Tn running backs

#1
knoxvols1

knoxvols1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
733
Likes
0
#1
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#3
#3
Those names bring back good memories but Tony Thompson wouldn't have sniffed the field had Webb not gotten hurt much less Cobb getting kicked off in '89 as a Jr.

Thompson is a great story but the real story was the OL that year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#5
#5
knoxvols1 said:
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

Foster, look like he doin' awright...But I agree.
 
#7
#7
an offensive line coach, then head coach, that understood trench warfare. Say what you want about Phil, but he understood what it took to win that battle and "make a hole". Our line play was much improved this year hence the better running numbers. That era was just full of good line play hence good runners.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 people
#8
#8
Jay Graham is fixing to rip off a big run to beat Bama 20-13 in '96 on the CBS Sports Network.
 
#10
#10
Keith Davis also was decent back in the mid 80's.
 
Last edited:
#11
#11
knoxvols1 said:
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...


And don't forget we had Shawn Bryson on the field with several of those guys at the same time!
 
#12
#12
Yeah, Travis Stephens gets overlooked/forgotten alot, but he was a beast in 2001. One of the best seasons I can remember a running back having for us (of course, we had alot of great guys in the 90s, as noted). It seemed we had a lull after that. Jabari Davis was so hyped coming out of high school, but never really became the guy (except for that Florida game when Houston got injured and he took over and was awesome. Never understood why he didn't get more chances after that). Houston, and Gerald Riggs Jr and Arian Foster all had moments, but never really seemed to be top notch guys you could count on (funny considering Foster's pro success). Hardesty is the only guy since Stephens who really seemed to have that spark that reminded me of our top guys in the 80s and 90s. Had high hopes for Brown too. Wish Dooley had at least made some effort to get him to stay.
 
#13
#13
To some extent, this is a chicken-and-egg effect. I remember hearing Bubba Miller several years ago lamenting that Tennessee offensive linemen had lost their "stinger," that nasty attitude that is essential to winning the war at the line of scrimmage. When we were at the pinnacle of our running game, you could plug a mighty mite like Tony Thompson, all 5'7" and 175 lbs. or so, into the backfield and still generate nearly 1200 yds. out of the tailback position simply because, in those days, we were the "Tennessee Valley Authority."

We are beginning to assemble both the talent and experience up front to become a dominant running team again. Hopefully, we will also begin to stockpile big, strong physical backs like Travis Henry and Jamal Lewis as well.
 
#14
#14
knoxvols1 said:
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...



Trooper Taylor had Gerald Riggs & Cedric Houston coached up to where they both gained over 1,000 yards in one season.
 
#15
#15
crucdvol said:
an offensive line coach, then head coach, that understood trench warfare. Say what you want about phil, but he understood what it took to win that battle and "make a hole". Our line play was much improved this year hence the better running numbers. That era was just full of good line play hence good runners.
Click to expand...

this^^^^^
 
#19
#19
knoxvols1 said:
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

Arian is doing well and even Bryce Brown had 170 yds on Monday Night for the Eagles. Sure wished he would have stayed. Poole would have never seen the field.
 
#20
#20
jasonvol18 said:
Arian is doing well and even Bryce Brown had 170 yds on Monday Night for the Eagles. Sure wished he would have stayed. Poole would have never seen the field.
Click to expand...

Had Bryce stayed he damn sure would have left after last year's run blocking. Poole would be a 1000 yard rusher if we didn't have to score at least 35 points a game just to be in in the game in the 4th quarter.
 
#21
#21
knoxvols1 said:
Watching old games I remmeber Travis Stephens as good as they come. Saying that, in my opinion, he was the last good back we had until Monterio Hardesty and we haven't had a top notch back since him. To me that means seven years inbetween and three since. Houston, Riggs, Davis and all the others are plain forgetable. Jamal Lewis, Cheese and Stephens were back to back. Then think about Garner, Stewart and Hayden. Go back further and you have the Cobb-Webb. My personal all-time favorite is Tony Thompson. Tell me recruiting didn't drop off or was it simply not developing talent?
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

If my memory serves me, T Thompson led the SEC in rushing and he was the former 3rd string running back behind Cobb and Webb.....and we STILL led the SEC in rushing. Was that a good OL or what?!
 
#22
#22
utvols74 said:
If my memory serves me, T Thompson led the SEC in rushing and he was the former 3rd string running back behind Cobb and Webb.....and we STILL led the SEC in rushing. Was that a good OL or what?!
Click to expand...

Now take that observation and ponder what kind of season a healthy Webb might have had.
 
#23
#23
Boca Vol said:
Keith Davis also was decent back in the mid 80's.
Click to expand...

Keith Davis. There's a story I'd like to share. I found myself in a pickup game at HPER against him and some of his boys were watching on the sideline as they were passing through. They were giving him a hard time as he knew he could deal on me but held back. Felt sorry for the white guy I suppose. Anyway, he got the ball on a break and did some kinda crazy behind the back fake pass and shot it clumsily, and I swatted it out of bounds. They were all over him. It was funny as hell. Thought I'd share. He was a nice guy and we were all laughing about it.
 
#24
#24
byobbio said:
Keith Davis. There's a story I'd like to share. I found myself in a pickup game at HPER against him and some of his boys were watching on the sideline as they were passing through. They were giving him a hard time as he knew he could deal on me but held back. Felt sorry for the white guy I suppose. Anyway, he got the ball on a break and did some kinda crazy behind the back fake pass and shot it clumsily, and I swatted it out of bounds. They were all over him. It was funny as hell. Thought I'd share. He was a nice guy and we were all laughing about it.
Click to expand...

NICE! I hope you simply walked off the court after that....LEAVE ON TOP!

Not so similar story, I was playing in a men's pick-up league for a company I worked for and I thought this guy on the other team looked familiar. It was Fred Jenkins. Talk about not standing a chance.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top