Who are your four favorite Gophers running backs?

[NoelarBear]

Your four FAVORITE, not who think is the four best.

 

[Tech Machine]

Just to shake up some memories for the older crowd and maybe encourage the youngsters to check the old stats.
These guys are from back when Ray Christenson on the radio was our access to Gopher Football.
Barry Mayer
Jim Carter
John King
Rick Upchurch
I think there were 2 different radio networks that carried the Gophers in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

 

[Scott R Fisher]

1. Bronko Nagurski
2. Bruce Smith
3. Paul Giel
4. Pug Lund

 

[laazrakit]

1. Kent Kitzmann
2. Mo
3. MBIII
4. Gary Russell

 

[Married@SiebertField]

1940 & 1941 backfield:

Bruce Smith
Sonny Franck
Bob Sweiger
Bill Daley
Bud Higgins

(2x National Chsmps entitled to
five pucks)

 

[Vandy]

Rick Upchurch
Marion Barber I
Darrell Thompson
David Cobb

 

[LesBolstad]

Marion Barber
Kent Kitzmann
MBIII
Paul Giel

 

[#2Gopher]

Need to put all the guys mentioned above and put them on a poster like the first one on this thread. Hopefully though someone's feelings aren't hurt as to being left off.

 

[GophersInIowa]

1. Bronko Nagurski
2. Bruce Smith
3. Paul Giel
4. Pug Lund

 

[GophersInIowa]

Barber
Maroney
Cobb
Mo

 

[UncleSam'sMisguidedChild]

Maroney, Ibrahim, Cobb, Barber III.

 

[Spoofin]

Maroney, MBIII, DT39, Mo

 

[GophersWin!]

Maroney, MBIII, DT39, Mo

Barber
Maroney
Cobb - MVP tuff sob
Mo
thompson
pinnex - not top 4 but the guy was a stud the year we needed him. he was mvp.

 

[WAGopher]

I’m only going with RBs I’ve seen play, so no Bronco, Smith, Giel or Lund.

1. Barber III
2. Maroney
3. Thompson
4. Ibrahim
Honorable Mention:
Kitzman and Cobb

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

Barber
Maroney
Cobb
Mo

I'd flip Mo and Cobb in the rankings, but this would be my Mount Rushmore (40 years old, didn't witness Thompson etc live).

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

If DT sticks around for another 2 years and our OLine can figure things out...and if he can stay healthy...and if we can keep winning games...

He has a chance to crack this list

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

Surprised no Chris Darkins mentions? Yea the Wacker teams sucked but he was bomb

 

[GophersInIowa]

Surprised no Chris Darkins mentions? Yea the Wacker teams sucked but he was bomb

He would have been #5 for me

 

[Spoofin]

I’m only going with RBs I’ve seen play, so no Bronco, Smith, Giel or Lund.

1. Barber III
2. Maroney
3. Thompson
4. Ibrahim
Honorable Mention:
Kitzman and Cobb

We can agree!

 

[Spoofin]

I'd flip Mo and Cobb in the rankings, but this would be my Mount Rushmore (40 years old, didn't witness Thompson etc live).

Love Cobb. #5 for me. I have 10-years on you tho so DT39 had to make the cut.

 

[Word]

Darkins, Maroney, Mo, Brooks

 

[GopherPete]

Leidner

 

[BTChamp]

Jeff Jones has to make this list

 

[MNVCGUY]

The pic in the OP is pretty tough to top. But since I wasn't really paying close attention during DTs years I would swap him out for Thomas Hamner.

1. MB3
2. Maroney
3. Mo
4. Hamner

 

[corcorangopher]

Thompson
Cobb
Mo
Barber

New rule I apply for considering amongst Gopher greatest is playing four seasons.

 

[tikited]

My lifetime only list.

Thompson
Rodney Smith
Mo
Both Barbers

 

[Gopherchase]

When Maroney was a freshman, there were a couple of times that he took my breath away. His talent was so special. Whether he was the best is hard to say but one thing we’ve been blessed with is great talent at that position it’s been fun to watch these kids play through multiple decades.

 

[WoodburyTim]

Only gonna go with guys in my fandom.

Cobb-nobody did more with less. Tough as hell runner even without big holes
Mo-a warrior. Never seemed to fail to fall forward.
Maroney- opposite of the first two. But ran like deer when there was daylight.
Tapeh- not gigantic numbers like others but ran well when given the ball and was a bull of a blocker.

 

[metrolax]

Joesting, Nagurski, Smith, Lund

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Maroney
Mo
Barber
Thompson