Walter, Barry and Jim Brown had the lesser OL. (maybe Bo Jackson as well).
Walter and Sanders were smaller than average backs.
Payton the most durable and well rounded (pass catching and just a devastating blocker).
To me, Jim Brown showed how exciting football could be just when it began to expand from a garbage sport ( back then behind Boxing, Baseball, horse racing and basketball) to a major sport on TV. Some of the first names you learned outside your family between 4-6 years old was the President, the Heavyweight Champ, who won the Derby and Russel vs Chamberlain followed by Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. And in that mix was Jim Brown. A smart kid knew who the VP was and who Khrushchev was.
But although he was not the best of the great backs, my favorite was Walter Payton.
Honestly, to me, Gale Sanders just didn't play that long to register in the top rungs. Ditto Jackson.
Walter and Sanders were smaller than average backs.
Payton the most durable and well rounded (pass catching and just a devastating blocker).
To me, Jim Brown showed how exciting football could be just when it began to expand from a garbage sport ( back then behind Boxing, Baseball, horse racing and basketball) to a major sport on TV. Some of the first names you learned outside your family between 4-6 years old was the President, the Heavyweight Champ, who won the Derby and Russel vs Chamberlain followed by Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. And in that mix was Jim Brown. A smart kid knew who the VP was and who Khrushchev was.
But although he was not the best of the great backs, my favorite was Walter Payton.
Honestly, to me, Gale Sanders just didn't play that long to register in the top rungs. Ditto Jackson.