DAILY DEBATE: Who is the best running back in Miami history?

[Hurricane23]

what i will always remember was the play ended with delayed PI but whole Miami team was already at mid field..... when you watch the game or anyone in media speaks to game it always starts with controversial call in preamble.
officials blew it......

They did, the ref that called the PI was on the opposite side of the field, the ref closet to the play signaled incompletion. Miami should’ve had it’s 6 championship that night.

 

[aldaba]

Ottis Anderson would make his own holes, offensive line was subpar when he played. Lot’s of good backs but Anderson was my favorite. No love for Alonzo Highsmith?

 

[gordonsolie]

1. Ottis Anderson
2. Edgerin James
3. Clinton Portis
4. Chuck Foreman
5. Willis McGahee
6. Frank Gore
7. Melvin Bratton
8. Duke Johnson
9. Alonzo Highsmith
10. Cleveland Gary

Best back ever pound for pound: Leonard Conley

Honorable Mention:
James Jackson, Najeh Davenport, Jim Dooley, Albert Bentley, Keith Griffin, Lamar Miller, Steven McGuire

 

[AUcane]

1. Ottis Anderson
2. Edgerin James
3. Clinton Portis
4. Chuck Foreman
5. Willis McGahee
6. Frank Gore
7. Melvin Bratton
8. Duke Johnson
9. Alonzo Highsmith
10. Cleveland Gary

Best back ever pound for pound: Leonard Conley

Honorable Mention:
James Jackson, Najeh Davenport, Jim Dooley, Albert Bentley, Keith Griffin, Lamar Miller, Steven McGuire

Totally forgot about Gary. Great athlete with great size - arguably the best RB athlete we've had here. Had he gotten the carries that a lot of other guys on that list did, he'd be top 5, probably.

 

[423Hurricane]

1. Ottis Anderson
2. Edgerin James
3. Clinton Portis
4. Chuck Foreman
5. Willis McGahee
6. Frank Gore
7. Melvin Bratton
8. Duke Johnson
9. Alonzo Highsmith
10. Cleveland Gary

Best back ever pound for pound: Leonard Conley

Honorable Mention:
James Jackson, Najeh Davenport, Jim Dooley, Albert Bentley, Keith Griffin, Lamar Miller, Steven McGuire

Many don’t realize our history of great RB’s goes farther back than the championship years.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

Totally forgot about Gary. Great athlete with great size - arguably the best RB athlete we've had here. Had he gotten the carries that a lot of other guys on that list did, he'd be top 5, probably.

I sat and talked with him at the 1989 Senior Bowl at Ladd Memorial Stadium in Mobile

 

[ddann]

Totally forgot about Gary. Great athlete with great size - arguably the best RB athlete we've had here. Had he gotten the carries that a lot of other guys on that list did, he'd be top 5, probably.

Unfortunately, the main thing everyone remembers him for is the fake “fumble” at South Bend in ‘88.

The transition from Bratton to Gary was almost seamless. IIRC, when Bratton went down in the Orange Bowl vs Oklahoma and Gary came in and did his thing, the TV commentators were like, “Wait, I thought Melvin Bratton left the game with an injury. Who is this?”

 

[Stan The Bat]

I've seen them all. Ottis Anderson. Hands down - especially in his senior year - the best I ever saw at Miami.

His final touchdown (in the final game of his Miami career) to beat the Gators in Gainesville in the final minute of the game - a play in which the entire stadium knew who was getting the ball - was the stuff of legends.

 

[clg003]

Doesn’t necessarily need to be the most prolific Miami career.

It’s Gore and that has nothing to do with his NFL career. If you watched him come into the second half of games and just blast thru holes as if he was shot out of a cannon you would have no doubts.

 

[ddann]

It’s Gore and that has nothing to do with his NFL career. If you watched him come into the second half of games and just blast thru holes as if he was shot out of a cannon you would have no doubts.

But…

1) That was BEFORE he blew out both knees over the next two seasons

2) That was before he was the starting RB, meaning that, for the most part, those runs came AFTER the games had already been decided.

Not taking anything away from his greatness, but just food for thought when comparing to the other greats listed.

Also, in his electrifying freshman season, he had a disastrous critical fumble late in the game at BC which gave them the opportunity to pull the upset. It’s just forgotten because of the Rumph-Walters-Reed heroics that followed.

 

[Hegemon]

Frank Gore and its not close.

Late to the party but Frank Gore pre injury is the best RB I've ever seen. Never seen someone that size, the lateral movement, the quick twitch, the balance/center of gravity, vision and top end speed.

Seeing his entire career in hindsight I feel even more comfortable saying that.

 

[San Amaro Dr]

Danny Dillard

 

[rascon]

McGahee had such an awesome year, but crazy to think that he would have been backup if not for Gore’s injury.
Such good options… for me, for one game, I’d take Edge

 

[rascon]

I certainly can respect the opinion even though it greatly diminishes the accomplishments of the several other people in this discussion. For me it's between Frank & edge. Personal opinion I'd take edge each and every time. But it's just a personal preference. Frank was a monster, Willis was a monster and so was Clint. Hard to hold each of them simply at their own merits when they each had very different circumstances.

Yep. I think this conversation wouldn’t a conversation if Frank had been able to go through entire UM career without the injuries. But even with the injuries, he’s still in contention.

 

[Brooklyndee]

Yep. I think this conversation wouldn’t a conversation if Frank had been able to go through entire UM career without the injuries. But even with the injuries, he’s still in contention.

That's a possibility. But if you're gonna switch up how things occurred than what about taking away injuries from Willis (who without question had the best um single season)& from najeh(who pre injury was entirely different from what he came back as)& than what about the fact edge was the only back of the bunch being discussed that had no one at all with him and came in for probation all the way through iron man ball. Put edge on a stacked team where he's not the only one defenses paid attention to. He did all that with no one around him

 

[Calinative]

That's a possibility. But if you're gonna switch up how things occurred than what about taking away injuries from Willis (who without question had the best um single season)& from najeh(who pre injury was entirely different from what he came back as)& than what about the fact edge was the only back of the bunch being discussed that had no one at all with him and came in for probation all the way through iron man ball. Put edge on a stacked team where he's not the only one defenses paid attention to. He did all that with no one around him

Plus if you literally just took Edges injury away, he has a VERY high likelihood of finishing his career over 14k yards - and that's JUST from him being healthy in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. If his injuries shortened his career (or his peak ability) by a year or two, that may have kept him from being over 15k himself...

Instead of 13th all time In yards, he'd very probably be top 5 or 6 in yards.

 

[Brooklyndee]

Plus if you literally just took Edges injury away, he has a VERY high likelihood of finishing his career over 14k yards - and that's JUST from him being healthy in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. If his injuries shortened his career (or his peak ability) by a year or two, that may have kept him from being over 15k himself...

Instead of 13th all time In yards, he'd very probably be top 5 or 6 in yards.

Edge in his peak years was his dominant a back as there was at that time. I feel like that leap is a very easy assumption to make.

 

[rascon]

That's a possibility. But if you're gonna switch up how things occurred than what about taking away injuries from Willis (who without question had the best um single season)& from najeh(who pre injury was entirely different from what he came back as)& than what about the fact edge was the only back of the bunch being discussed that had no one at all with him and came in for probation all the way through iron man ball. Put edge on a stacked team where he's not the only one defenses paid attention to. He did all that with no one around him

I was just focused on career at UM. I thought Gore was going to do what McGahee did and maybe more THAT year. I low key forgot about Najeh injury, that dude was a beast early on too.

Pound for pound, one game basis with everyone at 100 percent peak form, I think I’d go Gore > Edge > McGahee.

 

[Brooklyndee]

I was just focused on career at UM. I thought Gore was going to do what McGahee did and maybe more THAT year. I low key forgot about Najeh injury, that dude was a beast early on too.

Pound for pound, one game basis with everyone at 100 percent peak form, I think I’d go Gore > Edge > McGahee.

At the end of the day just comes down to personal preference. Don't knock people's opinions cause they all valid when discussing these names.

 

[ricardomejias]

At the end of the day just comes down to personal preference. Don't knock people's opinions cause they all valid when discussing these names.

I am 56 and started watching in 76 when i was 9, think carl selmer was the coach. Would have to say Otis Andereson (did not see chuck foreman live); gore prior to knee injuries; mchagee; edge; and portis.