BEST RUNNING BACKS IN TSSAA HISTORY

[Drewrod4UT]

This is before TSSAA, but does anyone remember Ricky Blake that played for LC in the early 1980's. He was an amazing and exciting back to watch. He had incredible size and speed. If my memory serves me correctly he sent a number of defensive backs out of the game or to the hospital because he preferred to punish them with the colision rather than evade them. It was amusing to actually see defensive backs seemingly jump out of his way when he lowered his head and shoulders running full speed. He ended up playing some CFL after high school and went on to score the first touchdown in the divisional playoff against detroit for the dallas cowboys in 1991. He broke his hip on that play and never played again. Nice memory though.

 

Rod Buchanan was also another good running back but played beside Kelly Holcomb so didn't see as much running action as he could have.

[CYJacket]

Scotty Whitt also had that natural spin move you don't see that often. Size to boot. He could have played WR, linebacker, or DB in college, but no university would touch him with a ten foot pole.  Coach Jim Gaylor once was asked how fast was Whitt, and he replied that it was according to who was chasing him.  Jermaine Shepherd played for Clinton a few years later, and Ohio State wanted him, but he just didn't have the grades.  He was more of a receiver, but was an excellent running back.

 

Going back 30 some odd years ago, no one has mentioned David C. Fritts from Clinton.  He's probably the best running back I've seen in high school.  UT and several other colleges wanted him, but his knees had been shot since Little League. He did have a successful career at MTSU, and I see his name in the newspapers quite a bit lately. Fritts' teammate, Terry Moore, did get a scholarship to UT and started at fullback. What a 1-2 punch back in those days.  Terry's dad, Allen, was a standout at Coalfield High School in the late 1940's. Dang, are we allowed to mention these ancient people?

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I am an MTSU grad and David was still living in Murfreesboro until the early 1990/s and then he disappeared and I know the reasons. I then moved back home and lo and behold he was located again. He has been located a lot in the last few years. Unfortunately, the same circumstances in which I met David Fritts, I had to deal with Scotty. Scotty is a very personable man and I like him quite a lot. He just has some problems that many people with his circumstances have had and he needs to move on past them. Too bad. Good luck to both in their future.

[orangenblack]

David C. Fritts had a brother named Russell who was a track star at UT and I don't understand why he didn't play high school football. I still see David here and there, he lived over the hill from me growing up. We rode the bus to school together.......I never met Scotty, but attended H.S. with his mother Delores. His hands were so big, he could carrry the football like a loaf of bread and never fumble. Every Whitt I remember was a good athlete.

[moonwink]

SOME MORE NAMES FROM THE PAST. GREG , CHRIS, AND BRAD GAINES. ALL PLAYED AT DUPONT HIGH IN NASHVILLE. GREG WENT ON TO U.T AND PLAYED ABOUT 8-9 YEARS FOR THE SEAHAWKS. CHRIS AND BRAD BOTH PLAYED AT VANDERBILT. THREE TOUGH NUTS.

[Reasons]

Fred Porter from stratford high .. Mike coleman , eric gardner, arsentae broome

[username234]

Ralph King Riverdale has to be the most overrated player to have come out of football ( In 2000 state championship football game he couldn't hold Gerald Riggs

jock strap )

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couldn't agree more ti-ta. although king was an impressive high school running back, riggs was just in another league.

[username234]

No actually Jackie Robinson was the third black player on a baseball roster, and was the second african american to play. Henning was killed before his first game, but was on the roster of a mlb team before he died. Moses Fleetwood was the actual first black player in baseball

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yes, but neither hennin nor fleetwood were listed as african-american, but, rather, their race was unlisted or they were called hispanic. these were great men and great athletes but what makes jackie robinson's entrance into the mlb unique was the fact that there were no attempts to hide his race. i think both henning and fleetwood ought to be given more credit and noteriety.

[username234]

what's the matter with you people?

AL WILSON was the most dominant tailback in the history of tn high school football. in 95 jackson central mary(do they even have a football team any more?) beat mba 45-0 b/c al wilson could not be tackled. the mba team was very good and gave the eventual state champion ba squad a heck of a fight in the 5A semi's(althought the score makes it appear that ba ran away with it) first play of the mba jcm game al wilson takes a fullback dive 85 yards to the house. that was pretty much what happened the rest of the game.

second to wilson i TRAVIS STEPHENS out of clarksville NE. he is why clarksville NE beat the 96 mba team by three touchdowns. that mba team went on to lose to a ba team team that was perhaps the 2nd or 3rd greatest tn team ever in double overtime in what was perhaps the greatest high school football games of all time.

 

of course, fleming's stats are great. look at his competition! GARBAGE! i don't care what anybody says it was garbage.

in order to find the best backs ever you have to first look how they played against mba.

[rollredroll]

AL WILSON was the most dominant tailback in the history of tn high school football. in 95 jackson central mary(do they even have a football team any more?) beat mba 45-0 b/c al wilson could not be tackled. the mba team was very good and gave the eventual state champion ba squad a heck of a fight in the 5A semi's(althought the score makes it appear that ba ran away with it) first play of the mba jcm game al wilson takes a fullback dive 85 yards to the house. that was pretty much what happened the rest of the game.

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Agreed about Al Wilson, but just to clarify, MBA lost to BA in the '95 semis two weeks after beating Central-Merry (without Wilson) in the second round. It was '94 that Al Wilson and C-M beat MBA 42-0 in the second round of the playoffs (MBA didn't play BA that year). That was (and still is) MBA's most lopsided loss since 1976.

 

Nevertheless, Al Wilson was, and still is, a hoss, and a heckuva leader. But thanks for the unpleasant reminder about the '94 game!

[RidinSplinters]

What about Wallace that played football at richland in 84"-87"?? He pretty much lead the way in 87 to the Region championship. Without him where would they have been?

[constance]

Of all the backs I've seen mentioned on this thread Santonio Beard has to be the most overrated. Someone should ask Super recruiter Carlton Flatt about Jermiah Ligon in 95. He might give him a vote

[FUMANCHU]

The 94 Clarksville North East team featured a RB by the name of Marcus Gildersleave that was pretty darn good. He could have ran for 3,000 yards that year if not for Travis Stephens and Tim Terry taking carries away from him.