Hardest NFL players to bring down

hammer1 · October 15, 2019 8:15AM

Earl Campbell
John Mackey

orioles93 · October 15, 2019 8:24AM

Marshawn Lynch
Gronk

doubledragon · October 15, 2019 8:26AM

Bo Jackson was pretty tough to bring down.

LarkinCollector · October 15, 2019 8:32AM

Bobby Boucher

perkdog · October 15, 2019 8:34AM

Earl Campbell was the hardest, Barry Sanders was the hardest to get a hold of, like chasing a chicken lol

galaxy27 · October 15, 2019 8:34AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkIlRgjz3w

Dave99B · October 15, 2019 8:36AM

Marshawn Lynch

Dave

JRR300 · October 15, 2019 9:39AM

I'd say Earl Campbell. His thighs were the size of large tree trunks; just wouldn't go down.
Anyone remember the run he has against the Dolphins (I think) on MNF at the end of the game. I think everyone on the defense had a chance to tackle him and no one could. Showing my age as that goes back quite a way.

DIMEMAN · October 15, 2019 1:20PM

Earl Campbell
Jim Brown
Emmitt Smith
Zeke

Campbell was a BEAST, I remember the play on MNF @JRR300 . I use to have PM's with Greg Bingham(sp) the middle LB for Houston Oilers. He said practicing against Earl was a real task and hard on your health! Earl would not run around you.....he would run thru and over you. It's hard telling how many DB's he put out of games!

doubledragon · October 15, 2019 1:32PM

Earl Campbell would just flat out run you over.

JRR300 · October 15, 2019 1:47PM

And as big as he was, when he got into the open field, you just couldn't catch him.

Parkerplenty123 · October 15, 2019 1:48PM

Earl Campbell in my opinion. He would also punish you for trying. Definitely not for the weak of heart. I can't imagine any DB looking forward to putting in that kind of work.

JoeBanzai · October 15, 2019 3:02PM

Can't believe Jim Brown hasn't been mentioned. Csonka was pretty tough for a while.

PatsGuy5000 · October 15, 2019 3:04PM

Earl Campbell and Marshawn Lynch

DIMEMAN · October 15, 2019 3:40PM

@JoeBanzai said:
Can't believe Jim Brown hasn't been mentioned. Csonka was pretty tough for a while.

Look again......I have Brown 2nd behind Campbell.

JoeBanzai · October 15, 2019 3:55PM

@DIMEMAN said:

@JoeBanzai said:
Can't believe Jim Brown hasn't been mentioned. Csonka was pretty tough for a while.

Look again......I have Brown 2nd behind Campbell.

And there he was!

Zeke Bratkowski was tough to bring down?

DIMEMAN · October 15, 2019 4:01PM

Kansas City use to have a guy that was pretty hard to bring down because of his size. Anyone else remember ………..

Christian Akoya(sp). The dude was huge!

perkdog · October 15, 2019 4:13PM

@DIMEMAN said:
Kansas City use to have a guy that was pretty hard to bring down because of his size. Anyone else remember ………..

Christian Akoya(sp). The dude was huge!

The Nigerian Nightmare! There was a Charger named Marion Butts who was pretty tough too, John Riggins Back in the day and Marion Motley back on the ‘50’s. Jim Brown for his time might have been the toughest though since most defensive lineman were smaller than him lol

JoeBanzai · October 15, 2019 4:46PM

@perkdog said:

@DIMEMAN said:
Kansas City use to have a guy that was pretty hard to bring down because of his size. Anyone else remember ………..

Christian Akoya(sp). The dude was huge!

The Nigerian Nightmare! There was a Charger named Marion Butts who was pretty tough too, John Riggins Back in the day and Marion Motley back on the ‘50’s. Jim Brown for his time might have been the toughest though since most defensive lineman were smaller than him lol

Okoye was listed as 6-1 253lbs!

Coinstartled · October 15, 2019 7:33PM

Walter Payton would knock your head off with a stiff arm.

DIMEMAN · October 15, 2019 7:37PM

@Coinstartled said:
Walter Payton would knock your head off with a stiff arm.

Sweetness was an amazing runner and seldom ran out of bounds to avoid contact.

JRR300 · October 16, 2019 9:50AM

I> @JoeBanzai said:

@perkdog said:

The Nigerian Nightmare! There was a Charger named Marion Butts who was pretty tough too, John Riggins Back in the day and Marion Motley back on the ‘50’s. Jim Brown for his time might have been the toughest though since most defensive lineman were smaller than him lol

Okoye was listed as 6-1 253lbs!

I think Okoye was bigger than that. Seemed to tower over everyone else. And thick from feet to shoulders.

keets · October 16, 2019 9:55AM

Jim Brown, hands down. he carried piles of 4-5-6 defenders back in a day when it was different: they actually tried to tackle instead of roll-block and, believe it or not, pushing/helping the runner was a penalty.

DIMEMAN · October 16, 2019 11:49AM

@keets said:
Jim Brown, hands down. he carried piles of 4-5-6 defenders back in a day when it was different: they actually tried to tackle instead of roll-block and, believe it or not, pushing/helping the runner was a penalty.

Brown was very tuff, but Campbell punished anybody that got in his way.

JoeBanzai · October 16, 2019 12:06PM

@DIMEMAN said:

@keets said:
Jim Brown, hands down. he carried piles of 4-5-6 defenders back in a day when it was different: they actually tried to tackle instead of roll-block and, believe it or not, pushing/helping the runner was a penalty.

Brown was very tuff, but Campbell punished anybody that got in his way.

Probably why his career was so much shorter.

I remember when the Packers first got John Brockington and he was a big, strong, punishing runner. Someone said he won't last long with that style, and he didn't. Campbell was better than Brockington, but the same thing happened to him.

DIMEMAN · October 16, 2019 12:20PM

@JoeBanzai said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@keets said:
Jim Brown, hands down. he carried piles of 4-5-6 defenders back in a day when it was different: they actually tried to tackle instead of roll-block and, believe it or not, pushing/helping the runner was a penalty.

Brown was very tuff, but Campbell punished anybody that got in his way.

Probably why his career was so much shorter.

I remember when the Packers first got John Brockington and he was a big, strong, punishing runner. Someone said he won't last long with that style, and he didn't. Campbell was better than Brockington, but the same thing happened to him.

For sure.....Bum Phillips over used Earl and shortened his career.

JoeBanzai · October 16, 2019 12:35PM

@DIMEMAN said:

@JoeBanzai said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@keets said:
Jim Brown, hands down. he carried piles of 4-5-6 defenders back in a day when it was different: they actually tried to tackle instead of roll-block and, believe it or not, pushing/helping the runner was a penalty.

Brown was very tuff, but Campbell punished anybody that got in his way.

Probably why his career was so much shorter.

I remember when the Packers first got John Brockington and he was a big, strong, punishing runner. Someone said he won't last long with that style, and he didn't. Campbell was better than Brockington, but the same thing happened to him.

For sure.....Bum Phillips over used Earl and shortened his career.

When you run with your head, you don't last.

dallasactuary · October 16, 2019 1:44PM

@DIMEMAN said:
For sure.....Bum Phillips over used Earl and shortened his career.

I'm not sure what you think Bum should have done. Campbell was the only offensive weapon he had. If he doesn't "overuse" Campbell, no way that team ever sniffs a playoff game. As it happened, they almost beat Pittsburgh one year, and would have rolled to a SB win if they had.

DIMEMAN · October 16, 2019 1:56PM

@dallasactuary said:

@DIMEMAN said:
For sure.....Bum Phillips over used Earl and shortened his career.

I'm not sure what you think Bum should have done. Campbell was the only offensive weapon he had. If he doesn't "overuse" Campbell, no way that team ever sniffs a playoff game. As it happened, they almost beat Pittsburgh one year, and would have rolled to a SB win if they had.

He should have used other backs once in a while and passed some. He knew Earl would always get the yardage so he ran him into the ground. It's a know fact...….not just me saying it.

dallasactuary · October 16, 2019 3:50PM

@DIMEMAN said:
He should have used other backs once in a while and passed some. He knew Earl would always get the yardage so he ran him into the ground. It's a know fact...….not just me saying it.

Is "he should have used other backs once in a while and passed some" your way of saying "he should have lost more games"? Personally, I think the Patriots should run more and use other QBs; they win too many games, too.

The Oilers, by the way, passed at about the league average percentage, so you can scratch that one from your list of "known facts". In the backfield they had Campbell and two guys nobody remembers because they weren't any good. That Bum should have used those shlubs more, and bypassed wins, and the playoffs, so that Campbell could be fit and raring to go years later for some other coach on some other team may be a "known fact" but yet, somehow, I still disagree.

perkdog · October 16, 2019 6:02PM

I agree with Dallas on this, there is some merit to not overusing you’re best RB but really he rode to the playoffs with the horse that brought him there. The NFL is all about winning, if you think a coach is going to sacrifice his job for the well being of a player by means of not playing him that much to lengthen his career then your nuts.

JoeBanzai · October 16, 2019 6:50PM

Campbell should have saved his head and not tried to kill everybody. He got used a lot because he was their best option for winning.

When Robert Smith of the Vikings, (a very under rated RB) first came into the league, he used his speed, but also tried to run over a lot of guys and struggled and fought for every inch of yardage. He was hurt a lot and missed quite a few games. Then he "wised up" by running out of bounds instead of taking on a linebacker and a safety. When a couple of guys had a hold of him he went down before the third guy could come in and take a free shot at him or the ball.

When he did that, he ended up playing in more games and gaining more yards. Fumbled a LOT less than Campbell too.

In watching the Payton video, he avoided contact to gain yards and yet did dish out some pain, but not ALL the time.

keets · October 17, 2019 2:44AM

Brown was very tuff, but Campbell punished anybody that got in his way.

you are free to believe as you wish which seems to be that Jim Brown didn't punish anyone who tried to tackle him, but that just isn't so. sadly, Campbell's style of running has cost him dearly. he needs assistance walking and a wheelchair for any distance. he suffered addiction to Oxycontin as a result of his playing days.

Unknown · October 17, 2019 3:07AM

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Unknown · October 17, 2019 3:12AM

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DIMEMAN · October 17, 2019 8:02AM

The above list has a lot of what I call elusive RB's. Like O.J. and Payton and Dorsett...etc. I took the question as power runners that would plow you over. Brown and Campbell are the top of that list to me.

hammer1 · October 17, 2019 8:10AM

@DIMEMAN said:
The above list has a lot of what I call elusive RB's. Like O.J. and Payton and Dorsett...etc. I took the question as power runners that would plow you over. Brown and Campbell are the top of that list to me.

you would be correct.

galaxy27 · October 17, 2019 8:23AM

@hammer1 said:

@DIMEMAN said:
The above list has a lot of what I call elusive RB's. Like O.J. and Payton and Dorsett...etc. I took the question as power runners that would plow you over. Brown and Campbell are the top of that list to me.

you would be correct.

perhaps a trip to the optometrist is in order. scroll up and watch the clip i posted. trust me, sweetness did that many, many times over the course of his career. if i had a dollar for every time he blew someone up instead of going out of bounds....

DIMEMAN · October 17, 2019 8:53AM

@galaxy27 said:

@hammer1 said:

@DIMEMAN said:
The above list has a lot of what I call elusive RB's. Like O.J. and Payton and Dorsett...etc. I took the question as power runners that would plow you over. Brown and Campbell are the top of that list to me.

you would be correct.

perhaps a trip to the optometrist is in order. scroll up and watch the clip i posted. trust me, sweetness did that many, many times over the course of his career. if i had a dollar for every time he blew someone up instead of going out of bounds....

I have never said that of Payton.......as a matter of fact somewhere I mentioned that Payton very seldom ran out of bounds to avoid contact. Payton was a GREAT runner and a GREAT person.

LarkinCollector · October 17, 2019 9:06AM

Payton always seemed to end up on his back after he went down and I've always wondered how many extra yards he go from placing the ball behind his head before he got up. Zebras caught it sometimes, but I recall many generous spots based on his placement.

JRR300 · October 17, 2019 9:47AM

@DIMEMAN said:
For sure.....Bum Phillips over used Earl and shortened his career.

Earl also used to get 30+ carries a game at Texas. They way he played you couldn't blame the coach for calling his number....he was almost unstoppable

galaxy27 · October 17, 2019 9:52AM

@LarkinCollector said:

Payton always seemed to end up on his back after he went down and I've always wondered how many extra yards he go from placing the ball behind his head before he got up. Zebras caught it sometimes, but I recall many generous spots based on his placement.

funny you mention this, as he was definitely notorious for it

i vividly remember him saying 100

LarkinCollector · October 17, 2019 10:01AM

@galaxy27 said:
i vividly remember him saying 100

Per year?

SanctionII · October 17, 2019 10:19AM

Had he not gone to prison for a murder he did not commit I believe that Melvin Mars would have been the hardest NFL player to bring down.

Fortunately for Melvin, Amos Decker showed up to right the wrong that was inflicted upon him.

ScoobyDoo2 · October 17, 2019 2:49PM

Kellen Winslow... Chargers

Unknown · October 17, 2019 11:36PM

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hammer1 · October 18, 2019 7:58AM

@MLBdays said:
The Juice.... God couldn't bring him down.

It took a memorabilia guy to do it.

perkdog · October 18, 2019 8:03AM

@hammer1 said:

@MLBdays said:
The Juice.... God couldn't bring him down.

It took a memorabilia guy to do it.

😂😂😂

Hardest NFL players to bring down

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