Greatest OU HB of all-time?

[Dwight]

I recently watched the 30 for 30 about one Marcus Dupree, and it got me thinking, who is the best running back to ever play at OU? Is it Dupree, who really only played 1.5 monstrous seasons? Is it Peterson, who also only played ~ 2 full seasons due to injury? Or is it the guys at the top of the record books, Owens and Sims? What about Joe Don Looney?

Or could it be DeMarco Murray, who has scored more TDs than anyone?

The way I see it, QB and WR have pretty definitive #1s (Bradford and Broyles, by the look of it), but HB is a hard one.

Who do you consider to be the best OU running back of all-time?

[StoopTroup]

Greg Pruitt / Joe Washington / Billy Sims

[cyclonesooner]

Billy Sims / Adrian Peterson / Joe Washington / Greg Pruitt / Steve Owens

[Leroy Lizard]

Billy Sims.

[KantoSooner]

My personal opinion is that Dupree was the best physically but his emotional/maturity issues cost him his shot at greatness.

In terms of overall performance, hard to not vote for Billy Sims.

Plus, in his day, he had the baddest afro the world has ever seen.

[Breadburner]

Peterson....Hands down.....Attitude...Work Ethic....Style....

[stoops the eternal pimp]

jeff frazier

[oumartin]

Mike Gaddis with good acl

[Mad Dog Madsen]

It's Roy Finch. I thought we settled this months ago? :D

[humblesooner]

Mike Gaddis with good acl

I like this one, but if you are giving good parts away, MD with his head screwed on straight would win in a runaway.
For those of you who didn't get to see him play, be sure you watch the 30 on 30 special. You will first notice him pull away from the HS players in Mississippi and write it off as the level of the competition being sub-par. But keep watching and notice how well he does against D1 competition. He still shrugs off tacklers and pulls away. And this was at 6' 3" and about 230 pounds. The man was an awesome specimen.
Listen to the King during this show and see who he thought was the best running back he ever coached. You won't have to sort through his comments to know who it is.

[SoonerShark]

Billy Sims. We were a one trick pony in the wishbone era and he still got his yards.

[SoonerShark]

Billy Sims / Adrian Peterson / Joe Washington / Greg Pruitt / Steve Owens

Owens was a tailback. He would have been a fullback in the wishbone.

[sooneron]

Billy, but Lil Joe was my fave because the guy was so awesome in all facets.
AD is a close second.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Billy Sims

no wait, Billy Simms!

[Sooners78]

Sims, Washington, Pruitt, Peterson, Murray, Parker, Dupree

[owenfieldreams]

Billy Vessels & Tommy Macdonald would have to be on any short list. Joe Don Looney is much like Dupree. If he'd had his head on straight, he'd have been right up there.

[TXBOOMER]

Gimme AD over any RB from any school ever.

[allanace16]

I feel at a school like OU, where there are so many great backs to choose from, you have to put at the head of the list the players that not only had talent, but maximized that talent on the field. That makes it hard for me to put guys like Dupree and Gaddis that high.

Taking a stab at it:
Boomer Sims
Little Joe
Pruitt
DeMarco
AD
Vessels
DeMond

[thecynic]

Jame Allen

[sooner59]

Billy "Silver Shoes" Peterson!

[NormanPride]

Murray > Owens

Hate if you want, but it's true. He just doesn't have the stiff arm thingy to his name.

At this point I'd take Murray over just about anyone but Peterson and Sims. Parker is up there as well.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Murray > Owens

Hate if you want, but it's true. .

IT AINT TRUE!~

[The Profit]

It is really difficult to compare them, especially since some of them were in different offenses. Simms was great for 3 years, Had he played today, we would have only had him for 2 years. Pruitt and Washington were scat-backs, and both could change direction in mid-air. They were perfect for the wishbone, while Simms could have been a tailback or an I-back and would have been just as great. Dupree was a beast with his size and speed. He also could have been a star in nearly any offense. Looney was way before his time. He, like Dupree was big and fast. At OU, Looney weighed in at 230 lbs, and ran a 9.7 hundred yard dash. Of all of the backs, I still like Peterson. He ran every down like he was possessed, and he still does in the pros. We really have had some great halfbacks, tailbacks and fullbacks, and I imagine that we will have some great ones in the future.

[CrimsonRez]

I'm gonna go with Mossis Madu

[stoops the eternal pimp]

kenyon rasheed

[thecynic]

Mike Thornton

[JohnnyMack]

Switzer said Dupree was the most gifted player he ever coached.

I think the greatest of all-time would have to be Billy Sims. Look at his yards, attempts and td's and tell me who's better.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

me in high schoool

[JohnnyMack]

me in high schoool

The isn't the "who worked the most hours at the gloryhole at the Wendy's in McAlester" thread.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

The isn't the "who worked the most hours at the gloryhole at the Wendy's in McAlester" thread.

i was better at that too.....i probably make better bbq also

[JohnnyMack]

Well you do know how to smoke meat.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

sometimes, I think you are trying to make gay references with me

[OUChampsBig12]

This is difficult, but I would say the greatest talent ever on campus was Marcus, hands down!

AD
Billy Sims
Greg Pruitt
Lil Joe Washington - WOW/Stud Alert!
Mike Gaddis (Healthy)
DeMarco Murray
Steve Owens
My Favorite - Elvis Peacock

[JohnnyMack]

sometimes, I think you are trying to make gay references with me

What?

http://blogs.trb.com/entertainment/news/gambling/blog/hotdogman.gif

[stoopified]

I would also have a tie between Sims,Petersen,Washington,Griffin,McDonald,Vessels, Owens,Murray,Parker,Gaddis

[85sooners]

:confused:

[stoops the eternal pimp]

dewell brewer

[AlbqSooner]

It is apparent that most of you never saw Joe Don Looney. An amazing talent who was crazier than any Sooner except maybe Wahoo McDaniel.

[Dwight]

It is apparent that most of you never saw Joe Don Looney. An amazing talent who was crazier than any Sooner except maybe Wahoo McDaniel.

The Wiki article on Looney is hilarious

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Don_Looney

[HuskerFan]

Billy Sims

[JohnnyMack]

dewell brewer

Dew-Elll....the Jew-Elll....Brewer.

[Scott D]

Jerald Moore

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

Peterson and Simms

[pardon the interREDtion]

Not in the top 5 but don't forget Kenny King

[cherokeebrewer]

This is always an impossible question to answer because OU has had so many great RB's. I've seen them all and still can't pick the best...Mike Gaddis could have been great. I remember like yesterday him planting to turn the corner on Texas...he was gonna take it to the house but the knee..it's always the knee. Of course Marcus could have been great but wasn't...

My list would be

Lil' Joe
Billy Sims
Adrian Peterson
Greg Pruitt

[Harris County Sooner]

The Wiki article on Looney is hilarious

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Don_Looney
Check out the book, "Third Down And Forever". It has a lot more of the wacky stuff he did.

[JiuJitsuSooner]

poor Demond Parker, if he played at any other time his name would be high on the list... that dude was nasty!!

[beegee]

greatest pure talent: Dupree

greatest overall career: AD

[swardboy]

I've really thought this over and am going with Joe Washington. His numbers would be totally insane IF SWITZER WOULD HAVE EVER LET HIM FINISH A GAME. He was a contributor and yet a victim of those great mid-70's wishbone national championship teams. I believe this also robbed him of a Heisman.

[PLaw]

Top Tier
Billy
Owens
AD
Little Joe
Pruitt

2nd Level
Overstreet
Dupree
Wilson
Griffin
Murray
Parker
Clendon Thomas
Billy Vessels
Leon Heath
Peacock
Rhymes

This list could go on for awhile.

BOOMER

[boomermagic]

Greg Pruitt / Joe Washington / Billy Sims





This ! Dupree was the most talented but didn't stay.. I would put Billy 1st Joe second to me greg was all about speed but he was something when he turned the corner.. Joe was the most exciting player I have ever seen. Reggie Bush only wishes he had little Joe's moves. Dupree was THE BEST POTENTIALY the best to ever step on the field or ANY FIELD IMO.. Only Bo and Hershel were close talent wise IMO.. Pruitt was a receiver turned RB because he had GREAT speed.. Tommy McDonald and Clendon Thomas and lets not forget another Billy{Vessels}

[boomermagic]

I like this one, but if you are giving good parts away, MD with his head screwed on straight would win in a runaway.
For those of you who didn't get to see him play, be sure you watch the 30 on 30 special. You will first notice him pull away from the HS players in Mississippi and write it off as the level of the competition being sub-par. But keep watching and notice how well he does against D1 competition. He still shrugs off tacklers and pulls away. And this was at 6' 3" and about 230 pounds. The man was an awesome specimen.
Listen to the King during this show and see who he thought was the best running back he ever coached. You won't have to sort through his comments to know who it is.

Absolutely but I can't count him because he didn't stay but YES he had IT ALL.. I have NEVER seen anything like MD..

[Partial Qualifier]

The Wiki article on Looney is hilarious

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Don_Looney

so it is. :D

[retnuH03]

Renaldo Works

[landrun]

poor Demond Parker, if he played at any other time his name would be high on the list... that dude was nasty!!

Seriously. Parker was a one man team. He was better than AD, Murray and any back named Billy we've had. ;)

I'm being serious. Parker was unreal.

[VA Sooner]

Billy Sims and Adrian Peterson.

Billy did it with all the attention on him and still busted through lines, climbed over defenders, leaped tall buildings in a single bound.

Adrian did it with tough running right through you and bursts of speed to get to the edges and separation.

And Little Joe... the highlight films in the old black and white make him look awesome as he's running straight through people and then occasionally a spin move around the defender at the very last minute.

[boomermagic]

Seriously. Parker was a one man team. He was better than AD, Murray and any back named Billy we've had. ;)

I'm being serious. Parker was unreal.

OK.

[boomermagic]

poor Demond Parker, if he played at any other time his name would be high on the list... that dude was nasty!!

He was good..