Sooner RBs in the pros,doesn't bode well for AD

[stoopified]

I I looked up the NFL stats of Sooner RBs and was to say the least surprised at how little NFl sucess we have seen from them.
Career Stats
Greg Pruitt 1196 rushes-5,672 yds-27TDs-4.7/r 328 catchs-3,069 yds-18TDs-9.4/c

Billy Sims-1131 rushes-5,106 yds-42 TDs-4.5/r
186 catchs-2,o72 yds-5TDs-11.1/c

Joe Washington-1195 rushes-4,839 yds-12 TDs 4.0/r 395 catchs-3,413yds-18TDs-8.6/c

Beyond those three there isn't much to note:

Kenny King- 579 rushes-2,477yds-7 TDs-4.3/r
89 catchs-715yds-1TD-8.0 /c

Steve Owens 635 rushes-2,451yds-20TDs-3.9/r
99 catchs-861yds-2TDs-8.7/c

I think we are all aware of OUr most recent RBs(Parker,Griffin) and how their careers were decimated by injury.I am just hoping the trend DOES NOT continue and that AD can be the FIRST OU rb to be an IMPACT player in his NFL career.

[Big Red Ron]

All of those backs had an injury that ended their careers which can be healed now.

Spencer Tillman had a nice career. Jumbo Fazande did pretty good too (until they drafted LT).

[Boomer.....]

You cannot base someones career on what others did.

[KsSooner]

If i remember correctly, wasn't Billy Sims the first NFL player to have rushed for a thousand yards in his first 4 seasons? Then he was hurt...

[SoonerinLex]

I believe Billy was rookie of the year. Wasn't Kenny King a fullback. I remember
him having some good games for the Raiders. Joe had a pretty good career and
I think at one time he had the record for most yards in a game.

[The Maestro]

You cannot base someones career on what others did.

Bingo. How many great receivers came from Mississippi Valley State before that Rice guy? How many since?

AD is AD...not a product of a system.

[MI Sooner]

I'm surprised by our lack of success at more positions than running back. Look at all the great players from the Stoops era, and the only ones that have made significant impacts are J. Brown, R. Williams, and T. Harris (please add any others I've missed). Many are still young and could have very good carreers (Clayton, Bradley, Joseph, Cody, Pool...).

I recognize that CFB and the NFL aren't quite the same game, but doesn't the lack of NFL success our players have had make our record under Stoops even more impressive?

[Fraggle145]

I didnt see Tommy MacDonald on that list... Granted he was a WR in the NFL (I think), but he was still an impact player and a hall of famer.

[bluedogok]

You have to look at offensive stats from those eras, even a bottom feeder now puts up stats like many of the top teams did back then for the most part.

Steve Owens career was ended by a cheap shot at his knees in the end zone. Billy Sims had injuries and you didn't really come back from knee injuries back then at that position. David Overstreet had a pretty good start with the Dolphins until he died in a car wreck. Stanley Wilson was doing well for Cincinnati until his Superbowl drug trip. Kenny King had a good career with the Raiders. Steve Sewell played for the Broncos for a long time. Their contributions to their teams seems to be greater than their stat numbers.

You could do the same thing with running backs from any team. Look how many Penn State tailbacks were taken high in the pros and only a few really put up great numbers, most were good but not great backs. I think it says more about the position than it does any particular school.

[OK2LA]

If i remember correctly, wasn't Billy Sims the first NFL player to have rushed for a thousand yards in his first 4 seasons? Then he was hurt...

I don't think so - I heard this last week that Carnell Williams-TB (Allburn) was the first tailback to rush for over 1000 yards in his first 3 seasons in the league (NFL). This tells me that no one else has done this to date.

[Octavian]

well, that settles it...the only logical thing for him to do is stay another year ;)

[Dizzle Shizzle]

I don't think so - I heard this last week that Carnell Williams-TB (Allburn) was the first tailback to rush for over 1000 yards in his first 3 seasons in the league (NFL). This tells me that no one else has done this to date.

This is only Cadillac's 2nd year in the league...

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/423701

[OSUAggie]

"Barry Sanders rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions "

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=187

[starrca23]

Unless there is a genetic link between all of these guys I think AD will have a decent chance.
I think Miami running backs have done okay. There are at least three of them starting right now. Magahee (spelling?) Portis, Gore.

[CobraKai]

Unless there is a genetic link between all of these guys I think AD will have a decent chance.
I think Miami running backs have done okay. There are at least three of them starting right now. Magahee (spelling?) Portis, Gore.

I've heard that genetically speaking most of these guys can be traced back to Chuck Norris.

[sooneron]

What is CK doing in NYC??


I think AD's running style doesn't bode well for him in the nfl. He likes to hit the defenders a little too much.

[OK2LA]

If i remember correctly, wasn't Billy Sims the first NFL player to have rushed for a thousand yards in his first 4 seasons? Then he was hurt...

The link:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/SimsBi00.htm

[OK2LA]

"Barry Sanders rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions "

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=187

I either heard it wrong, or the announcer had his head up his arse.

I stand corrected - those numbers a GAWDY!

[stoopified]

I don't mean to imply that AD WILL NOT be an impact player in the NFL,simply pointing out that with all the great rbs we have had NONE have been impact players.By this I mean we have no RBs with Hall of Fame careers.Pruitt and Washington had good,solid NFL careers but not great.Sims had HoF numbers going before injuries halted his career.Believe me,no one wants AD to suceed more than I do.If AD stays healthy he can be a Hall of Famer,BUT that is a big IF.

Tommy McDonald and Lance Rentzel are two very sucessful former OU RBs,but both were moved to WR in the NFL.Fazande was only in the league two years and he was a blocker.

Spencer Tillman did have a 10 year NFL career,as a special teams player not a RB.The way I look at it we are OVERDUE to have an NFL impact RB.osu has had 2 in Thomas and Sanders, while we have zero and that is not right.I sincerely hope AD changes that.

[opksooner]

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results."
--My stockbroker

[CobraKai]

What is CK doing in NYC??


I think AD's running style doesn't bode well for him in the nfl. He likes to hit the defenders a little too much.

Consulting. Ready for this gig to end...

;)

[MojoRisen]

What about that Allen kid from the late 90s and Gerald Moore- I think Allen bounced around the league for 8 years or so.

AD will get off if he is on a good team- Keep in mind everyone is faster in the NFL and hit harder- so he may have to adjust his style a bit--- would love to see him get drafted by a solid running team.

Avg career for a running back is like 4-5 years though.

[TUSooner]

***Avg career for a running back is like 4-5 years though.
Right, except I think it might be more like 3-4 years. That stat tells me that OU RBs have not underachieved. It IS a tough gig, though.

[tulsaoilerfan]

The numbers may not be huge, but look how many YPC that both Pruitt and Sims averaged; Sims put up his numbers in basically 4 full seasons, and Pruitt's carries are again the equivalant of 4 full seasons; IF Sims had never tore up his knee, he would have been a first ballot hall of famer.

[bluedogok]

James Allan was with the Texans a few years ago and "retired" to become a rapper......

The other day on Mike & Mike they were saying the average career in the NFL is 3.5 years, for all players. That means there are a whole bunch of 1-2 year players to balance out the long term players.

[AlbqSooner]

Keep in mind that Sims and Owens each played for Detroit at a time when Detroit sucked. Pruitt played for Cleveland at a time they sucked. Makes their numbers that much more impressive.

I suspect that AD will do just fine in the NFL.

[TXBOOMER]

I wish all of OUr former players well in the NFL. Good pro careers are good for recruiting. AD is going to have to run a little more defensive and stop trying to finish every run or he will have a short career.

[picasso]

many of our backs during the Switzer days were not every down NFL type backs (college wishbone types). Steve Sewell had a great career with the Broncos but he hardly carried the ball at OU.

I really thought Lydell Carr would have done better in the league, given his size and speed.

[astro5169]

Teddy Lehman is doing well in detroit.

[TripleOption14]

Keep in mind that Sims and Owens each played for Detroit at a time when Detroit sucked.


You say this as if something has changed! :D

And by the way Teddy Lehman is out for the year. So.... you mean he WAS doing well in Detroit.

[ashley]

This is a dumb post.

[Xstnlsooner]

This is a dumb post.

What exactly is unusual about that????:D

[Blues1]

I believe Clendon Thomas (55 - 57) also had a 8 year run in the pro's -alot of so-called success in the Pro's deprends on what team they end up with - Other Sooners I think I remember in the Pro's Bobby Boyd turn into a DB....Eddie Hinton..??

But with Billy Sims - Kenny King - Steve Sewell - Spencer Tilman - Tommy McDonald, Lance Rentzel - We have enough to be proud of.....!!!!

AD come back and ENJOY your Senior Season.....

Boomer Sooner

[kruss1971]

This is a silly post.

Hall of Fame career? I'd love for someone to actually define that because it probably looks a little different to everyone. The Hall of Fame is a very limited group of players that doesn't include every "impact player" that has stepped onto the field. If it did include every impact player, we would have to assume that there have only been 24 impact RBs in the modern football era. At that rate, every fan should believe that their team is due.

Talent and success in the NFL isn't detmined by the school for which the player played. There are no curses. No team is due. Billy's knee injury doesn't have any magic power over AD.

TheMaestro said it best: AD is AD. Period.

He will rise or fall on his own, not on the successes or failures of Sooners past.

[the_ouskull]

It's already been said. Most of the OU tailbacks had injuries that can be fixed now. Also, if you're going to talk about how they did, go ahead and mention how they were PROJECTED to do as well. Where was Billy drafted? Lil' Joe? Yeah. Where's AD gonna be drafted. You can project talent, and you can project ability, but you cannot project injuries. Hopefully, AD will be able to avoid them like those Sooners before him were not.

the_ouskull

[Scott D]

You say this as if something has changed! :D

And by the way Teddy Lehman is out for the year. So.... you mean he WAS doing well in Detroit.

um...he missed last year with an injury. He came back two weeks ago this season and is healthy as of this point. I know the media lies about everything down there in C-bus, but c'mon man :)

[Since71ASooner4Life]

It seems to me that no one school has ever consistantly produced very good to great NFL running backs. If you consider how short the average NFL career is, you could argue that Washington, Simms, and Pruitt in fact did have great careers. What were the career stats of Terrell Davis - 5959 yards, and I think he merits arguement for HOF selection. There are a grand total of 25 backs with over 8500 yards in the history of the game - so I think that puts a guy with 5000 years still in a very select class.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/alltime/leaders?cat=rushlead

[goingoneight]

Another vague, useless stat. Like saying we turned the ball over. No, you threw the ball and it got tipped and intercepted. I don't like the vague statements and stats in football.

[TXBOOMER]

Teddy Lehman is doing well in detroit.

You are right. What did he get, about $4.2 million.

[the_ouskull]

The ball is being thrown now more than it's ever been thrown and there isn't a single active player on the Top 25 career interceptions list.

Forget AD. We need to get Marcus Walker, Reggie Smith, Nic Harris, and Lendy Holmes into the NFL.

the_ouskull