Who is the Giants greatest RB of all time?

[MightyGiants]

If you were going to start a team which running back would you take?

Frank Gifford?  3609 YDS Rushing, 34 TD Rushing, 5434 YDS Receiving, 43 TD Receiving

Joe Morris?  5,585 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 50 TD 960 YDS Receiving 2 TD Receiving

Rodney Hampton? 6,897 YDS, 3.8 AVG, 49 TD 1309 YDS Receiving 2 TD Receiving

Ottis Anderson? 10,273 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 81 TD 3062 YDS Receiving 5 TD Receiving

Tiki Barder? 10,449 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 55 TD 5183 YDS Receiving 12 TD Receiving

Brandon Jacobs?  4849 YRDS, 4.5 AVG 56 TD 730 YDS Receiving  4 TD Receiving

[Jian]

I would take OJ Anderson first if I could have him from the beginning .......... 

[MightyGiants]

I would take OJ Anderson first if I could have him from the beginning .......... 

Yeah I was stumped on that one.  Do I qualify OJ to be the guy the Giants got or do I acknowledge his entire career

[ElioverPeyton]

I would take OJ Anderson first if I could have him from the beginning .......... 

I agree. Damn....did Otis really have over 10,000 yards rushing? I didn't realize that!!!

[MightyGiants]

I would take OJ Anderson first if I could have him from the beginning .......... 

I agree. Damn....did Otis really have over 10,000 yards rushing? I didn't realize that!!!

7999 of those yards were with St Louis

2274 were with the Giants

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AndeOt00.htm

[andrew_nyg]

O.J. was a premier back during his time with the Cardinals. He was a very good back, and a great leader for the Giants.

I don't know if he was the greatest but Lil'Joe was my All-Time favorite Giants RB. Lil' was a misnomer, he was a short, powerful back with speed, and he could run inside or out, pick up the blitz, catch passes, and run block.

He was part of the Giants turnaround, he dominated in more than a handfull of games in 1986 (1st title in 30 yrs), so I'll always have a soft spot for him.

[President Rick]

Ottis Anderson? 10,273 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 81 TD 3062 YDS Receiving 5 TD Receiving

Tiki Barder? 10,449 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 55 TD 5183 YDS Receiving 12 TD Receiving

Brandon Jacobs?  4849 YRDS, 4.5 AVG 56 TD 730 YDS Receiving  4 TD Receiving

those are the stats.  some 'what if's'.....
what if Otis had been a Giant for his whole career? 
what if tiki had played 2-3 more?
or if BJ had remained a Giant 2-3 more? 
     Given the #'s and the fact that Otis was a card most of his years, putting aside a player's personal life, off field comments, sour grapes, stupidity, etc. and for me being objective, looking at running, catching, blocking, and the whole package, and I look at the NY Giants, I'll cast a vote for tiki.

[vette5573]

Tiki Barber as pure production, but there's more to it than that. He had at least 2 good years left too. The thing is and it's difficult to know what would have really happened, but if Tiki had stayed, what would history look like. Do the Giants fall apart in '07 because of pernicious activity instigated by Barber? Or, do they still win SBXXII and go on to win in "08. I think most would say the former rather than the later.

[jimv]

WOW!!  What a choice!  I loved them all!  So, let's look at them on-by-one.

Frank Gifford...All-time Giant Great.  Rushing yards low only because Stout Steve made him a DB when he first came here & then he switched to WR after he came back from his injury.  He also shared duties with another terrific RB, Alex Webster.  His overall TD total was 77, the HIGHEST of any of the others (excpt OJ who got most of his as a Cardinal).  BTW, he made All Pro as a DB, RB & WR!!  To me, he'll always be "Mr. Giants."

Joe Morris...His stats speak for themselves.  Terrific RB but wasn't the best at receiving out of the backfield.  (But, who can forget his receiving TD in that great comebak W at the 49ers?)

Rodney...Lots of power & speed.  Could always count on him to get the tough yards when needed.  Wish he had played under TC instead of Mr. Unmentionable.

OJ...Is there any Giant fan who didn't love this guy?  He came here as a "has-been" in '86 just in case something happened to Joe Morris.  The Giants rewarded him with a SB TD on a one yard plunge.  But, wait a minute!  He hung on, getting tough yards when necessary, earning MVP in SB XXV.  When the Giants had a lead with five minutes or so left in a game, they'd hand him the ball & he'd run out the clock.  God, if we only had him his entire career!!!

Tiki...Stats & pure ability shown brightly througout his career after TC taught him how to hold onto the ball.  Could have been one of the greatest Giants of all time but he threw it all away.  I'll NEVER forgive him for that!

BJ...An enigma his whole Giants career.  Loved his fire.

CHOICE...For me, I'll take OJ.

[zephirus]

I think it has to be between Barber and Hampton.  Hampton played on some really bad teams so I think his 3.8 career YPC isn't really indicative of how good he was.  I believe he also still holds the records for lowest percentage of fumbles (with some minimum # of carries).  The definition of a reliable back.  That said, Barber was a complete back.  He could hit the home run and was surprisingly effective between the tackles and on short yardage.  He was great out of the back-field and a willing, if unspectacular blocker.  Not sure any of the other backs on here were the complete package like that.  If he wasn't a fumble machine early in his career I don't think this contest would even be close.

[Philosophers]

I have a soft spot in my heart for Dave Meggett.  Unlike Brandon Jacobs who ran hard one Sunday and got tackled by 175 lb CBs on other Sundays for loss, Dave Meggett always seemed to convert third downs for the Giants, both as a runner and pass catcher.  I know he doesn't have the yards that merit his name on your list, but damn, he was the real deal to me.

[BlueMoshik]

I always thought that if Rodney Hampton hadn't gotten hurt, and had played with better coaching, he would have been the best Giants back ever. At his best he was like a cross between Barry Sanders and OJ Anderson. (I know I'm exaggerating a bit)

[PSUBeirut]

As much as his exit has soured all of us, it has to be Tiki Barber.  Has to be.

[Jian]

 I remember OJ always killing the Giants when he played us. Seemed like he got 8,000 of those yards against the Giants. He came to the Giants and was the good soldier on the bench waiting for his turn. He did and said all the right things. When he finally got his chance, he didn't care that he was over-the-hill and washed up. He won his Superbowl MVP! He is one of my very favorite players. His nickame OJ is the only time I can think of, that some player following the original nicknamed player was better ....There were multiple LT's and Sugar Rays but the original was usually the best. Not so for Otis. He is my favorite Giant RB.

[murderhill]

Without seeing the list and the numbers, it was a toss-up between Anderson and Meggett.  But it's Anderson because he was an old timer when he got here and I was so pleased when he fulfilled the "run first" part of the Giants offensive strategy.  He was a likable man and it seems that he has transfered and maintained his roots from the Cardinals to the Giants in his retired life.  I actually don't know what his relationship with the Cardinal organization is.

Oh Tiki, that hated man, would have been the obvious choice but with a lack of humble pie in his diet, he failed to memorialize himself.  (can you immemorialize yousef?  He did if it's possible.)