by DaNgEr ZoNe

Created on: January 30, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

LaDainian Tomlinson is a great running back, but not the greatest of all time. We will never have a distinct number one back because of the fact different eras and different rules. The athlete of today has many advantages then the athletes of old.

Many backs have paved the way for the new backs of today. Four come to mind that are the elite...the greats of the greatest. Emmitt Smith, Walter(SWEETNESS)Payton, Jim Brown, and Barry Sanders.

Jim Brown started it all for the standards of a great back having rushed for 12,312 yards in 8 seasons. Scoring 106 rushing TDs and catching 20 along with his 2499 recieving yards. He is an all time great. He ran with power, basically a running wrecking machine, but what prevented him from maybe being declared as the all time great..... he left the game to become an actor.

Barry Sanders, what more could you say but WOW!..did you see that? The man could escape anything. He needed it too. In his 10 seasons he was able to escape for 15,260 yards. a damper on him is only 99 rushing TDs. He also wasn't a great weapon for the recieveing game scoring 10 TDs and 2921 recieving yards. Nor did he wina superbowl or even a NFC championship.

The next two backs have every right to be called the greatest. It's hard to choose between two great backs. Walter Payton, aka..SWEETNESS, was a 2 time MVP of the league. Won a Super Bowl and had set the highest rushing yards in a game with 275 until broken in 2001 by Corey Dillon by 3 yards. He was a swift, but could knock you out with his stiff arm. Set the all time rushing record at 16,726 which stood for ten years. The man was a threat in catching too. Catching 492 balls for 4538 yards. He had 110 rushing TDs and 15 recieving. But what set him apart was he was a great man. Many accomplishments for charities and communities.

The man to break his record was Emmitt Smith, the man to rival him for all time greatest running back. People will say he is not because Emmitt played for 15 years. That just shows durability and great determination to be the best. He broke the record for all time rushing yards with 18,355. He had set the single season for rushing TDs with 25 but that toppled and now is held by LT. But what sets Emmitt apart is all his playoff runs and 3...3 Super Bowls, all for wins. He ran for 153 TDs and caught 11. Was he the biggest, no. The fastest, no. Patient, waited for a hole and exploded with power.

LT is a prime example of taking the great things from these great backs and using them to make himself great. No one can take away the fact that he has a scoring record of 31 in a season. 100 TDs in 6 seasons and is only a season away from 10,000 yards and more. He is well on his way. He needs a Super Bowl win and probally a few of them. He won the MVP so all that is stopping him is Super Bowl wins and completly taking the record book into his name.

Is LT the greatest,no....but one day not to far off we all could be saying, "hey I watched LaDanian Tomlinson, the greatest back off all time."

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