Who is the best college football player ever?

Nope. I was among the million or so who sat in the Memorial Stadium in Jackson 25 years ago this week and watched Isaac Holt throw a blanket on Rice in one of the greatest college football experiences you could imagine.

 

Maybe I am confusing him with Sanders. Yep, it's Sanders who went nuts atthe Holiday Bowl.

 

you too? And....it's closer to 2 million at Memorial that day.

 

I also think anyone who came out early is out of the discussion.

Best college player I ever saw was Earl Campbell ... in hig school. Well, I saw him on college, too.

And for one season, Jamelle Holieway was the most amazing player I've ever seen.

Turner Gill's body of work was spectacular. So was Billy Simms'.

Eric Dickerson was phenomenal and pnly got a little more than half the carries.

Dan Marino was a one-man show, as I recall.

 

Marcus Allen is the best running back in Pac-10 (post-1978) history, IMHO. Allen, O.J. Simpson and Hugh McElhenny of Washington are the class of the PCC/Pac-8/Pac-10.

McElhenny played so long ago, and in relative obscurity in the PNW, that many have forgotten about him. But they didn't call him 'The King" for nothing.

 

And Walker had a big game. Walker Lee Ashley.

 

Sanders had the misfortune of being stuck behind Thurman Thomas until that one year, though I remember him making some explosive plays even as a back-up.

 

My frame of reference goes back to about 1980. During that time ...

Offense: Herschel Walker
Defense: Brian Bosworth or Deion Sanders

 

Jerry Tubbs, Oklahoma Sooners in the early fifties. After a year at fullback, moved to center and linebacker. Mashed everything they put in front of him.

Second, E.J. Holub. Before his knees went, he was an absolute animal.

God only knows how good Walter Jones was at Holmes Community College before he spent two years at Florida State.

 

I saw O.J. play, and Herschel was better. He could bulldoze defenders and run away from them. Dorsett was in that league, too.

Bo wasn't even close to those guys.

 

Spent some time looking at Herschel's old highlights - he'd run right over people, through people, jump over them and speed right past them. Guy was a stud.

 

Herschel steamrolling Bill Bates:

Still not my favorite moment of someone getting destroyed in college football...

That belongs to Greg Jones:

And I'm not even a Florida State fan.