(02-10-2022, 07:42 PM)NewJagsCity Wrote:

(02-10-2022, 07:20 PM)Eric1 Wrote: Gale was THAT DUDE when he played though right? From what 65-70? What other great RBs did he contend with during that time frame? I know Jim Brown's last season was 1965. This was obviously all way before my time started on this planet.

Part of why Taylor gets forgotten, besides the market he played in is because he played with some other big time RBs during that time. Tomlinson, Bettis, Eddie George, Curtis Martin, Emmitt Smith, Ricky Williams, Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, Edgerrin James etc. etc, just to name a few off the top of my head. There were plenty of others, but Taylor played in a era with a bunch of great RBs.

That's not to say he isn't up there, he was one of the greatest to ever do it and maybe the most underrated RB of all time, but the market he played in and the other Backs in the league at that time are a big reason why he always gets forgotten, sadly. It's wrong and he deserves to be in the HoF as well.

Taylor is currently 17th on the All Time NFL rushing leaders list. Every player ahead of him besides Frank Gore (at #3) and Adrian Peterson (at #5) are in the HoF. It's only a matter of time before Gore and Peterson get in as well. Then there's about 20 more guys behind Taylor on the list that are in the HoF as well.

Sayers was unique for his era, and so that helped a bunch.  Leroy Kelley of the NFL and Jim Nance (not the broadcaster) of the AFL were his closest equals at the time.  Its insane that there are 20 behind him that are in.  That seems like obvious team bias, the 'era of rushing' notwithstanding.  Guess the passing era QB's are going to face the same questions in a few years.

I wanna say it was 19 people behind him on the rushing list when I did a quick skim through earlier. 8 or 9 of those guys were going back to the 40s, 50s and 60s though. Back when those guys played both ways still so they weren't only voted into the HoF for their rushing numbers alone.

Another one was Steve Young and we all know he wasn't voted in for his rushing ability either, although it was still really nice.

And you are absolutely right about the QBs facing similar questions in coming years. But man, what I'd give to be able to watch Marino sling it around for a couple seasons of his prime in this era of the NFL.

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