Top Gator running backs

[Escambia94]

Statistically, the greatest Gator running backs are as follows in terms of career yardage:

1. Errict Rhett '90-'93 (4163 yards, 34 TD)
2. Emmitt Smith '87-'89 (3928 yards, 36 TD)
3. Neal Anderson '82-'85 (3234 yards, 30 TD)
4. Fred Taylor '94-'97 (3075 yards, 31 TD)
5. Tim Tebow '06-'09 (2947 yards, 57 TD) [yeah...a QB is the 5th-best RB in terms of career yardage, tops in rushing TDs]
6. Tony Green ''74-'77 (2590 yards, 16 TD)
7. John L. Williams '82-'85 (2409 yards, 14 TD)
8. Elijah Williams '94-'97 (2187 yards, 15 TD) [note the overlap with Fred Taylor]
9. Larry Smith '66-'68 (2186 yards, 24 TD)
10. Jimmy Dubose '73-'75 (2159 yards, 10 TD)
11. James Jones '79-'82 (2026 yards, 17 TD)

In terms of career touchdowns, the greatest running backs are as follows:

1. Tim Tebow '06-'09 (2947 yards, 57 TD) [yeah...a QB is the 5th-best RB in terms of career yardage, tops in rushing TDs]
2. Emmitt Smith '87-'89 (3928 yards, 36 TD)
3. Errict Rhett '90-'93 (4163 yards, 34 TD)
4. Fred Taylor '94-'97 (3075 yards, 31 TD)
5. Neal Anderson '82-'85 (3234 yards, 30 TD)
6. Buford Long '50-'52 (25 TD)
7. Larry Smith '66-'68 (2186 yards, 24 TD)
8. Percy Harvin '06-'08 (1852 yards, 19 TD, 9.5 YPC)
9. Tommy Durrance '69-'71 (1315 yards, 18 TD, 3.7 YPC)
10. James Jones '79-'82 (2026 yards, 17 TD)
11. Tony Green ''74-'77 (2590 yards, 16 TD)
12. John L. Williams '82-'85 (2409 yards, 14 TD)
13. Elijah Williams '94-'97 (2187 yards, 15 TD) [note the overlap with Fred Taylor]
14. Jimmy Dubose '73-'75 (2159 yards, 10 TD)

In terms of season yardage, the greatest are as follows:

1. Emmitt Smith 1599 (1989)
2. Emmitt Smith 1341 (1987)
3. Jimmy Dubose 1307 (1975)
4. Fred Taylor 1292 (1997)
5. Errict Rhett 1289 (1993)
6. Ciatrick Faison 1267 (2004)
7. Errict Rhett 1109 (1991)
8. Earnest Graham 1085 (2002)
9. Neal Anderson 1034 (1985)
10. Emmitt Smith 988 (1988)

In terms of 100-yard games, the greatest are as follows:

1. Emmitt Smith '87-'89 (23)
2. Errict Rhett '90-'93 (20)
3. Neal Anderson '82-'85 (14)
4. Fred Taylor '94-'97 (12)
5. John L. Williams ''82-'85 (8)

The top RBs in terms of yards per carry are as follows:

1. Percy Harvin '06-'08 (1852 yards, 19 TD, 9.5 YPC)
2. Elijah Williams '94-'97 (2187 yards, 15 TD, 6.3 YPC) [note the overlap with Fred Taylor]
3. Fred Taylor '94-'97 (3075 yards, 31 TD, 5.7 YPC)
4. Tony Green ''74-'77 (2590 yards, 16 TD, 5.7 YPC)
5. Jimmy Dubose '73-'75 (2159 yards, 10 TD, 5.7 YPC)
6. Emmitt Smith '87-'89 (3928 yards, 36 TD, 5.6 YPC)
7. John L. Williams '82-'85 (2409 yards, 14 TD, 5.2 YPC)
8. Neal Anderson '82-'85 (3234 yards, 30 TD, 5.1 YPC)
9. Errict Rhett '90-'93 (4163 yards, 34 TD, 4.8 YPC)
10. Tim Tebow '06-'09 (2947 yards, 57 TD, 4.3 YPC) [yeah...a QB is the 5th-best RB in terms of career yardage, tops in rushing TDs]
11. Larry Smith '66-'68 (2186 yards, 24 TD, 4.2 YPC)
12. James Jones '79-'82 (2026 yards, 17 TD, 4.3 YPC)

The top RB in terms of attempts per touchdown are as follows:

1. Percy Harvin '06-'08 (194 ATT, 1852 yards, 19 TD, 9.5 YPC, 10.2 ATT/TD)
2. Tim Tebow '06-'09 (692 ATT, 2947 yards, 57 TD, 4.3 YPC, 12.14 ATT/TD)
3. Fred Taylor '94-'97 (537 ATT, 3075 yards, 31 TD, 5.7 YPC, 17.3 ATT/TD)
4. Emmitt Smith '87-'89 (700 ATT, 3928 yards, 36 TD, 5.6 YPC, 19.4 ATT/TD)
5. Tommy Durrance '69-'71 (356 ATT, 1315 yards, 18 TD, 3.7 YPC, 19.7 ATT/TD)
6. Larry Smith '66-'68 (518 ATT, 2186 yards, 24 TD, 4.2 YPC, 21.6 ATT/TD)
7. Neal Anderson '82-'85 (655 ATT, 3234 yards, 30 TD, 5.1 YPC, 21.8 ATT/TD)
8. Elijah Williams '94-'97 (349 ATT, 2187 yards, 15 TD, 6.3 YPC, 23.7 ATT/TD)
9. Errict Rhett '90-'93 (898 ATT, 4163 yards, 34 TD, 4.8 YPC, 26.4 ATT/TD)
10. James Jones '79-'82 (466 ATT, 2026 yards, 17 TD, 4.3 YPC, 27.4 ATT/TD)
11. Tony Green ''74-'77 (472 ATT, 2590 yards, 16 TD, 5.7 YPC, 29.5 ATT/TD)
12. John L. Williams '82-'85 (478 ATT, 2409 yards, 14 TD, 5.2 YPC, 34.1 ATT/TD)
13. Jimmy Dubose '73-'75 (411 ATT, 2159 yards, 10 TD, 5.7 YPC, 41.1 ATT/TD)

The top rushing TDs in a season are as follows:

1. Tim Tebow 23 (2007)
2. Tim Tebow 14 (2009)
3. Emmitt Smith 14 (1989)
4. Buford Long 14 (1952)
5. Fred Taylor 13 (1997)

Who is your favorite Gator running back, and why?

 

[Escambia94]

You only need to look at my avatar to guess who my favorite is--Emmitt Smith. We grew up in the same hometown, knew the same people, went to the same high school, and went to the same college. I always prefer Emmitt, because he never got the props he deserved. He was not as flashy as Barry Sanders or as graceful as Walter Payton or as bruising as John L. Williams or as fast as a modern back, but he had unrivaled balance and vision. If he would have stayed one more year Errict Rhett would not have broken his career yardage, but he probably would have missed out on being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, thus missing out on the opportunity to be the all-time NFL rushing leader. Note that I did not say he was the NFL's best-ever running back. Even Emmitt gave that credit to Barry Sanders in his NFL Hall of Fame speech. Emmitt has even mentioned Walter Payton as being the best-ever. For his skill, as well as his humility, I consider Emmitt James Smith III my favorite Gator running back.

 

[DRU2012]

Setting TT apart as incomparable on ANY list (and not just in the history of UF football, either), you'll pretty well find my own list of "Best RBs" in the top 5 of your "100 yd. games" list:
Emmit was the best pure back we had--elusive and sneaky fast, but most of all a completely unique talent who, with the slightest opening, just "got away". Errict Rhett was the best single power-back who could be relied upon, on every play, in every game, to carry the running game and, in tandem with whatever passing game we had going during his years here, single-handedly give us a "balanced attack"--and Fred Taylor was, in many ways, his "second coming" just a few years later, filling the same role, in similar fashion. The best tandem that we had was Neil Anderson and John L. Williams, who complemented each other perfectly--but, though either would have likely excelled alone, and Williams seemed to get more recognition at the time, it is Anderson who I remember as more than once being spectacularly unstoppable when it counted.

 

[Escambia94]

I need to rerun the numbers for this forum, but on another forum I showed that TT even outshines Harvin in overall touches per touchdown. Some will argue that is not a fair comparison since TT rushed from the QB position and as QB he gets more touches, but I counter that by proving that many of Harvin's rushing TDs are actually receiving TDs that started from behind the LOS and I only even handicap TT by counting his 30% incompletions as attempts! Harvin was not a true running back, but he was listed as such and did begin many plays from behind LOS. That allowed him to have WR-like rushing-yards-per-attempt numbers. So, Harvin is the leading YPA running back even though he got many of his longest runs as a WR...just as TT gets all his RB numbers while lined up as QB.

 

[Leakfan12]

My earliest memory is seeing Fred Taylor and thinking when he was drafted that he would be a good RB in the NFL and I was right. Also looking at the history of the Running Backs for the Gators and very impressive consider number of them were first rounders. I remember Errict Rhett mostly as a Bucs and if he didn't hold out the Bucs would have had a better 1996 season and maybe the Bucs don't draft Warrick Dunn last year (though he was a good RB for them) and Rhett would have had a long career (maybe I saw somewhere he still long lingering injuries from his playing days). I still have to said Emmitt especially since he's a Hall of Famer with Taylor second. I think Neal Anderson would have joined him but he got hurt. That's sad about the Running Backs. One year he gains 1,000 yards in a season and the next he gets hurt and disappears.

 

[Escambia94]

The first running back that I followed closely into the NFL was Neal Anderson. I absolutely loved listening to radio broadcasts of Neal Anderson and John L. Williams. Back then in NW Florida it was hard to catch Gator games on TV, and it got even harder during the NCAA sanctions. The Sunshine sports network did not come into existence until 1988, so before then if you wanted to follow a game you went to the game or listened by radio. Neal Anderson gets my vote as the first Gator running back that I followed. I actually followed James Jones in the NFL, but I did not realize he was a former Gator until I got older and started getting into football history.

 

[InkedAdrenaline]

Well I don't consider tebow a running back so hands down my favorite running back to play for us was Harvin.

 

[Escambia94]

Well I don't consider tebow a running back so hands down my favorite running back to play for us was Harvin.

I will say that Harvin was one of the most electric players we ever had.

 

[Escambia94]

Recently, Mike Gillislee went on record saying that he is shooting for 1500 yards this season and 25 TDs. Only Emmitt Smith has eclipsed 1500 yards in a season, and even Tim Tebow fell short of 25 TDs in a season. Can Mike make his goal? Consider the fact that Florida has not seen a 1000-yard rusher since Ciatrick Faison in 2004. Other running backs under Brent Pease or Bryan Harsin with the Boise State offense averaged just over 1000 yards per season.

 

[Leakfan12]

I said this about Pell, he knew how to recruit RBs. Four of them (Jones, Hampton, WIlliams, and Anderson) first rounders within four drafts in the mid-1980's.