Jake Ellenbogen's All-Time Rams Roster: Running backs

[DaveFan'51]

Oh man, the ultimate role guys and mortar to a roster, Les Josephson and Jim Bertelsen and the great story that is John Cappelletti. Great guy to have from the 1 was also Cullen Bryant.

Now even my crusty arse is too young to remember Gehrke, Hoerner, Younger, Matson, and Arnett even though the names are very familiar to me. Please, ROD Rams with the horns with the most curls, share your memories of these backs. What were their styles? What makes them stand out in your memories? What backs of today do they remind you of? Thanks for sharing in advance!

And Jake, sorry for hijacking your thread a bit. But you get free research from some old Bighorns!

Ramhusker if you never remember anything else about Gehrke He is the creator of this ....

He came up with the idea, and made all the 1st ones for the team!! That's why I never forget about him!

 

[bnw]

FOR THAT ONE GUARENTEED YARD, Bettis is probably the Best Pick! But I went with My Man ' Deacon Dan' Towler! Why? For Old Times sake ...

View attachment 20350

View attachment 20351 " Those where some Horns you didn't want to get in front of!!!!

Yeah for one yard you have to take the bus!

 

[JKBOGEN]

I like this^ But you should have given us a choice of "Other" so we Fan's could bring the other's up Like; ( Are you ready!)
* Fred Gehrke
* Dick Hoerner
* Tank Younger
* Ollie Matson
* John Arnett
* Dick Bass
* Les Josephson
* Jim Bertelsen
* John Cappelletti
* Cullen Bryant
* Elvis Peacock
* Wendell Tyler
* Mike Guman
* Cleveland Gary
* Buford McGee
* AND AT LEAST JEROME BETTIS!!
I'm SURE I LEFT SOMEONE OUT!
But you get the idea, NEVER forget the "OTHER"!!

Haha noted.

 

[JKBOGEN]

Nice article Jake...I think many will be swayed by the players they themselves saw play. I saw Lawrence McCutcheon, Wendell Tyler, Eric Dickerson, Marshal...Marshall...Marshall, Steven Jackson, and Todd Gurley.

I thought Eric Dickerson was a virtuoso runner in the open field. he was a freakin gazelle. But I also saw him get caught/stopped when standing straight up, which was his running style. He always seemed vulnerable to getting stopped that way and was aided in his success by maybe the best Oline in history in the 80's.

Marshall Faulk was magical. He was a star in a cast of many other potential HOFers. If you ask me about placing a game in the hands of one Running Back to win the Super Bowl, it would be Marshall Faulk and it's not close. If Martz had done that in Super Bowl 36 in the second half, we would have beaten those cheating bastids no matter what they knew was coming.

It is unfortunate that SJAX never was on a decent Rams team, because he might have changed my mind about the best RB in Ram's history if he had half of the chances of ED and MF. But alas, we will never know.

Loved Lawrence McCutcheon!!!!! Also loved John Cappaletti, who played with "Larry" in the 1970's.

Wendell Tyler, someone said...MY GOD NO! I was SO GLAD when we got rid of that fumble machine! He absolutely made me sick, seeing the football swung wide from his body while running for balance. Quite a few long runs by Tyler were stripped in the red zone in the most agonizing fashion....soooo..

1. Marshall Faulk
2. Eric Dickerson
3. SJAX
4. Lawrence McCutcheon
5. Jerome Bettis (he wasn't a Ram that long)

Thank you! I had some fun last year writing this kind of piece and watching old highlights of these players, but i really dove into it this year. I love Dan Towler. Wish he played longer. Marshall is my all-time favorite.

 

[JKBOGEN]

List is right on point and Faulk gets the edge, it might have been closer with Dickerson, but he was traded to the Colts and to this day Dickerson regrets demanding the trade, but I sure wish the Rams and Georgia had just paid him as again throughout her ownership Georgia proved to be penny wise and dollar foolish and in the case of Vince Ferragamo & Eric the Great, this was evident.

@jakebogen95 distinguishes himself with a shout out to Lawrence McCutcheon.... One of my farvorite stories about McCutcheon was on a Monday Night game Howard Cosell referred to McCutcheon as "Larry" McCutcheon, Cosell used to do that to personalize the broadcast only to be contacted by the McCutcheon family and informed that Lawrence McCutcheon had a brother named Larry. That's right Lawrence McCutcheon has a brother Larry McCutcheon as a young kid, that just cracked me up I remember I think that was in 1974 back then so I was 8 years old in the 3rd grade and we had a guy named Lawrence we called "Larry" and from that point on and the rest of the time I knew him, which was through high school I always referred to him as Lawrence and always knew why.

Thank you! I did this last year and got the nudge from my old man to add or at least consider McCutcheon. Didn't forget him this time.

 

[nighttrain]

Wendal Tyler was the crap....Lawrence McCutcheon made me want a speed at tailback. But he was a beast, in a really tough era to run the ball....Bus should be here because his rookie year was awesome....then Marshall and ED, best of all time rb's.

Best pure runner, Dickerson. Best all around back, Faulk.

train

 

[tempests]

Bettis would be my pick at the goal line as well, but I'd have no issue giving it to Steven Jackson there.

I would contend he only played one season in a functional offense his entire time with the Rams. What no one remembers is that SJ led the NFL in 3rd and 1 conversions(14 of them) in 2006.

He could be an effective short yardage/goal line back. That is, when we have Richie Incognito at guard and Madison Hedgecock at FB. When the defense has Bruce and Holt to worry about . Not when our offensive lines are decimated by injury or we're starting Derek Stanley and Keenan Burton at WR. Then it's tough sledding.

 

[1maGoh]

Most of what I remember of Steven Jackson was not picking up short yardage. I hated when we'd get to because I knew (apparently every year but 2006) we weren't going to get it. But he was a warrior and battled his heart out. There's three things I'll never forget about Jackson:
1) he broke Mike Rumph's arm
2) that run he made with no helmet
3) he got punched down by that ref. So embarrassing, so unjust.

 

[Memento]

Most of what I remember of Steven Jackson was not picking up short yardage. I hated when we'd get to because I knew (apparently every year but 2006) we weren't going to get it. But he was a warrior and battled his heart out. There's three things I'll never forget about Jackson:
1) he broke Mike Rumph's arm
2) that run he made with no helmet
3) he got punched down by that ref. So embarrassing, so unjust.

Actually the running back who was punched down by the ref was Kenneth Darby. Jackson actually ran over a ref when he single-handedly won us the Lions game in 2009.

 

[1maGoh]

Actually the running back who was punched down by the ref was Kenneth Darby. Jackson actually ran over a ref when he single-handedly won us the Lions game in 2009.

While I realize the you may be historically, technically, and factually correct, in my universe it was Jackson. Like I said, I'll never forget that about him.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

 

[tempests]

Most of what I remember of Steven Jackson was not picking up short yardage. I hated when we'd get to because I knew (apparently every year but 2006) we weren't going to get it.

We really haven't been good at it since he left either. I tend to think picking up those yards is a team effort and not an individual one.

 

[Ramlock]

1:30 left

Ball on the 20

First and ten

The call is.....

47 Gap

 

[JKBOGEN]

Greatest commercial ever.

 

[Loyal]

We really haven't been good at it since he left either. I tend to think picking up those yards is a team effort and not an individual one.

Well, I have to disagree with you.

I remember in 2006, we picked up a veteran RB Stephen Davis. The knock on Steven Jackson before this was that he could never (or hardly ever) punch the ball in on the goal line, because of his upright running style. Stephen Davis was brought in to teach SJAX how to do that, and he did in 2006. In fact, 2006 was Jackson's best year as a pro. He had 1528 yards rushing and 806 yards receiving He had 13 TD's rushing, his best by far in his career (3 TD's receiving as well). Davis taught Jackson how to lower his head/body and to push through. Davis retired in 2007, and SJAX dropped off production wise, sharply...Maybe it was a fluke that Davis and SJAX were on the same team in Jackson's best year, but I remember how much better he was that year at scoring....

 

[tempests]

Well, I have to disagree with you.

I remember in 2006, we picked up a veteran RB Stephen Davis. The knock on Steven Jackson before this was that he could never (or hardly ever) punch the ball in on the goal line, because of his upright running style. Stephen Davis was brought in to teach SJAX how to do that, and he did in 2006. In fact, 2006 was Jackson's best year as a pro. He had 1528 yards rushing and 806 yards receiving He had 13 TD's rushing, his best by far in his career (3 TD's receiving as well). Davis taught Jackson how to lower his head/body and to push through. Davis retired in 2007, and SJAX dropped off production wise, sharply...Maybe it was a fluke that Davis and SJAX were on the same team in Jackson's best year, but I remember how much better he was that year at scoring....

Yes, I remember that well. But we didn't just lose Stephen Davis in 2007. We lost three OL starters and went through 18 different line combinations. We dumped our blocking FB. And Marc Bulger went off a cliff.

For the preaching on the importance of offensive line continuity on these boards.....we had none that year. And yes, production fell off sharply, for everyone.

 

[Loyal]

Yes, I remember that well. But we didn't just lose Stephen Davis in 2007. We lost three OL starters and went through 18 different line combinations. We dumped our blocking FB. And Marc Bulger went off a cliff.

For the preaching on the importance of offensive line continuity on these boards.....we had none that year. And yes, production fell off sharply, for everyone.

All of that is probably true, but SJAX did have more success in getting TD's by changing his posture in becoming a pile driver. I don't know if he kept doing that after 2006.

 

[551staaa]

No Elvis Peacock? The name alone should get an honorable mention.

 

[DaveFan'51]

This ^ was possibly SJ's Best single run ever!! FANTASTIC EFFORT!!:yay::yess:

 

[UKram]

i swear there was a game bettis played at the end of his career for the steelers he had like 3 touchdowns and 1 yard rushing or something stupid like that

i went for faulk ,,, but bettis would be the call

wheres the "id pull a cheat carroll" option