David Cobb a Gopher

[btowngopher]

Taller running backs not mentioned yet:

Ottis Anderson 6'2
Chuck Foreman 6'2
John Riggins 6'2
Jim Brown 6'2
Franco Harris 6'2
Robert Smith 6'2
OJ Simpson 6'2
Antowain Smith 6'2
Chuck Muncie 6'3
Steven Jackson 6'3
Larry Csonka 6'3

So there have been plenty of taller backs who have been darn good, however shorter backs still hold the advantage due to having a lower center of gravity and thus as a general rule making it more difficult to tackle them. Their short stature also makes it easier for them to 'hide' behind all those tall linemen in front of them, making it harder for defenders to get a read on them as a play first develops. Barry Sanders would be that perfect example of an RB having just an incredibly low center of gravity, as he stood only 5'7.

Who knows if he actually is 6'2" anyways. Rivals list him as 5'11", so does Scout and espn. I don't think he looks 6'2" in his video either.

 

[Triple D]

Taller running backs not mentioned yet:

Ottis Anderson 6'2
Chuck Foreman 6'2
John Riggins 6'2
Jim Brown 6'2
Franco Harris 6'2
Robert Smith 6'2
OJ Simpson 6'2
Antowain Smith 6'2
Chuck Muncie 6'3
Steven Jackson 6'3
Larry Csonka 6'3

So there have been plenty of taller backs who have been darn good, however shorter backs still hold the advantage due to having a lower center of gravity and thus as a general rule making it more difficult to tackle them. Their short stature also makes it easier for them to 'hide' behind all those tall linemen in front of them, making it harder for defenders to get a read on them as a play first develops. Barry Sanders would be that perfect example of an RB having just an incredibly low center of gravity, as he stood only 5'7.

Great list, I tend to disagree that short RB's have an advantage...some of the names mentioned so far of taller RB's are "all time greats", Brown, Simpson, Dickerson, Riggins, Foreman, Csonka, etc.

P.s. I was just thinking of Muncie yesterday, an underrated great back.

 

[Seany]

Great list, I tend to disagree that short RB's have an advantage...some of the names mentioned so far of taller RB's are "all time greats", Brown, Simpson, Dickerson, Riggins, Foreman, Csonka, etc.

P.s. I was just thinking of Muncie yesterday, an underrated great back.

True. There are some of the all-time greats amongst the taller backs. But look at the list of shorter ones (meaning 6 feet or under).

Barry Sanders 5'7
Emmitt Smith 5'9
Warrick Dunn 5'9
Walter Payton 5'10
LaDainian Tomlinson 5'10
Marshall Faulk 5'10
Tiki Barber 5'10
Thomas Jones 5'10
Thurman Thomas 5'10
Ricky Williams 5'10
Curtis Martin 5'11
Jerome Bettis 5'11
Tony Dorsett 5'11
Jamal Lewis 5'11
Clinton Portis 5'11
Shaun Alexander 5'11
Earl Campbell 5'11
Joe Perry 6'


So on that list you've got the top 6 rushers by yardage in NFL history, 8 of the top 10, and 18 of the top 30. And that's not even mentioning greats such as Joe Morris 5'7, Brian Westbrook 5'8, Priest Holmes 5'9, Travis Henry 5'9, Napoleon Kaufman 5'9, Mike Garrett 5'9, Terry Allen 5'10, Greg Pruitt 5'10, Earnest Byner 5'10, Wilbert Montgomery 5'10, Wendell Tyler 5'10, Don Perkins 5'10, Willie Parker 5'10, Freeman McNeil 5'11, Duce Staley 5'11, Terrell Davis 5'11, Neal Anderson 5'11, Garrison Hearst 5'11, Lydell Mitchell 5'11, Curt Warner 5'11, Jamal Anderson 5'11, Sammy Winder 5'11, Joe Cribbs 5'11, Rodney Hampton 5'11, Adrian Murrell 5'11, Roger Craig 6', Gale Sayers 6', Billy Sims 6', and on and on and on...

 

[46Gophers]

Who knows if he actually is 6'2" anyways. Rivals list him as 5'11", so does Scout and espn. I don't think he looks 6'2" in his video either.

The reference to tall running backs was to Lamonte Edwards who is 6'2", not Cobb.

 

[hungan1]

Don't forget Earl Campbell (5'11")!