No Herschel Walkers on the horizon in recruiting
They just don't make 'em like Herschel Walker anymore. (AJC photo)
Much has been made this week about the fact that the next touchdown scored by Florida’s Tim Tebow will break Herschel Walker’s SEC career record for rushing touchdowns (49). Well, officially anyway.
But this is not another who’s-the-greatest-college-player-Tebow-or-Walker debate. There will be enough scribes weighing in on that this week as it is. And they’re both once-in-a-lifetime players, in my opinion.
What it got me thinking about is the type of tailback that Walker was. He was big — 6-foot-2, 222 pounds — and fast — with a 10.23-second, 100-meter dash still sitting fifth in the UGA track record book. He could run through you, jump over you or run by you. An athletic freak really.
There have been others of Herschel’s ilk, of course. Auburn’s Bo Jackson (6-1, 225) is the first who comes to everyone’s mind, though his college numbers pale in comparison. And of course Earl Campbell of Texas was big and strong (5-11, 232) and tremendously productive, but not nearly as fast. Ohio State’s Eddie George was even bigger (6-3, 235) but not as fast and he didn’t lift his team to such heights. And Jim Brown (6-2, 232) was around before any of them.
But where are these running backs today? Where is the next Herschel or Bo? Isn’t it about time for him to come along?
The reality is, athletes like Herschel simply aren’t playing tailback anymore. With the advent of more spread-option attacks and the pigeon-holing of recruiting, they’re lining up at another position.
“If you’re 6-feet or 6-1 especially nowadays you’re not really a running back,” said Chad Simmons, Southern recruiting manager for Scout.com. “You just don’t have those guys anymore. Most of those guys are moved to linebacker or even stand-up defensive ends.”
Few recall that All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers actually rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns as a 6-foot-5 high school running back.
Georgia coach Mark Richt, for one, believes another Herschel Walker will emerge eventually.
“Well, I just think one day another guy will come along that fits that description and somebody will decide to not play him at linebacker and let him run the ball,” Richt said. ” Now I think Herschel was a one-of-a-kind, not to say Bo Jackson wasn’t special because he was. But they were a little bit different in their type. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another big, giant guy become the thing again. They just don’t come along that often.”
Certainly not lately. A quick check of the top running back prospects in the nation reveals very few Herschel-like prospects. The consensus top three in both Rivals.com and Scout.com are Lache Seastrunk (5-11, 190), Marcus Lattimore (6-0, 210) and Micheal Dyer (5-8, 200). The top-ranked back in Georgia, M.L. King’s Mack Brown, is 5-11, 185.
There are two big backs in the respective top 10s. Ohio State commitment Roderick Smith of Fort Wayne, Ind., is a 6-3, 220-pound running back. But his 40-yard time is listed as 4.80, hardly Herschel-esque. And Anthony Barr of Loyola, Calif., is 6-4, 225, and reportedly runs a sub-4.6. But most of the schools recruiting him (Notre Dame, UCLA, USC) don’t project him as a running back in college.
The closest thing we’ve probably had lately is Wisconsin’s 6-foot-1, 248-pound back John Clay. But he was redshirted as a freshman and hasn’t been nearly as productive as the aforementioned stars.
Georgia has a bigger back right now in sophomore Richard Samuel (6-2, 220) but he’s had fumble and production issues and may end up at linebacker before it’s all over.
“Haven’t seen it,” Simmons, who travels the South evaluating talent, said of a Herschel-like backs. “ Guys like Herschel just haven’t come along. If there is another Herschel that comes along he’ll probably play linebacker. It’s just hard to find a back with that size, that kind of vision and that kind of explosion.”
Not many quarterbacks like Tebow either, for that matter. But that’s a discussion for another day.
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117 comments Add your comment
Drew
October 28th, 2009
2:17 am
Jon Dwyer is right here in our own backyard??….
bkbroila
October 28th, 2009
3:51 am
Please do not compare Dwyer to Herschel Walker…don’t be a dipstick!
Jason
October 28th, 2009
3:55 am
Herschel wasn’t a Herschel until he played for UGA. With all of the media and website hype of high school players and the recruiting madness, everyone thinks they will be the next Herschel and all the outlets want to be the first to report about the “next Herschel” but always seems to be a lot of hot air.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 28th, 2009
4:20 am
Jason maybe you weren’t around then or just a baby but Herschel was Herschel well before he went to UGA….. he was the most highly recruited player in the country as a JUNIOR and was interviewd and written about in magazines and newspapers across the country. He revealed later that he flipped a coin because he couldn’t decide between UGA and Auburn – so maybe Dooley didn’t do the greatest recruiting job of all time after all – he just got lucky. Herschel made Dooley a great coach – not the other way around.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 28th, 2009
4:30 am
Dweyer is a good straight ahead RB and he is big but he does not have the power or speed that Herschel had and Herschel was just plain mean on the football field – he would run over a LB like he was a CB and the guy would be lucky iff he didn’t have to be carted off of the field.
BAMA FAN #2
October 28th, 2009
5:44 am
Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson best SEC running backs of all time!! Why Bo went to Auburn and growing up in Bessmer, Alabama 30 minutes from Tuscaloosa I will never understand!! RTR
RedKneckerson
October 28th, 2009
5:47 am
What about ole “scooter” Greenberg? He was a bigger type back with lots of power. And as the name suggests he could really run.
DDT
October 28th, 2009
6:09 am
Did somebody on this blog actually compare Jonathan Dwyer to Herschel Walker? LMAO! ROFL!
Hedgepruner
October 28th, 2009
6:12 am
Eddie Lee Ivery at TECH was pretty good too, one game in the snow against Air Force he ran for 350 yards ….THWG
Scot Waldrop
October 28th, 2009
6:21 am
You guys are so myopic when it comes to UGA, that you failed to comprehend the point of the article. Which is, there are very few big backs, like HW, anymore. No one is comparing anyone to anyone. Fact is Dwyer is a big back with great speed (100 m champ at Kell HS). Is he HW, no, but is a pretty good player even if he goes to GT.
CMR chose to recruit Caleb King over Jon Dwyer?
hiveredtech
October 28th, 2009
6:28 am
Good grief…if you are going to try to rattle off examples of big backs in college today…and you mention John Clay and Richard Samuels, how on God’s green earth do you not mention Atlanta’s own ACC Player of the Year in Jon Dayer (6-1, 240) and runs a 4.4 forty. He runs over (latest evidence the UVA DB last weekend) or around you (I think UGA’s DB makes a pretty good example last yesr!. He may not be Herschel or Bo…but if you are simply looking for “big backs that have speed” you only need to stay in Atlanta at G-Tech!
Dan Marino
October 28th, 2009
6:42 am
Jamal Lewis was big and fast. Impossible to tackle. Had lots of injuries, though.
Brandon Jacobs is big and fast, but could not get on the field with Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown at Auburn.
Michael Turner is short, but weighs more than Herschel ever did, and he has track speed. His college numbers at N. Illinois were very good.
Adrian Peterson was a clone of Herschel, but he got hurt, another thing that set Herschel apart.
hiveredtech
October 28th, 2009
6:50 am
Good examples Mr. Marino. I do not think the big back is dead…I think most offenses commitment and patience to run the ball is dead.
RomeDawg
October 28th, 2009
7:18 am
Hershel was the Greatest Of All Time! All 10 of him. LOL!
GT Jeff
October 28th, 2009
7:28 am
If Jon Dwyer played A Back, he would average close to 200 yds. a games. He plays full back. If GT ran student body left or right all game, then he would win the Heisman. You can compare him to HW but Herschel probably had a little more speed (I am the same age as HW and saw him many times). JD has great speed and is the best running back in the country.
Dalton Jackitup
October 28th, 2009
7:40 am
No comment needed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Ms_cdT9u0
Red Devil
October 28th, 2009
7:45 am
Surely you gest! Loganville’s Storm Johnson is the man you’re looking for. 6′1, 217, and he ain’t no line backer. Oh, I know Chad took him off his list when he left Buford.
Devil Dog
October 28th, 2009
7:49 am
I’m with you. Send that man a video. Better yet, come to a game and watch Storm run behind his pads until he gets in the secondary, and he’s gone!
Football Fan
October 28th, 2009
7:54 am
One may be closer to showing than you think. Parkview High School has a fr. running back named Anthony Covington that is certainly on track to be that type of back.Still only 14 years old he is 5′-11″ about 185 and from what I understand runs the 40 consistently in the 4.50’s. If you have watched football in the Gwinnett Football League, then you have seen his ability to run through or run by defenders and he is not doing too bad as a Fr. seeing some reps at varsity this season. you can see highlights from his 2007 and 2008 season on YouTube. I expect to hear this kids name mentionedin the next couple of years. By the way…I hear he is equally as talented in basketball too !
JD
October 28th, 2009
8:01 am
Why does the sports nation continue trying to compare other running backs to Herschel Walker? There is no comparison. This cat(or Dawg) had it all at such a young age. By far the greatest college running back ever. He has one Heisman but I think everyone knows he should have three.
Jonathan Dwyer is the next great NFL running back. Has anyone ever looked at his body control while he is running. This kid has studied film and done a lot of homework. Paul Johnson you are the MAN! Great job at Tech. Please pass some of your intensity and commanding presence on the sideline down the road to Athens. Someone down there needs it.
ratherBgambling
October 28th, 2009
8:07 am
The size and speed of Walker are a once in a generation combo. Dwyer is a fantastic back but not in Walkers league.
Buddha
October 28th, 2009
8:28 am
I was around to see Herschel and Bo. I even got to see Bo play a game for the Royals after college – he wasn’t hard to miss from up in the middle of the stands. Taking shag balls during fielding practice, he looked like Gulliver among the Lilliputians.
Around those years, I got to take in a Harvard-Columbia game in Boston. Used to the big, powerful backs in the SEC around that time, I thought it was, well, kinda cute that the two ivy league colleges had 180-pound backs lined up in a power I formation. Wouldn’t have looked so weird these days.
dawgster
October 28th, 2009
8:29 am
Hey Flo-Ri-Duh, I believe it was a coin flip between Georgia and Clemson, but that really important…To compare J.Dwyer to Herschel is absurd, I agree he is a very good back and probably do very well in the pros, but even if he was lined up in the I-back formation on a regular basis, he wouldn’t have come close to Herschel’s records…anyone Tech fans that believe otherwise are dawghaters and cannot give an unbiased opinion….
Johnny DangerDawg
October 28th, 2009
8:34 am
How many *linebackers* can run a 10.23-second, 100-meter dash?
Johnny DangerDawg
October 28th, 2009
8:36 am
Buddha,
Good stuff.
cattledawg
October 28th, 2009
9:01 am
I saw where dwyer was the 3rd best running back in upcoming nfl draft.
AthensSG
October 28th, 2009
9:09 am
We had another guy that looked promising, Tim Worley. Big and fast – had some long runs, but was here with 2 other good backs, Henderson and Tate. Steelers thought he had a promising career ahead, but got on drugs. What a waste…
Master of the Obvious
October 28th, 2009
9:24 am
Storm Johnson like Herschel? Really? Wow, time for Storm’s Daddy to get off of his computer.
collegeballfan
October 28th, 2009
9:24 am
I was lucky enough to get to see three Heisman winners live in person on the football field – Gary Beban, Herschel & BO. They all had something special that separated them from the other players on the field.
I am a Tech fan and I tell you I saw Herschel & BO & I have seen Dwyer,
and Dwyer is no Herschel or BO.
RAMBLE ON!!!
October 28th, 2009
9:30 am
Chip, every year UGAg has a “next Herschel”.
Last year was Caleb Queen, and this year was Whoshawn Easy.
Your not looking hard enough.
GT
October 28th, 2009
9:30 am
Dwyer is way better than Walker. Not even close!
Bryan G.
October 28th, 2009
9:43 am
I’m going to assume, GT, that you forgot to activiate your “sarcasm font.”
Chip Towers
October 28th, 2009
9:46 am
RAMBLE ON!!! This is not a blog about when Georgia will get the “next Herschel.” The point is there is no sign of a Herschel coming along anywhere for anybody. . . .
GT: I love Jonathan Dwyer. Awesome football player. Not even in the same area code as Herschel. . . .
AthensSG: I, too, thought Tim Worley was going to be the next big thing. And he was darn good. But, again, no Herschel. . . .
FootballFan: I’m surprised 14-year-old Anthony Covington doesn’t have a scholarship offer yet. . . .
Johnny DangerDawg: Good point, though Richard Samuel is pretty fast and may end up at linebacker.
Porty
October 28th, 2009
9:50 am
No HW’s on the horizon, huh? Guess UGa won’t need to be springing for any black Trans Am’s like they did for him.
Paul
October 28th, 2009
9:54 am
Jonathan Dwyer is probably the closest any back has come to Herschel…he has got incredible speed and acceleration for such a big guy and is very tough…but Herschel is still the best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9Yme2gczU
Blindog
October 28th, 2009
9:59 am
GT you are an idiot if you really beleave that!Watch some videos of Herschal and eat those words.Dwyer is good but Walker was a man playing against boys!
Kenny
October 28th, 2009
10:05 am
Darren McFadden was in that same class as far all-time SEC running backs. He should have won at least one Heisman. He was big, stong, and incredibly fast.
Tee M.
October 28th, 2009
10:07 am
I got to see Hershel sweep left and right and then up the middle several times and he was in a class all his on. Now the stat that he’s 6′2″ wasn’t accurate because I stood next to him for a picture a couple of years ago and he’s about 6′0″. Another running back that has not been mentioned was George Rogers, who also was gifted with power, speed and vision.
Dan Marino
October 28th, 2009
10:31 am
Wow, it is amazing how quickly Darren McFadden and Adrian Peterson have been forgotten.
Brian
October 28th, 2009
10:38 am
I think that HW was one of the greatest backs ever in the NCAA. Could one of the reasons we don’t see any backs of his caliber be due to more than his brilliance though? The game has changed and players involved have all gotten bigger and faster at all positions. I think it is just harder for one player to be at such a different level right now. It would take an athlete that was unimaginable (Bolt like speed and fullback power) to have the discrepancy that HW presented back then. With all the weight training and year round football commitment the natural advantage some players had athletically is just not there to be taken advantage of anymore. Though AP is trying his best for the Vikings.
Clint
October 28th, 2009
10:40 am
I just love how people think Tim Tebow is so special. QBs in Meyer’s system thrive. Hell Alex Smith put up big enough numbers to be the top pick in the draft under Meyer. We’ve all seen how well that has turned out. If you put Tebow in any other system, he doesn’t start at QB. I’ve seen middle schoolers with better arms than him. He’s nothing more than a glorified fullback. Harvin, Murphy, and the other speed WRs made him look good the past two years by taking his 5 yrd passes and turning them into 60 yarders. Now that he doesn’t have NFL talent at WR, Florida fans are calling for him to be benched. He’s a joke of a player. Great leader and emotional team guy, but not an elite QB.
Chip Towers
October 28th, 2009
11:17 am
Dan Marino, Kenny: Darren McFadden and Adrian Peterson are good examples. But if McFadden were on the same par as Herschel, he would have led the Hogs to a national championship or at least at SEC title. . . .
Now Peterson, that’s the best example yet and probably as close as we’re going to get. He’s 6-1, 217 and very similar in that he rushed for 1,925 yards, had an NCAA most 339 carries and finished second in the Heisman balloting as a freshman. Missed four games as a sophomore and more as a junior but still managed 4,045 yards in three seasons. Herschel had 5,259 in three but, again, that’s Herschel.
Chip Towers
October 28th, 2009
11:18 am
Clint: If Urban Meyer got a Herschel he’d probably play him at quarterback. . . . Wait a minute. I think that’s what he did!
C tha 1
October 28th, 2009
11:31 am
Adrian Peterson is the closet thing you will ever see to Hershel Walker. Think of it this way Hershel may have had the better college career, AD’s pro career will top Hershel’s when it’s all said and done.
C tha 1
October 28th, 2009
11:33 am
I mean did anyone actually see how AD absolutely trucked that poor guy from Pittsburgh this past Sunday and how he embarrassed the Brown on the run at the beginning of the season…he literally gave them the Heisman.
Clint
October 28th, 2009
11:54 am
Oh it’s going to be so much fun to watch Tebow crash and burn in the NFL. He’s going to be remembered along the lines of Gino Torreta, Jason White, Andre Ware, Danny Wuerful, and all the other Heisman winning QBs that proved they were not worth anything in the pros.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
October 28th, 2009
11:55 am
Two I saw this past week. Imani Cross (So) with Flowery Branch and a kid from West Forsyth, don’t know his name but he is big and looked fast. I think he had close to 600 yeards in 2 weeks. The big back seems to be a thing of the past but was common in the 80’s with Dickerson, Campbell, Rogers, Walker, Jackson,
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
October 28th, 2009
12:02 pm
Tee M. And Rogers had the size, he was at least 6′2″. Probably weighed 210 to 215 in HS. Played center on the basketball team at Duluth. There was a back a Central Gwinnett, (Timmy Smith?) that would have been the next Walker. Had over 1,000 yards his Freshman year. Dominated but got in trouble never to be heard from again.
Ryan
October 28th, 2009
12:16 pm
All the big, fast players PLAY DEFENSE.
UT96
October 28th, 2009
12:17 pm
Curious, what was Herschel’s stats as a pro and were his stats good enough to get him into the hall of fame. PS- I would have loved to seen him in a Falcon uniform.
wesleywhatwhat
October 28th, 2009
12:19 pm
lol. an article on big, fast runing backs, and not a mention of jonathan dwyer?
this article is a joke. just another excuse to talk about the glory years that aren’t coming back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9Yme2gczU
UT96
October 28th, 2009
12:23 pm
“were”- typo
Jason
October 28th, 2009
12:37 pm
Flo, yes, I was around and remember Herschel well (went to each home game he played at UGA during those 3 years.) and know his background before he was at UGA. My statement was taken out of context, but it’s no big deal.
Porty
October 28th, 2009
12:41 pm
HW was a virtual bust in the NFL. Never, ever lived up to the hype.
TechMan
October 28th, 2009
12:42 pm
Dwyer in pro type offense is an average back, in his first year when Gaily was around, Dwyer was forgotten. even now Dwyer is not the most dangerous back in our backfield.
back to the subject. every 100 years there will be only one Herschel like back I dont think we will see him in our life time
AU
October 28th, 2009
12:43 pm
Hey Chip, ever hear of a guy named BRANDON JACOBS? He went to Auburn for a year but transferred to Ill. St. since he was behind two other NFL starters. So your theory that “The reality is, athletes like Herschel simply aren’t playing tailback anymore” is kind of lame.
TomB
October 28th, 2009
12:45 pm
This article misses the point entirely. Hershel was a 218lb tailback with legit 4.3 speed playing against defensive linemen that averaged 230-240lbs across the line. The players then were smaller and significantly slower than today. Georgia’s 1980 starting defensive line – LT ;6-4,238 LBS, LG;6-4, 264LBS, RG; 6-1,230 LBS, MLB; 6-1,215LBS, WLB;5-11, 198LBS.
Herschel was a man among boys. Not so today. Compare the size and speed of today’s linemen with 1980’s and its a different game. Maybe comparing Dwyer’s stats playing in division 2 or 1a football would be more fair.
Mike Lum
October 28th, 2009
1:00 pm
Porty, Herschel was hardly a bust in pro ball. He finished his career second all-time in combined yards gained. Today he’s still in the top ten of several categories, even without adding the yards from the Generals years. The AJC pointed this out several years ago.
No one could’ve lived up to that hype. The Vikings traded half the team for Herschel, leaving them too thin to put a team around him. The Cowboys used those draft picks on Aikman, Emmitt, and Irvin, and never looked back.
The University of Georgia Tech
October 28th, 2009
1:08 pm
why do we have to always talk about hershal walker, vince dooley, and the 1980 uga team…..just let it go people…1990 gt gets no where near the amount of pub…o-yea I know why cause we at tech know not to live in the past…go uga 1980! too bad it is 2009 and u are going to loose 6 games this season
anotherdawg
October 28th, 2009
1:17 pm
Porty, I don’t see how anyone can say Herschel Walker was a bust in the NFL. He spent 3 years in the USFL and set the all time single season pro football rushing record with 2,411 yards in one season. He joined the Cowboys in 1986 where he led the entire NFL in rushing and earned All-Pro honors. In fact, Walker gained more yards than anyone in pro football history if you count both his NFL and USFL stats. He finished his pro career with 8,225 yards and 61 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 512 passes for 4,859 yards and 21 TD’s. There’s only so many great years in a running backs career. But, if that’s a bust, I’ll take him as my number #1 over anyone! There will probably never be anyone like him ever again! Herschel is the GREATEST of all times!
TomB
October 28th, 2009
1:32 pm
To put this in perspective : UGA’s defensive line averaged 236lbs across the line in 1980. Herschel was 218lbs running a 4.3 forty. He was so big that he weighed 18lbs less than the average defensive line. He was so fast that the average defensive back’s forty time was maybe 4.5, probably more like 4.6 in 1980. The typical linebacker was 190 to 215lbs and ran a 4.7-4.8 forty and defensive ends were even slower. So, if we were being fair in our comparison, today’s running back recruit would be 255-260lbs with a forty time of 4.1 to 4.2. Know anyone like this? I don’t. Now, you know why every college in the land wanted to recruit Herschel Walker.
hahahah
October 28th, 2009
1:48 pm
“The University of Georgia Tech”….
Hilarious. I imagine you never sniffed a book near either one of these schools. And, a pet peeve of mine is to spell the word lose with two o’s. It is not loose….IT IS NOT LOOSE!
If you did, in fact, attend the imaginary “University of Georgia Tech” I would hope that they would pull your transcripts and change your Lit 101 grade to a 0.
When we comment we aren’t expecting perfect English but surely you can do better than this. I attended both the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Georgia and I would be ashamed to have you as a fellow alumni of either school…
What in the hell did you mean when you said “we at tech know not to live in the past”? Do you work there or something? We at Tech, the alumni, sure as hell still celebrate, relive, honor, etc. the 1990 National Championship. Are you kidding me?
Retards
October 28th, 2009
1:55 pm
Herschel is God to some of yall…its terrible. LET IT GOOOOOOO ALREADY!
The Goergia Unerversety Technikal Cuuhledge
October 28th, 2009
2:02 pm
Very good hahaha! But, you need to cut him lose! He can’t help it if he’s a looser, or is that a loosher? lol
Eric
October 28th, 2009
2:03 pm
When listing big fast backs how could you not mention Dwyer? Dude has 4.4 speed. Did you see what he did to UGA last year? He was the ACC player of the year. He’s projected to be the top RB taken in next years draft. You idiot!!!!
KimZ's Package
October 28th, 2009
2:03 pm
There is NO other H. Walker. He was what he was. There a great # of great backs the # don’t and will not match. Are there backs with the same skills as HW? Yes. Will they get the #’s probably not. Do they have the talent? Yes, but they are not WALKER MY DAWG. J. DIESEL DWYER is very good, but He is The DIESEL not WALKER.
Monticello Dawg
October 28th, 2009
2:04 pm
Comments on some posts:
If Dwyer could average close to 200 yards a game at A back, you can bet a coach as smart as Paul Johnson would put him there. It is not slighting Dwyer to say he was no Herschel Walker or even a Bo Jackson. Those guys are few and far between.
There are a number of areas you can criticize Mark Richt, but choosing Caleb King over Dwyer is not one of them. That is 20-20 hindsight. Though Dwyer was highly regarded coming out of high school, many of the recruiting gurus had King rated as the #1 running back in the country after his junior year. He has not been the same back since breaking his leg his senior year at GAC.
UGA'91
October 28th, 2009
2:35 pm
Of course I never saw him live, but watching footage of Jim Brown reminds me of Adrian Peterson…I mean they both run angry. Herschel was the best college football player I ever saw and I was blessed to witness Bo Jackson also. For my money the best “big” back in the country right now is probably Dwyer. He is gonna be something special in the pro’s. BTW, the best Georgia back since Herschel IMO was Rodney Hampton. Go Dawgs.
polskidawg
October 28th, 2009
2:37 pm
Herschel was 6′0″ at best, not 6′2″ as suggested.
There will not be another, simply because he changed the game and how coaches had to recruit. Over the last 30 years, there have been lots of RBs that were is size, strength and speed – many of whom have been mentioned on this blog.
He was the first – and the best.
shankit
October 28th, 2009
2:40 pm
To all you Florida fans,
Congratulations if Tebow breaks Herschel’s touchdown record.
Also congratulations to Hank Aaron for breaking Babe’s home
run record.
Oh, Hank had over 2,000 more at bats, was not intentionally
walked on 20% of his bats, played a lot longer, and Turner
moved the left field fence into 325 feet.
Jon
October 28th, 2009
2:41 pm
TomB – Let me get this straight. You’re saying a 6-1 230 lb DL in 1980 is SLOWER than a 6-1 300 lb DT in 2009? Doesn’t make much sense to me. Smaller? Yes. Significantly slower? No way!
The Dogfighter Returns
October 28th, 2009
2:54 pm
The ajc has a man crush on that country bumpkin walker. aw shucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Dogfighter Returns
October 28th, 2009
2:56 pm
how about caleb king?
seabass
October 28th, 2009
3:00 pm
I saw Herschal play in high school, and believe me. Herschel was Herschal before UGA got a hold of him.
BigMike Said....
October 28th, 2009
3:01 pm
People how quick do we forget, that E.D.(Eric Dickerson) may have been just as good or better, but S.M.U. had one of the most talented white dudes ever in Craig James, and they split time. Both had good first years in the Pro’s. C.J. numbers may be forgotten, but that’s only because of the league-USFL that he was in. True Football Historians don’t discount these numbers, After all they did have guys like Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Reggie White, Bobby Hebert, Anthony White Sam Mills, and Doug Flutie just to name a few.Herschel was the Marque guy though, and man was he a vision to watch.Old school guys(I was 13) at the time will remember against Carolina, and George Rogers who had 1800+ yards that year, the run Herchel made when he ran by a safety who had an angle on him. Georgia Tech Fans you will never attract a ball player of that magnitude to Tech. Never!!!!!
BigMike Said....
October 28th, 2009
3:05 pm
Hey Dog Poker (a.ka. DogFighter Returns), stop being a sissssssy. Booooooy!
Lane
October 28th, 2009
3:13 pm
Eric Dickerson was in a class of his own in the NFL, did not get the touches @ SMU, split playing time with Craig James. Took a pay cut when he entered the NFL!!!
Lane
October 28th, 2009
3:15 pm
BigMike Said, failed to read your post
Dickerson was special
richtfan
October 28th, 2009
3:16 pm
there is NO comparison of any back, either former or in the future, to herschel. nobody ever again will have his combination of size, speed, physical toughness, durability and mental toughness. it won’t happen.
Chip Towers
October 28th, 2009
3:20 pm
AU: Yes I heard of Brandon Jacobs. Actually saw him play. There’s a reason I didn’t mention him.
Big Dawg
October 28th, 2009
3:27 pm
Attention to all: There will never be another Herschel Walker. He is one of a kind! Thanks for the memories Herschel. Good luck in the MMA. GO Dawgs!!
ugs 4 life
October 28th, 2009
3:39 pm
are u serious???? no running back compares to herschel. none. yeah yeah theres been good and some great ones but herschel is the best rb in sec history. period.
Buddha
October 28th, 2009
3:39 pm
Mike Lum makes a good point above regarding how the Vikings were never being able to put together a good team around Herschel. Recall that the year Herschel took Trump’s dough and ran off to New Jersy, the 1984 Bulldogs (in what would have been Herschel’s senior year) went 10-1-1 without him, tying Clemson 16-16 early on and losing to the Bore Eagles 13-7 in November. In the Cotton Bowl, they slugged it out in one helluva nail-biting defensive struggle against Texas but finally prevailed 10-9.
That was a great group Herschel played with those three years. He might not have looked quite so good playing for the Sisters of Mercy, although he would’ve made the Sisters look a lot more competitive, LOL!
The University of Georgia Tech
October 28th, 2009
3:49 pm
to hahahah,
you got me i spel like i texted. but i that hahahah had another a, if we r goin to b a english prof. but sorry u read blogs to correct papers since u got fired from teachin cause u hit on 12 yr old girls and got rejected. 1980 was 29yrs ago! let it go. please grade my paper and dont look down my shirt or up my skirt
TomB
October 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
Jon: Never said anything about the speed of DL with the exception of the DE position. You check the stats if you don’t believe the speed difference. It’s there and the majority of position players are significantly faster.
dap01
October 28th, 2009
3:56 pm
Compare Dwyer to Walker? You have got to be joking. Get out of that 40,000 seat stadium and look around and get a clue.
ugaaccountant
October 28th, 2009
4:00 pm
“Sanchez was grilled Sunday after television cameras caught him trying to discreetly put mustard on a hot dog and eat it late in New York’s 38-0 win at Oakland. He apologized after the game, saying he didn’t feel well and needed to eat something. Sanchez added that “it won’t happen again.”
How is this news? Who in the world cares about something this trivial?
ugaaccountant
October 28th, 2009
4:02 pm
buddha – look at Walker’s stats from high school through about 20 year pro career. He was one of the best football players ever, no matter who was around him.
Lenny the Lawyer
October 28th, 2009
4:18 pm
I wonder who paid Vince Vance’s $1000 bond to get him out of jail? Coach Richt? Bobo? I’m going to look into this as it might be an NCAA violation.
Porty
October 28th, 2009
4:23 pm
Did you clowns just use USFL stats re: Walker indicating he holds the single season pro football rushing title? What a freaking joke.
RxDawg
October 28th, 2009
4:25 pm
Chip, just find us some recruits that have a valid drivers license.
Cuz
October 28th, 2009
4:35 pm
The reason there will never be another Herschel is that he put the offense on his shoulders and won the game almost singlehanded. All defenses knew he would get the ball and they still could not stop him from getting his yards. Clemson did stop him from getting in the endzone twice. He was injured the third game and was only used as a decoy. On Buck and Kincade a Ganiesville Sportswriter said that there would never be another Herschel ant that the UGA QB’s of the time were no threat. Buck had to admit that was true. Funny, but true.
Cuz
October 28th, 2009
4:36 pm
Which coach is in charge of checking licenses? Willie Martinez, I should have known.
TomB
October 28th, 2009
4:46 pm
Jon: Yes, the defensive linemen are quicker and faster.A 300 lb DT today runs a 5.0 forty. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that a 218 lb RB running into a 290-300 lb linemen is different than running into a 230 lb one. The 290 to 300 lb lineman has a 60-70 lb advantage over the smaller lineman and Walker was 220 lbs.. You may not want to believe it but the players today are not only bigger, but they are also quicker and faster.
Frank Wren
October 28th, 2009
5:11 pm
1990 gt gets no where near the amount of pub
Why would it? Colorado won the NC that year.
Frank Wren
October 28th, 2009
5:12 pm
Did you clowns just use USFL stats re: Walker indicating he holds the single season pro football rushing title? What a freaking joke.
The USFL had better talent than the NFL in those years. Look it up. All the big stars went to the USFL.
Vince's Dooley and Wally's big ole Butt
October 28th, 2009
5:28 pm
It is a good thing that kool aid wasn’t being passed around back in 1980 or even now for that matter, you people would have drank it…geez get over it….that includes AJC sportswriters too
Josh
October 28th, 2009
6:01 pm
All five 5* RB recruits in the 08 class were over 6′.
3 of the top-4 rushers in 07 were over 6′ (Forte, Peterson, Smith).
There have been plenty of 6′ & up RBs: Peterson, McFadden, Bush, Beanie, Forte, Jacobs, Brown, Jackson, Perry, Jones, McGahee, Johnson, Deuce, Edge.
Obammy is corrupt
October 28th, 2009
8:45 pm
Vince Vance is the new criminal on the BullDawgs this week, congrats.
Delbert D.
October 28th, 2009
9:09 pm
I’m not saying that he’s another Herschel; no way! But, after Dwyer leaves, Tech has the redshirting freshman Daniel Drummond listed as a B back. He is 6′3″, 253 lbs. I think that is going to change the position from what we’ve seen with Dwyer. For comparison, the current backups are Preston Lyons 6′0, 213 and Lucas Cox 6′0, 232 (same as Dwyer). Cox is in the rotation at A back, especially in short yardage.