 3rd/4th and short, and almost 70% of his any down and short carries.
Brandon Jacobs ran most of the short yardage, especially at the goal line.
+1
I only started suffering around '75, but that was long enough. The '81 season was fantastic.
Jacobs was loves for his trucking but he's the most overrated Giant back by a long shot. For every truck there was two soft failed 3rd and shorts.
I agree. Jacobs has just as much bad as he did good. I recall a back that was hurt a lot, fumbled and tried to run like a scat back, pouted when he lost the starting job. Didn't see how good it was in NY till he went to SF. Jacobs is just "Meh" to me.
Hampton was such a complete back. I liked him so much I actually wanted him to take the 49ers offer so he could play on a good team.
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One of my favorite Giants to watch, but such a condescending boob-head off the field
I loved Hampton when I was a kid... he was really the NYG RB I have my first real memories of watching on a weekly basis. All of us were big fans of both Jacobs and Bradshaw but I can't answer this question with anyone other than Tiki.
In his last years he was out there hustling on special teams.
Are you really 'around' 120 years bold? Isn't that some kind of a record for longevity?
Or did you mean that you weighed 40 lbs. at the time Leemans arrived (1936)?
Honorable mention to Maurice Carthon (The battering ram) - for his blocking efforts.
In the 80's Parcells used to give out game balls and one week Joe Morris received one. With the award came the use of a car for the week ... Morris didn't miss a beat. He took the keys and threw them right to Carthon.
Tiki's final few seasons were spectacular in so many ways, he really did round himself into a terrific all around back. A few more years at that pace and he would have had HOF type numbers.
Bradshaw personifies everything I love in a back. Sure, he struggled with the foot problems but that never took away from his toughness and grit. He always seemed to get everything and more out of a play. I loved that little man's blood and guts attitude. He's probably my guy if push cones to shove.
I bet I had that same Ron Johnson poster on my wall. I had one of him and also one of Spider Lockhart, my two favorite players at the time.
Tiki was pretty good.. but I think my all time favorite..
The man who ran like he was angry at the grass
Ahmad Bradshaw
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Seriously though Rodney Hampton is my all time favorite. A true workhorse mired on some teams that would basically sucks without his consistency and durability. Tiki Barber would truly be my choice hands down if he wasn't such a scumbag.
As an adult it was definitely Tiki. He is probably the Giants first offensive super star in the modern era. He was just awesome to watch
Many forgetting the complaints of 2009-11.
Bradshaw was much better to me. Even Rashard Jennings has had some runs and plays like the catch for a td in buffalo that are better than Jacobs best stuff. I'm sure he would have run as well as Jacobs in the same situation. And Rashard Jennings is no great back.
Megget was a very worthy mention btw. Meant so much to Giant offense for several years.
And while I'm at it - Barber was the worst RB in Giants history. His off the field disruption make him one of the most destructive players in Giants history at any position. Plax was close but Barber was much worse. It is no coincidence he doesn't have a SB ring. Football is a team sport and Barber could have played at his highest level for 100 years and wouldn't ever win a ring.