Greatest High School Running Back You Ever Saw Play?

My former teammate Byron Hanspard from DeSoto, TX. Went to Tech then drafted by Atlanta. Knee injury got him early in his career...

Edited March 10, 2012 by Got5onIt

boys, this is the "way back" machine, but i went to Ft. Worth Paschal 59'thru 61'. WE had a running back, Joe Don Looney[and he was] that won a national juco championship at Tyler, was kicked out at both TCU and Texas before ending up at Oklahoma. he was finally kicked off the Sooner squad for beating up one of the coaches, but was the #1 draft choice of the Baltimore Colts, who traded him to Detroit after their training camp. he also played for Washington and i think New Orleans ,but wouldn't bet on it. a real head case, he was hollywood handsome,couldn't be out run or out fought. what a waste.

boys, this is the "way back" machine, but i went to Ft. Worth Paschal 59'thru 61'. WE had a running back, Joe Don Looney[and he was] that won a national juco championship at Tyler, was kicked out at both TCU and Texas before ending up at Oklahoma. he was finally kicked off the Sooner squad for beating up one of the coaches, but was the #1 draft choice of the Baltimore Colts, who traded him to Detroit after their training camp. he also played for Washington and i think New Orleans ,but wouldn't bet on it. a real head case, he was hollywood handsome,couldn't be out run or out fought. what a waste.

Although I was not teaching at Tyler JC then - shoot, I had not even gone through NTSU at that time - I do remember Joe Don Looney when he was playing at OU. So much PO-tential (in my best Hayden Fry impression) but, alas, as with so many.....wasted.

You said it all - and I always enjoy finding players with names that reflect the player's ability and personality - and his did!

Thanks for bringing back a memory, Wardly.

I'm partial, but my vote is for my former teammate at Lake Highlands, Detron Smith (Class of '92). He was a man among boys as the fullback in our wishbone attack. Went on to play for Texas A&M, the Denver Broncos and finished with the Colts. He was 240 in high school with power and speed and quickness. He was the strongest guy on our team. Great memories!

You guys had a QB in like 94 or 95 that ran the option, went on to Colorado I think, it was my sophomore year, and I remember standing on the sidelines and waching all the backside pursuit angles get blown away because our fastest guys totally misjudged his speed. WHile technically not a RB, he was one of the most elusive runners I've ever seen.

Best RB I ever witnessed was Abilene Cooper's Dominic Rhodes in '96 Regional playoffs. He ran straight thru and over our starting linebackers all day long. 5 years later he started for the Colts in 2001.

You guys had a QB in like 94 or 95 that ran the option, went on to Colorado I think, it was my sophomore year, and I remember standing on the sidelines and waching all the backside pursuit angles get blown away because our fastest guys totally misjudged his speed. WHile technically not a RB, he was one of the most elusive runners I've ever seen.

I'm reminded of Jeremy Bloom. Not the same guy though. Different era.

Played Desoto in the 2nd rd of the playoffs in 2006 when they had Cyrus Gray, Von Miller and about 3 other guys that went D1. Cyrus was shifty as hell and tore us apart. By far the best running back I faced in high school. Lance Dunbar was probably the second best.

In 1977 - 78 I went to North Mesquite and played against Herkie Walls from Garland. He was a qb and went on to play at Texas. Ran the option to perfection. It was amazing to see him run...I had a good vantage point on the field...far behind him.

Grew up in garland during those years. Played against hercules in many sports, great athlete and speedster. Garland high had some talent back then. But in 79 I drove down to Houston to see Plano and Stratford play in state championship game. Craig James was a great running back that year and in that game.

Donte Hart and Donte Sloan of Garland High School fame were the best high school running backs I've seen in person. I played against Cyrus Gray my senior year (his senior year as well). He was easily the best player on the field and Desoto's offense that night consisted of him lining up at QB in the shotgun, on the snap all 5 O-linemen showed pass block then did their best to cut block the defender nearest them, then Gray ran around and through the rest of our defense. Hart and Sloan were the 2 best I've ever seen in person with Taurance Rawls in a close 3rd place.

Terrius Purvey for Gainesville in 2003

This

Cedric Benson (Midland Lee) was absolutely the most dominating high school running back that I had ever seen. He was just on another level from everyone else. He stayed alone at the top until Johnathan Gray (Aledo) came along. Gray is the only back I have seen that compares. I don't think I could put one above the other. It was a pleasure to watch both of them, looking forward to seeing what Gray does at UT.

Cedric Benson (Midland Lee) was absolutely the most dominating high school running back that I had ever seen. He was just on another level from everyone else. He stayed alone at the top until Johnathan Gray (Aledo) came along. Gray is the only back I have seen that compares. I don't think I could put one above the other. It was a pleasure to watch both of them, looking forward to seeing what Gray does at UT.

Cedric! Thank you, I said Lee Benson earlier and stand corrected.

In high school I played against Thurman Thomas and he was a beast. Living in Houston every kid prayed to Craig James at Stratford. In college I would say Eric Dickerson at SMU. In pro Earl Campbell with the Oilers.

Some great names in this thread, but my vote will also be for Steve Worster. I was a freshman at BC his senior and state championship season. My own HS career ended a few years later in a bidistrict game with the Brenham Cubs led by Roosevelt Leaks. He was a junior but I was occupied most of the night with a freshman, Wilson Whitely (RIP) who was my blocking assignment for the game.

From the stands, Little Joe Washington from Port Arthur Lincoln (younger brother Kenny played QB at NT) was phenomenal and without the personal experience with Steve, would probably get my vote. Jeff "The Jet" Bergeron of the PN-G Indians was another no one from SE Texas will ever forget.

Grew up in garland during those years. Played against hercules in many sports, great athlete and speedster. Garland high had some talent back then. But in 79 I drove down to Houston to see Plano and Stratford play in state championship game. Craig James was a great running back that year and in that game.

I was at that Plano/Stratford game too. Though I'm not a fan of Craig James today, that performance came to my mind as well.

Barry Foster Duncanville High

I saw Benson at Texas Stadium his senior year. It was rediculous how much above everyone else around him he was, talent wise.

Rick

Great thread revival.

But now having 4 years since this thread started to watch Aledo's Jonathon Gray(I live in Weatherford)set nearly every record but one, I still have to say Benson was the most dominant. My brother-in-law and I have had some great debates over this.

Gray, playing at the 4A level, had a massive, all-senior offensive line, anchored by 6-6, 280 pound Ok State signee Micheal Wilson. Gray rarely got a hand put on him till he got past the LB's, and many times not even after that. The line for Aledo the past three years has been one of the most dominant I have ever seen. Benson, playing at the 5A level at Midland Lee, had a good O line, but not one that dominated the LOS like Aledo's did. Benson truly looked like a man among boys out on the field.

And this is a high school thread. But what may allow us the best tool to gauge between Benson and Gray is to see how Gray, like Benson before him, does at the college level at tU?

Rick

Edited March 19, 2012 by FirefightnRick

In HS back in the late 80s, Irving Nimitz had a RB named Roderick Walker, IIRC. The guy was absolutely unstoppable, but in his senior year, after siging with UT, he tore his ACL. Still went to Austin and played sparingly, but was a true beast in high school.

In college, at the AQ level, no one was better to me than Eric Dickerson, with Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson tied for a close second.

As a pro, Earl Campbell is still the gold standard, as the guy who could do everything. If I needed 5 yards to get a first down, he would still be the guy in his prime that I would pick.

boys, this is the "way back" machine, but i went to Ft. Worth Paschal 59'thru 61'. WE had a running back, Joe Don Looney[and he was] that won a national juco championship at Tyler, was kicked out at both TCU and Texas before ending up at Oklahoma. he was finally kicked off the Sooner squad for beating up one of the coaches, but was the #1 draft choice of the Baltimore Colts, who traded him to Detroit after their training camp. he also played for Washington and i think New Orleans ,but wouldn't bet on it. a real head case, he was hollywood handsome,couldn't be out run or out fought. what a waste.

My cousin grew up with Looney and played football with him at Paschal. Cuz lived on Stadium Drive (south of Berry) and Looney lived on Highview Terrace. I met Looney at his house in the early 1980s.

Joe Don wasn't much of a high school football player. He quit after Roy Lee Rambo knocked his dingus in the dirt but was talked back onto the team after his daddy (Don Looney, an all-American at TCU before WWII) got the coach to take him back.

Joe Don was better known as a track man at Paschal than a football player. His football career took off after he spent a summer down at Alvin Roy's gym in Baton Rouge and discovered steroids. Roy souped up Billy Cannon and Joe Don Looney with 'roids.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Varsity

Setrick Dickens, Quanah High School class of 1989.

NT03...Vernon was a powerhouse in the mid sixties, too. The 1966 team went 11-0-1 and knocked off hitherto undefeated Brownwood under the great Gordon Wood. Pat Pattison was coach at that time, and he was also extremely successful at Lubbock High prior to coaching in Vernon.

John Paul McCrumley, Dallas Woodrow Wilson Wilcats - 1971Woodrow' s first African American football star helped 1969 team reach state semifinals. Also played for Tyler JC, Texas A&M and NFL Buffalo Bills.Wayne Morris, Dallas South Oak Cliff - Parade All-American - 1969-1972 (SMU, St. Louis Cardinals)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Morris_(American_football)Darren Lewis, Dallas Carter Cowboys, (Texas A&M - All Time leading rusher, NFLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Lewis_(American_football)Swawn Walters, Arlingon Lamar, (Arizona State)Walters was named Parade All-American, USA Today All-USA first team, Super Prep All-American, Blue Chip All-American second team, Dallas Morning News All-Dallas first team, and All-Tarrant County Offensive Player of the Year.Greg HIll, Dallas Carter Cowboys (Texas A&M, NFL)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Hill_(running_back)Byron Hanspard, DeSoto Eagles, (Texas Tech, NFL)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_HanspardBarry Foster, Duncanville HS Panthers (Arkansas Razorbacks, Pittsburgh Steelers)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Foster_(American_football)Dickey Morton, Dallas Kimball Knights - 1971 (Arkansas Razorbackshttp://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2007/jun/21/former-tailback-accused-fraud/

Setrick Dickens, Quanah High School class of 1989.

Stu Dickens was quite a player, saw him shred Celina in the playoffs one year. Went on to be a pretty productive receiver for TCU if I recall.

1. Jason Coffey: North Mesquite: Impossible to tackle. freak injury only reason they didn't win state.

2. Terrius Purvey: Gainesville: Last I heard, he was in jail.

3. Byron Hanspard: Desoto

4. Cedric Benson: Midland Lee

5. Jonathan Gray: Aledo

6. Marcus Stiggers, QB, Lake Highlands (had to include these awesome running QBs)

7. William Cole, QB, Cedar Hill

8. Chad Nelson, QB, Lewisville

9. Adrian Peterson, Palestine

10. James Mitchell, Denton Liberty Christian

Lot's of new people on the board since this post originated in 2007 and the last comment over 5 years old.  Anyone care to add to this list.  Pretty fun read.