Greatest High School Running Back You Ever Saw Play?

[SilverEagle]

7 hours ago, DT 90 said:

No. 1 Eric Dickerson - Sealy High School. A true MAN amongst boys. 

No. 2. Tra'von Smith - Cameron  Yoe High School

No. 3 Jorvorskie Lane - Lufkin High School 

Best I ever saw in person and played against?   Bo Jackson - Auburn  1986 Cotton Bowl.

Saw him play against China Spring last year.   He put the ball on the carpet three times in that game after only fumbling twice all year long.  Big reason for that is UNT Commit - LB Cody Fulp and his LB friends knocking the crap out of him nearly every play.  He got 128 yds in the game but earned every step.  

He certainly was in High School, but playing against 2-A players helped a lot with that.  He did eventually prove to be almost superman in college. But it wasn't automatic in the beginning. I saw him play against North Texas his freshman year in 1979. He was sharing RB duties with Dallas Carter's Charles Waggoner (#26 on your program), and Waggoner was getting most of the reps in that game. I remember reading at the time that Waggoner got the nod because, having played at Dallas Carter, he was better prepared (physically and mentally), because of his experience against 4-A (now  6-A) competition. I remember thinking that Waggoner looked to be about a step faster than Dickerson. Waggoner got hurt (neck injury) later in the year returning a kick-off. He finished his career at SMU running track. Had Waggoner not gotten hurt, who knows if Dickerson would have ever surpassed him......or if Waggoner would have hit the wall in his development and Dickerson would have passed him up anyway.

Here's an article about Waggoner.

http://www.dallassouthnews.org/2010/04/05/disd-legends-series-charles-waggoner-part-i/

Another one of those "what if's"............that I wish would've gone Waggoners way. I really hate Eric Dickerson.

. 

 

Edited March 29, 2017 by SilverEagle

[Wag Tag]

On 6/3/2007 at 7:42 PM, Green Means Go! said:

To answer your question....I'd say: the great Earl Campbell (Tyler---John Tyler H.S.) in 1974.

We are beating Texas with Campbell sidelined I believe with a hammie strain. They put him in. His first play from scrimmage he runs for a touchdown on ONE leg. I really mean ONE leg with UNT players hanging all over him. Never will forget.

[MeanGreenTexan]

17 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

He certainly was in High School, but playing against 2-A players helped a lot with that.  He did eventually prove to be almost superman in college. But it wasn't automatic in the beginning. I saw him play against North Texas his freshman year in 1979. He was sharing RB duties with Dallas Carter's Charles Waggoner (#26 on your program), and Waggoner was getting most of the reps in that game. I remember reading at the time that Waggoner got the nod because, having played at Dallas Carter, he was better prepared (physically and mentally), because of his experience against 4-A (now  6-A) competition. I remember thinking that Waggoner looked to be about a step faster than Dickerson. Waggoner got hurt (neck injury) later in the year returning a kick-off. He finished his career at SMU running track. Had Waggoner not gotten hurt, who knows if Dickerson would have ever surpassed him......or if Waggoner would have hit the wall in his development and Dickerson would have passed him up anyway.

Here's an article about Waggoner.

http://www.dallassouthnews.org/2010/04/05/disd-legends-series-charles-waggoner-part-i/

Another one of those "what if's"............that I wish would've gone Waggoners way. I really hate Eric Dickerson.

. 

 

This stuff is why I love SilverEagle.

[Boca_Nasty_96]

Jack Fields Americas high school

[Rob]

On 6/3/2007 at 6:59 PM, NT80 said:

I grew up in Lewisville, and watched him play. I met him while I was in college working on the loading docks of Ryder Pi

One coach told me he failed at USC due to "Culture Shock". Now that I'm older, I can see that. U take a small town boy, and throw him in one of the largest cities in America....hell, what do you expect. 

 

I remember him coming to play at Plano. There was a great buzz before that game to see him play, a future can't-miss pro, and he was good. I always wondered what happened to him.

 

[Marty]

RIP Cedric Benson.

[UNT 90 Grad]

I saw Craig James play in high school.  He was pretty impressive before he developed his nasty habit later in life. 

[Coach Andy Mac]

4 hours ago, Marty said:

RIP Cedric Benson.

A great player.

[Coach Bill Lewis]

I knew Jason from Elementary School. Was a freak from Day 1. When we were in 5th grade playing baseball against him he was ripped with muscles even my older sister (several years older than me and Jason) was like who is that muscular guy. He was faster than all of us ran a 4.4 40-yard, was bench pressing 310 lbs in 7th Grade there was only 1 other kid in Mesquite named Chad Morgan that was 325 lbs in 7th grade because he was short arms and a squatty body but he could hit too. Coffey would go on to Bench 440 pounds and squat nearly 600 pounds. Everyone accused him of juicing but I’m telling you we all knew from 5th grade he was a freak of nature. He also played with some amazing teammates all great players they all went to McDonald Middle School in Mesquite never lost a game it was never close. Christian Rodriguez went to A&M then played for the Colts (NFL), Josh Spoerl went to UT started LB freshman year when Mackovich was Coach then he and Adam Dunn got picked up by Cincinnati Reds for pro baseball while playing football at UT, Will Overstreet was a solid QB, they had some corners play for UNT. Just amazing athletes from early on, fast, strong, committed and tough. Good memories. I also played with Devaron Hightower (Lake Highlands QB then Arizona State RB), Wade Smith (Hillcrest QB then NFL Europe), Steve Holley (Lake Highlands then Navy QB); amazing athletes. We all played each other growing up. Coffey should have chosen Nebraska it was a better fit than Texas Tech. He blew his hamstring there and never recovered. I also went to Tech with him and remained buds. I think he became a policeman in Dallas then Mesquite but suffered from pain killers. He was never a druggie or drinker, clean cut, true bad ass but later on may have suffered with injuries or maybe being so well recognized for athletic ability having to learn that was your old self have to find a new self.

[GoGreenBeans]

Crazy that this topic is coming up 17 years after it’s posting lol! I’ll add my 2 cents: I watched Deuce Vaughn in HS. Crazy to see such a small guy be as impressive as he was. His agility and burst were mind-blowing

[SilverEagle]

Welp I do remember one outstanding RB/WR that had an outstanding career at Granbury HS, and subsequently ACU. His name was Johnny Perkins and I saw him play against my old HS (Decatur). In HS he played both RB and WR. At Abilene (and in the pros) he played WR.   He went on to be drafted (second round) by the NY Giants and had a good career there. He was a frequent thorn in the side of the Cowboys during his Pro career.  He passed away at age 54.  Here is his obit.

Ex-ACU all-America Perkins passes away at age 54 - Abilene Christian University Athletics

[LongJim]

Kyle Clifton.  James Maness.

[SilverEagle]

3 hours ago, LongJim said:

Kyle Clifton.  James Maness.

Are you from Wise County?  Kyle Clifton was a QB/LB. Maness played WR more than RB. 

[LongJim]

27 minutes ago, SilverEagle said:

Are you from Wise County?  Kyle Clifton was a QB/LB. Maness played WR more than RB. 

Denton County.  Northwest.  You're right that they weren't RB's, but they did carry the ball on occasion, and I probably should qualify my comment as being the best ballplayers I witnessed/played against.

Watched Clifton at Bridgeport.  He was a pro player playing at the HS level.  A monster at LB, but he could run at QB, too.  Maness was a jet.  I watched him at a few track meets we went to when he was at Decatur, and he could fly.  We played against him my junior year in HS. 

And Decatur smoked us that year. 

[SilverEagle]

20 hours ago, LongJim said:

Denton County.  Northwest.  You're right that they weren't RB's, but they did carry the ball on occasion, and I probably should qualify my comment as being the best ballplayers I witnessed/played against.

Watched Clifton at Bridgeport.  He was a pro player playing at the HS level.  A monster at LB, but he could run at QB, too.  Maness was a jet.  I watched him at a few track meets we went to when he was at Decatur, and he could fly.  We played against him my junior year in HS. 

And Decatur smoked us that year. 

James Maness caught the winning TD pass when TCU beat Arkansas 32-31 in 1984. The first time TCU had beaten Arkansas in about 20 years. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1985.  His half-brother Freddie Allen was also a star football player at Decatur.  A good friend of mine who is more knowledgeable about Decatur football than me said that James was the fastest white kid he had ever seen.   

addendum: Kyle Clifton was also (statistically) one of the top QB's in the state his senior year. Along with the QB at Decatur. 

Edited December 10 by SilverEagle