Top three Bama RB's..

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Re: Top three Bama RBs..

A few from a different era, but all outstanding RBs in their day. I am sure someone can add to the list of forgotten RBs.

Butch Wilson
Cotton Clark
Mike Fracchia
Les Kelly
Ed Morgan
Pete Moore
Might as well throw Steve Bowman in there. Several of these guys didn't rack up enormous amounts of yardage over their career, but were hard running, tough winners, all of them, who were major contributors on some legacy teams.

I am 1FitToBeTide and I approve the aforementioned.:biggrin:
 
Re: Top three Bama RBs..

I remember a player named Steve "Beshealia". I have no clue how to spell his last name. Anyone know anything about him?
 
Re: Top three Bama RBs..

I remember a player named Steve "Beshealia". I have no clue how to spell his last name. Anyone know anything about him?

I think you're referring to Steve BISCEGLIA, who played the FB position, from Fresno, CA. Played in the '71,'72 seasons. Wore #44, I think and was a pretty good back as I remember but not a lot of yards rushing. Coach Bryant would murder his name every time he tried to say it.
 
I don't understand ranking Shaun Alexander over Mark Ingram.
He got almost 300 yds (291 I think) rushing against LSU in his Sophomore year. The RB coach at the time would not make him a starter because he "was not a complete back". Alexander was (and still is) a great ambassador for the Tide and is a very intelligent and articulate speaker.
I became a BAMA fan during the Musso years but I feel his yds vs other RBs mentioned here are skewed because we were primarily a run offense in his time.

oh yea:
1)Mark Ingram
2)Bobby Humphrey
3)Shaun Alexander
 
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Re: Top three Bama RBs..

I think you're referring to Steve BISCEGLIA, who played the FB position, from Fresno, CA. Played in the '71,'72 seasons. Wore #44, I think and was a pretty good back as I remember but not a lot of yards rushing. Coach Bryant would murder his name every time he tried to say it.

Again not great RBs by Alexander or Ingram standards but tough, reliable RBs who were dependable:

Dennis Riddle
Willie Shelby
Steve Whitman
Paul Ott Carruth
Ken Simon
 
I don't understand ranking Shaun Alexander over Mark Ingram.

Right now Shaun is still Alabama's all-time leading rusher. He holders the single game record for rushing yardage with 291 yards in a single game. He is tied with Santanio Beard with the most rushing TD's in a signle game with five TD's. Shaun has the most rushing TD's in a season with 19 rushing TD's. He has 41 rushing TD's which is number one all-time at Alabama. He is tied with Bobby Humphrey for the most 100 yard rushing games with 15 100 yard rushing games in his career at Alabama.

Ingram had a great season last year. He owns the single season rushing record at Alabama and won the Heisman. He had an excellent freshman season as well, but his career at Alabama is not over. By the time his career at Alabama I think he has a great shot at being our greatest RB ever, but I think it's tough to make that comparison when Ingram is still playing football at Alabama. :)
 
Linnie Patrick might rank as high as 1 if talent and potential were being considered most. He had the potential to be the best back we've ever seen at Alabama. It's a shame he couldn't quite stay out of the doghouse...

Three is tough. Even though he's just a sophomore, you can't discount what Ingram has done -- winning the Heisman alone. Not to mention he's already cracked our all-time Top Ten. Our career rushing leader would still be Bobby Humphrey had he not missed basically a year due to injury.

You can't have the discussion without Shaun or Musso. Tony Nathan and Major Ogilvie played in an era where they didn't necessarily get the carries that some of the guys have gotten over the years.

The older generation would have Bobby Marlow in the mix.

Ken Darby sits 3rd on the all-time list. Dennis Riddle is also there (Top 10). And one of our more under-rated backs in my opinion was Johnny Davis. Anyone that saw him in the wishbone knows that he was an absolute machine. He's also in the Top 10.

Its great hearing all those old names. I am soon to be 76 and saw a whole bunch of those guys play. Roll Tide Roll.:):BigA::):BigA:
 
Re: Top three Bama RBs..

Again not great RBs by Alexander or Ingram standards but tough, reliable RBs who were dependable:

Dennis Riddle
Willie Shelby
Steve Whitman
Paul Ott Carruth
Ken Simon

I certainly remember all these terrific backs and can't argue that they all were great fun to watch. The wishbone backs had to be effective blockers before they ever got the chance to run the ball.

Speaking of the old wishbone days, how about Calvin Culliver, James Taylor, Lou Ikner, Murray Hill, Jeff Fagan, Craig "Touchdown" Turner, Wilbur Jackson and Paul Ellis just to name a few? :BigA:

I really think though, that Kerry Goode was on his way to greatness before his knee injury and just may have ended up being our best ever had he not been injured.
 
Re: Top three Bama RBs..

I certainly remember all these terrific backs and can't argue that they all were great fun to watch. The wishbone backs had to be effective blockers before they ever got the chance to run the ball.

Speaking of the old wishbone days, how about Calvin Culliver, James Taylor, Lou Ikner, Murray Hill, Jeff Fagan, Craig "Touchdown" Turner, Wilbur Jackson and Paul Ellis just to name a few? :BigA:

I really think though, that Kerry Goode was on his way to greatness before his knee injury and just may have ended up being our best ever had he not been injured.

Thanks for adding those names, had forgotten some of them. Probably, and it can be argued many ways, but I do think had Kerry Goode not blown out his knee, he may have been the greatest Alabama back of all time. He was a strong runner with a lot more speed than either Shaun or Mark. Very similar to Bobby Humphrey but faster.
 
My list is limited by my age, the first running back I recall at Alabama was Siran Stacy.

1: Mark Ingram
Early in the season I wasn't even sure he was the best Alabama running back. His development was amazing and while I'm still not sure he's the best physical specimen the team has at the position, the balance and evasiveness he has shown to go along with his physical characteristics are unlike anyone I've seen at Alabama.

2: Shaun Alexander
If he didn't spend some time in the doghouse he might be at the top of the list. As it was, his NFL success came as no surprise.

3: Sherman Williams
I think he's underrated. He was a complete back, able to catch, run and even do returns. He did pretty much everything you could hope your RB to do.

Honorable mention:
Trent Richardson
He is the most impressive specimen I recall seeing Alabama ever have at the position. If his development is anything like what we have seen from Ingram he's going to end up on the list.

I really like these 3. I would have to put Shaun above Mark right now because Shaun was a one man offense. He didn't really have a balanced offense to help him. Our defense wasn't as good either. Having a dominant defense and other weapons on offense takes a lot of pressure off your star. Shaun was our only real weapon and every opponent gameplanned to stop him.
 
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