Barry Sanders was arguably the most-talented running back to ever play the game. He more than likely would have ended his career as the greatest back to ever play the game and held just about every rushing title there is. The fact of the matter is HE QUIT. Does that not mean anything to fans anymore? He quit, for whatever reasons, personal or not. Yes, he was great, but what did that get him? Isn't winning the ultimate goal? He could have at least hung around long enough to get out of Detroit and try to win, if playing on a bad team was his excuse. I HATE making it look like I dislike Barry, because that's definitely not the case. I just feel his talent outlived his character..and the greatest backs in the game had both talent and character; the two ingredients that lead to championships.
Now to my main point.
Emmitt Smith is the ALL-TIME RUSHING LEADER-18,355 yards. I don't know if this is known, but NO OTHER RUNNING BACK has ever ran for that number of yards. He won 4 rushing titles and 3 Super Bowls; The man only missed 7 games when he played for Dallas. Durability is something that's forgotten nowadays with the way players are. Emmitt seperated his shoulder in a game and kept going! When he retired, after 15 years in the NFL, he held records for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 11, rushing touchdowns with 164 (he scored 175 overall, second to Jerry Rice) and rushing attempts with 4,409. You know, I think someone needs to look up "poseur" in the dictionary.
"[Walter] is looking down smiling from ear to ear. He once said that if anybody breaks his record, he hopes it is Emmitt because he would do it with the class and the dignity that the record represents," says Eddie Payton, Walter's brother, on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series.
There's one of the others with my feelings.