in the end

[Sonner magic923]

who will be a better tailback in the pros, all biasism apart
AD or Reggie bush?

[sanantoniosooner]

Depends on factors we could only guess at right now.

Sanders was WAY better than Emmitt. But Stats and rings don't show it.

[Big Red Ron]

Bush is already considered a bit of a risk because of his size. Which means at the very least he'll probably not step in and be the every down back right off the bat (depending on who drafts him). There has to be some reason why he wen't from #1 to top five or so...

AD is a monster and will be given the "load" from day one. He is almost always a man among boys at the college level.

Yep AD will be better.

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

Barring injury to both players I think in the end Peterson will be the better back. I have read in many places that think the same thing

[sanantoniosooner]

Bush is already considered a bit of a risk because of his size. Which means at the very least he'll probably not step in and be the every down back right off the bat (depending on who drafts him). There has to be some reason why he wen't from #1 to top five or so...

AD is a monster and will be given the "load" from day one. He is almost always a man among boys at the college level.

Yep AD will be better.
If AD ends up at a team that works his A5S like Houston did Earl, the may not last long enough to be better.

On the other hand, Bush could end up being Warrick Dunn. Nice, but not outstanding.

[Big Red Ron]

If AD ends up at a team that works his A5S like Houston did Earl, the may not last long enough to be better.

On the other hand, Bush could end up being Warrick Dunn. Nice, but not outstanding.May be, but I'd rather be a Campbell than a Dunn. ;)

[Octavian]

too many factors to know at this point

Bush is more versatile and more elusive but smaller and less likely to absorb 16-game seasons of NFL hitting. AD is a pure NFL back...bigger and stronger but he runs straight up and takes more hits...

probably will depend on the organization and offensive system they're placed in

[sanantoniosooner]

too many factors to know at this point

Bush is more versatile and more elusive but smaller and less likely to absorb 16-game seasons of NFL hitting. AD is a pure NFL back...bigger and stronger but he runs straight up and takes more hits...

probably will depend on the organization and offensive system they're placed in
correctamundo.

[Big Red Ron]

too many factors to know at this point

Bush is more versatile and more elusive but smaller and less likely to absorb 16-game seasons of NFL hitting. AD is a pure NFL back...bigger and stronger but he runs straight up and takes more hits...

probably will depend on the organization and offensive system they're placed inI'm thinking Eric Dickerson and Ricky Waters.

[NickZeppelin]

Reggie Bush could be a better football player. AD may be the better running back.

[FroggyStyle22]

The only knock I see for AD is that he runs very upright and makes a lot of contact. He can get away with that in college, but he has been somewhat injury plagued. I am not sure he would last long in he pro's if he continues to take so many hits, even if it is worse for the other guy.

[Big Red Ron]

Reggie Bush could be a better football player. AD may be the better running back.You remind me of my Grandad's ol' talkin parrot. "Cept, "Rosita" could speak spanish.

[NickZeppelin]

The only knock I see for AD is that he runs very upright and makes a lot of contact. He can get away with that in college, but he has been somewhat injury plagued. I am not sure he would last long in he pro's if he continues to take so many hits, even if it is worse for the other guy.

Eric Dickerson and Eddie George had a real tough time getting away with that.
ED is a HOFr and EG is probably a future HOFr.

[FroggyStyle22]

I doubt Eddie George will get in. He has a terrible yards per carry average and never won a championship, and was never the dominant back in the league. He was a solid pro.

[NickZeppelin]

He had over 10,000 yards in 9 years and has comparable numbers to others already in. He has a good chance. YPC numbers will hurt him.

[goingoneight]

in the NFL, you need a power-back.
AD has a flexibility and strength to him that just owns opponents. He wears them down.
Bush is stylish, and could be great, I just won't hold my breath waiting for it.

AD is an NFL-style runner. He was in high school for crying out loud. With good reps and reasonable coaching (like running with your head up to actually watch the opponents coming at you), he's gonna be fun to watch in the NFL.

The jitter-bugs don't usually last very long in the NFL. There have been some standouts (namely Sanders), but cutesy moves don't impress dudes like TRRW.

I'll put my foot in my mouth and call it, Adrian Peterson > Reggie Bush.
Just because I never saw Bush face a hellacious defense until the Rose Bowl, and he wasn't really spectacular there, he showed poor judgement, a show-off character, and never really "danced" on Texass like AD did in 2004.

[TheGodfather889]

Adrian Peterson is a freak athlete. He has that rare combination of size and speed alot of players don't have. He's a huge runningback at 6'2 and 220 pounds but he runs a 4.3 40. If you combined Reggie Bush and Lendale White that would make Adrian Peterson and that's scary good.

[TheGodfather889]

Oh, and I forgot to add...Adrian Peterson will be a better player in the NFL than Reggie Bush.

[sanantoniosooner]

Oh, and I forgot to add...Adrian Peterson will be a better player in the NFL than Reggie Bush.
I think we figured your opinion when you mentioned that AD was Bush + White.

No homerism there.

[NickZeppelin]

Reggie Bush had more yards against Texas then he had against OU the year before. He had about 150 all purpose yards in the OB against OU(75 rushing, 31 recieving, 43 returing) Almost 300 against Texas(82 rushing, 95 recieving, 102 returning)

[FroggyStyle22]

Not much was required of him in the OB.

[GottaHavePride]

And I was worried this thread was going to be about butt secks.

[RedstickSooner]

Reggie Bush wasn't even strong enough as an RB to play every down at the position.

He has a strong edge at the moment over AD as far as catching passes goes, but I don't see how he could ever block anyone in the NFL (due to his size) in pass protection, and it seems to me that his being a "situational back" in college would mean that an NFL offense would have to do some creative things to take advantage of him. They couldn't simply draft him, plug him in at RB, and run their offense the way they would with any other RB.

As a pure RB, AD would come out way ahead. Only real problem I'd see with AD is that he doesn't avoid hits, and I don't think his body could last very long running straight into tacklers at the NFL level.

[sanantoniosooner]

Only real problem I'd see with AD is that he doesn't avoid hits, and I don't think his body could last very long running straight into tacklers at the NFL level.
So we are back to not knowing enough data to call the shot.

Bush would tear it up in a system like Faulk has been in recently.

It all depends on the teams and the systems and the players around them and how fortuitous they are regarding injury.

[Desert Sapper]

Bush has the makings of a Barry Sanders.

AD has the makings of a Bo Jackson.

Before you say anything about Jackson's shortened career, think about if he didn't get injured. How great was he before he got hurt? Tell me that run against Seattle where he put it into about 12th gear and shot past everybody doesn't remind you in every way of AD.

So, the question IMO is really who would you rather have on your team? A healthy Barry or a healthy Bo?

I would probably have to go with Bo. I think they'll both be very good, barring injury.

[Big Red Ron]

I think the most recent elite NFL back that reminds me of AD is Ricky Waters. Dude was big, tall and fast.

[tbl]

I see more Dickerson than anybody... but either way, I think he'll be better than Bush, just b/c his style is more suited to the NFL.

That's a good question about healthy Bo vs. healthy Barry. I'm thinking Bo...

[StoopTroup]

Bush will be better in NFL Europe than AD will be in the NFL Pro Bowl. :D

[NickZeppelin]

So, the question IMO is really who would you rather have on your team? A healthy Barry or a healthy Bo?

I would take Barry over Bo. But I don't see AD being as fast as Bo. Plus Bo wasn't really an upright runner like AD is. And Bo has become a lot better because of the Techmo game more than anything. He never had a 1000 yard season in his 4 seasons. Sanders never ran for less then 1304 yards in his career. I'll agree that Bo was not healthy but still he never ran for 1000 yards.

The guy AD compares with the most is Eric Dickerson.

[Desert Sapper]

I would take Barry over Bo. But I don't see AD being as fast as Bo. Plus Bo wasn't really an upright runner like AD is. And Bo has become a lot better because of the Techmo game more than anything. He never had a 1000 yard season in his 4 seasons. Sanders never ran for less then 1304 yards in his career. I'll agree that Bo was not healthy but still he never ran for 1000 yards.

The guy AD compares with the most is Eric Dickerson.

Do you even remember Bo Jackson?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/57/SI1987Bo.jpg/260px-SI1987Bo.jpg

Bo was one of the most talented athletes in history. And he definitely ran upright (see above SI cover). Statistically he didn't stack up with Barry, but they were very different runners, and Bo had the KC Royals taking away from his FB career, coupled with the injuries. You say Eric Dickerson, because that's what you've heard from the media. And yes, I agree that AD runs a lot like Eric, but AD's 4.3 breakaway speed is more comparable to Bo than Eric. Maybe you only remember Bo from Techmo bowl, but I remember very well how he flattened guys (see Boz) and ran past them (see Boz). If he had been healthy and hadn't spurned his football hobby for baseball, he would have been the best ever.

If you need a little refresher, Nick, here you go. Tell me after you watch it if you still don't think AD runs like Bo.

Linky (http://www.aunation.net/Audio&Video%20Clips/AUvsBama1983Bo.mpeg)

[The Consumate Showman]

The whole deal people are bringing up about AD taking hits in the NFL can be easily remedied if the right team gets him. I mean, if I get to the NFL and my coaches tell me, "Look kid. If you want to last more than 3-5 years in the NFL, you've got to avoid some of these tacklers. Yes, don't be afraid to take any tackler on, but bud, if you're not feeling at least 85-95%, try to manuever out of bounds." I think I would take their advice.

The whole Eddie George comparison is rediculous. EG was worked like a street corner ho at tOSU. The Buckeyes ran his arse to death in college. When he did finally get to the pros, he was already at a normal half-way point of most NFL RB's. You have to remember, the Big X, for the longest time, has been and still is to some degree, known for its RB's because that's all the crazy bastards do. With the exception this year of Penn State,Mich State, Iowa.

[The Consumate Showman]

Bo Knows.......

[Jason White's Third Knee]

Bo Jackson was my all time favorite running back. He was THE BEST. He was better than Payton, Brown, Dickerson, Smith, Walker, you name it.

I don't know if AD is the next Bo, but I'll take it. AD is a freak for sure.

All of this down playing Bush is rediculous. Look. I H A T E usc. Bush is very fast, I've seen him knock players right on their asses, he has wicked hands, he hurdles players like gayle sayers, and he's probably the most elusive back I've ever seen.

Not big enough? He's 6' 200lb and I'll bet he'll put on some more weight. He's no monster, but with his quickness, he's big enough. You gotta hit him to do damage and no one has ever hit him... and they won;t in the NFL either.

He's a total package and right now his stock is higher than AD's IMO. I love AD and hopefully his junior year will be better than Bush's. This is AD's year to prove who's the best. If I had to choose now, I'd bite the bullet and choose Bush.

[Desert Sapper]

I'm not going to say that AD is the next Bo. He certainly does have the makings. I'm not going to say that Bush is the next Barry. He has the makings, too. These guys are going to be great running backs in the NFL. I hope they both take their games to the level of the two superstars I am comparing them to.

I say that without resentment. I also hate suc, but I respect Bush. I don't respect Leinart. I think he's a spoiled punk. But Bush is respectable, and I hope he has a long and distinguished career.

AD will be the number 1 pick next year (barring any unforeseen problems). I see him having a great career. I hope he breaks every record in the NFL.

[sanantoniosooner]

I hope Bush is the next Barry for the simple reason that I don't get to watch Barry anymore.

Not too many players get me out of my lazyboy repeatedly.

[The Consumate Showman]

Ad is the next AD. This whole comparing him to other backs is a waste of time. We need to wait a few years and then we can start comparing current OU RB's to AD when he's tearing it up in the pros.

Now, here's a real question......see the message board!

[NickZeppelin]

Do you even remember Bo Jackson?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/57/SI1987Bo.jpg/260px-SI1987Bo.jpg

Bo was one of the most talented athletes in history. And he definitely ran upright (see above SI cover). Statistically he didn't stack up with Barry, but they were very different runners, and Bo had the KC Royals taking away from his FB career, coupled with the injuries. You say Eric Dickerson, because that's what you've heard from the media. And yes, I agree that AD runs a lot like Eric, but AD's 4.3 breakaway speed is more comparable to Bo than Eric. Maybe you only remember Bo from Techmo bowl, but I remember very well how he flattened guys (see Boz) and ran past them (see Boz). If he had been healthy and hadn't spurned his football hobby for baseball, he would have been the best ever.

If you need a little refresher, Nick, here you go. Tell me after you watch it if you still don't think AD runs like Bo.

Linky (http://www.aunation.net/Audio&Video%20Clips/AUvsBama1983Bo.mpeg)

Bo was a great college player and probably about solid in the NFL. But injuries he still didn't put up the numbers that a good back in the NFL should. 950 yards was his career high. Billy Sims had 4 1000 yard seasons in his 5 year career and no one gives hime near the credit for his NFL career as he should have gotten.

[Scott D]

I would take Barry over Bo. But I don't see AD being as fast as Bo. Plus Bo wasn't really an upright runner like AD is. And Bo has become a lot better because of the Techmo game more than anything. He never had a 1000 yard season in his 4 seasons. Sanders never ran for less then 1304 yards in his career. I'll agree that Bo was not healthy but still he never ran for 1000 yards.

The guy AD compares with the most is Eric Dickerson.

Bo never played an entire season either. He always played part time (was platooned with Marcus Allen) from week 6 on because of baseball. You really should do research before you post on a subject.

[The Consumate Showman]

^^^

Can you imagine what the Raiders would have been like if they had been able to keep Bo healthy and stop Marcus' pansy-*** whining about Bo running the ball and having to split time?

[Scott D]

^^^

Can you imagine what the Raiders would have been like if they had been able to keep Bo healthy and stop Marcus' pansy-*** whining about Bo running the ball and having to split time?

You know, as a Raiders fan Marcus Allen is still one of the top 5 running backs in my mind of all time. He did have a legitimate complaint, he was a guy still very capable of 1000+ yard seasons, he'd start the season as the number one running back and as he was getting into a good rhythm in his running game, he'd have to all of a sudden begin splitting time with a guy who finished a 162 game baseball season, took a week off to rest, then showed up and began playing football as a 'hobby'. His beef of splitting time was legitimate, he had as many credentials as Bo had with the exception of baseball.

That being said, if Bo Jackson had ever played a full 16 game schedule, he would have been impossible to stop. He was probably the closest thing to Jim Brown that my generation ever saw set foot on a football field.

this part is for Nick. What gave you the idea of him being injury prone? Was it the amount of games he played per season?


| Rushing | Receiving |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| Year TM | G | Att Yards Y/A TD | Rec Yards Y/R TD |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| 1987 rai | 07 | 081 554 6.8 4 | 16 136 8.5 2 |
| 1988 rai | 10 | 136 580 4.3 3 | 9 79 8.8 0 |
| 1989 rai | 11 | 173 950 5.5 4 | 9 69 7.7 0 |
| 1990 rai | 10 | 125 698 5.6 5 | 6 68 11.3 0 |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| TOTAL | 38 | 515 2782 5.4 16 | 40 352 8.8 2

The man did not suffer an injury that caused him to miss any time until the playoffs in his final season when he had the freak hip injury that ended his career.

[NickZeppelin]

He never had more then 950 yards in a season and never played a full 16 game season. Bo Jackson wasn't near the back he was hyped to be after his career was over.

[Desert Sapper]

He never had more then 950 yards in a season and never played a full 16 game season. Bo Jackson wasn't near the back he was hyped to be after his career was over.

Either you are really confused or too young to remember. Either way, now is the time to shut up.

Bo, like Jim Brown, was absolutely awesome. And stats got nothing to do with it.

[NickZeppelin]

Jim Brown has the stats to back up what he did.

[Desert Sapper]

Jim also didn't play baseball until October before coming to play football. Jim also played 9 healthy seasons for the Browns. Like Bo, though, in college at the Cuse he was a multi-sport athlete. Both of them ran track. Their running styles (like ADs) were almost identical. They could burst to the endzone from the second level, and they could knock a LB on his tail if he got in the way. You speak of stats because it is all you know. Sometimes I wonder if you even watch football. Jim had the rushing record (until Eric broke it) because he could get 5 to 6 yards a carry. So could Bo. I'm not going to say Bo was equal to Jim, because Jim was probably the best Running Back in the history of the NFL, but Bo was special.

I'll say it again:

Bo, like Jim, was absolutely awesome. Stats have absolutely nothing to do with it.

I won't waste anymore time on you. You can go to the stat book and come up with a witty little response. I'll give you the last word, but I think you are definitely lost in the sauce on this one.

[NickZeppelin]

AD is a bit different from both and Brown was bigger then anyone else in the game. Jackson didn't have the numbers to back it up. And he was not near as lean a player as AD is. And he's not near as tough as AD is. In Bo's best season he ran for 950 yards. Bo was overhyped more then anyone. The stats show it.

[shavedmarmoset]

The argument about Bush not having size is not valid. He did more bench reps than Dan Cody did at the combine. I once heard Gale Sayers compared to a deer dodging land mines because he was bound to get injured. Well Bush is like a deer too, but much less fragile and he can break tackles and take hits, which Gale could not. He relied mainly on elusiveness. He was AMAZING but he couldn't take the hits like Bush can.

[Octavian]

Either you are really confused or too young to remember. Bo...was absolutely awesome...

yup. Nick is young.

Bo was incredible. He shared a backfield w/ Hall of Famer Marcus Allen and completely overshadowed him...

he also allowed me to beat the hell outta many elementary school friends in Tecmo Bowl...cheers Bo

[lufkinaggie07]

In the end, OU will always be A&M's bitch!:D

[Octavian]

http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/2435/outamu222eu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Scott D]

He never had more then 950 yards in a season and never played a full 16 game season. Bo Jackson wasn't near the back he was hyped to be after his career was over.

answer me directly instead of tiptoeing around the facts.

You are basing your opinion on the fact that Bo Jackson never played more than 11 regular season games in a season, correct?

In doing this you are ignoring the particular reason that he never played a full regular season. You don't need to acknowledge this point, you've proven it already in this thread.

So what we've come up with is that you base your argument on a fallacy that you refuse to acknowledge. If Bo Jackson was so terrible, why is he the only player to ever be in the MLB All-Star game and the Pro Bowl in the SAME season?

To be quite honest, the only thing you've gotten even remotely close to being right in this thread is that AD's running style (in terms of upright) is most like Eric Dickerson. However Dickerson never attempted to run over people, he would go around and past them. But then again, you probably only saw Dickerson in his sad final years with the Colts and Raiders.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

He never had more then 950 yards in a season and never played a full 16 game season. Bo Jackson wasn't near the back he was hyped to be after his career was over.


I have been reading this board for several years and I never really thought that all of the negativity toward you was warranted until this year. Honestly, if you don't think that Bo was the best, then apparently being super fast, powerful, and consistant aren't good qualities. He destroyed DEs and linebackers.

IF he had played the full seasons, he would have smoked Jim Brown and all other comers in the record books. It just wasn't even close. If you don't get it, you might want to pulll your head out of the stat sheet and watch some football, because it is more than obvious that you have no clue what you are talking about.

[Quack 10]

Bo Jackson was my all time favorite running back. He was THE BEST. He was better than Payton, Brown, Dickerson, Smith, Walker, you name it.


I realize this is a Sooners board, and it's not my intention to commit blasphemy, but in their prime, Bo Jackson couldn't hold Earl Campbell's jock.

Don't even bother arguing the point. It has nothing to do with stats, injuries, longevity or anything else. Campbell made "the bus" look like a scooter. The guy is in a category by himself.

[MikeInNorman]

in the end

.....the love you take
is equal to the love you make

[Scott D]

I realize this is a Sooners board, and it's not my intention to commit blasphemy, but in their prime, Bo Jackson couldn't hold Earl Campbell's jock.

Don't even bother arguing the point. It has nothing to do with stats, injuries, longevity or anything else. Campbell made "the bus" look like a scooter. The guy is in a category by himself.

pfft..on his best day Earl Campbell was only half as good as Jim Brown.

[CobraKai]

AD is a bit different from both and Brown was bigger then anyone else in the game. Jackson didn't have the numbers to back it up. And he was not near as lean a player as AD is. And he's not near as tough as AD is. In Bo's best season he ran for 950 yards. Bo was overhyped more then anyone. The stats show it.

No, they do not. The way you interpret the stats show it. The stats show that he played baseball the first 1/3 of each season and then joined the football team about 6-7 weeks along, and could step in cold and rush for 950 yards while sharing the backfield with a HOF RB. Bo was the best I've ever seen. Period. He never had an injury problem until the career ending injury.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I realize this is a Sooners board, and it's not my intention to commit blasphemy, but in their prime, Bo Jackson couldn't hold Earl Campbell's jock.

Don't even bother arguing the point. It has nothing to do with stats, injuries, longevity or anything else. Campbell made "the bus" look like a scooter. The guy is in a category by himself.


Oh, sure. Earl Campbell makes a great hot link. And I LOVED watching his highlights. Earl could crush people. Bo was still better. He was faster. He was just as powerful. He didn't have near the shoulderpads that Earl did, but well, you can't win 'em all.

[sooneron]

Anyone know how old Nick is?

[Jason White's Third Knee]

Nick is early 20's. There is a real kick *** picture of him somewhere around here.

[CobraKai]

Anyone know how old Nick is?

Old enough to remember Tecmo. Too young to have seen Bo play (and thus base definitive arguments on stats alone).

[sooneron]

Yeah, I asked the question before looking at his profile. He was 4 when Bo came out of Barn, I believe.
Nick, unless you see the guy play and I don't mean a highlighht thing on Espn classic, you didn't see what a player could do. You are basing your argument off of what you are reading, not experiencing or seeing for yourself.

Back to the AD vs Bush argument, I think AD will pan out to be a better RB in the nfl. I would utilize Bush much the way that usc did- RB and a flanker of sorts. To the people that say AD doesn't back down enough, I remember another player that dished it out instead of stepping out of bounds and he lasted 13 seasons and held the rushing title./

[CobraKai]

Yeah, I asked the question before looking at his profile. He was 4 when Bo came out of Barn, I believe.
Nick, unless you see the guy play and I don't mean a highlighht thing on Espn classic, you didn't see what a player could do. You are basing your argument off of what you are reading, not experiencing or seeing for yourself.

Back to the AD vs Bush argument, I think AD will pan out to be a better RB in the nfl. I would utilize Bush much the way that usc did- RB and a flanker of sorts. To the people that say AD doesn't back down enough, I remember another player that dished it out instead of stepping out of bounds and he lasted 13 seasons and held the rushing title./

So Bush would be sort of like a better version of Eric Metcalfe?

[Scott D]

So Bush would be sort of like a better version of Eric Metcalfe?

And Eric was only 2/3 as good as Terry :D

[CobraKai]

And Eric was only 2/3 as good as Terry :D

zackley...


;)

[JLB]

Well Bo Jackson was a bad ***.I loved watching him smash baseball bats accross his knee when i was a kid.As far as Jim Brown goes,there is nothing like watching a thoroughbred run past all those slow crackers.I guess if you want to call him the greatest running back of all time thats your problem
But the greatest running back of all time is Barry Sanders.Reggie Bush is a dildo>But if he goes to a great passing team,he could rack up some pretty impressive numbers.
Adrian may get hurt when he decides to try and run over Ray Lewis or somebody like him.But He will probally be the better back.

[MojoRisen]

I think the most recent elite NFL back that reminds me of AD is Ricky Waters. Dude was big, tall and fast.

Curtis Martin from the Jets reminds me a lot of AD- 1,000 yards a year for his first 11 years is not too bad.


Reggie is 200 pounds- He is actually a very strong runner- breaks a lot of tackles and makes you miss.

AD- I don't think we have seen the best of him yet! I look forward to this year.

Bush- is going to be a great NFL back- I would not hesitate to draft him and use him in any situation that would allow him to gain positive yardage. Bush also showed he could block and certainly catch.

AD: Has a chance to be the freakiest RB in a long time.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I like to think that Bush will be used like Marshall Faulk or Priest Holmes. He will put up some of the stupidest numbers if he is used in that capacity.

[sanantoniosooner]

I like to think that Bush will be used like Marshall Faulk or Priest Holmes. He will put up some of the stupidest numbers if he is used in that capacity.
I agee.

He can be a better Faulk than Faulk ever thought about.

If used in that capacity.