Who was the best college football player ever?

[Eja117]

Kinda curious what you guys come up with

I guess the criteria would be something like 3 or 4 year starter who won a ring or two who won a Heisman or two or the trophy at his position several times and did something nobody else every did or maybe has a trophy named after them.

Guys that fit that criteria

Tebow
Ricky Williams
Ron Dayne
Charles Woodson
Tommie Frazer
Archie Griffin
Ty Detmer
Davey O'Brien
Orlando Pace
Dave Rimmington
John Outland although I'm not sure if it makes sense to consider players that played before 1900

[Rondo2287]

Definitely Ernie Davis.  Kid was a beast.  Jim Brown said Ernie was better than him. 

[angryguy77]

This guy

[2short]

I'd go with ernie davis but I do remember hershal walker being a man playing with kids when he was at georgia

[Eja117]

I guess the people of my era I expect to tell my grandkids about are

Tommie Frazer especially due to the leg clot thing

Charlie Ward, but mostly because he went NBA

Tebow

Flutie - When there is an effect named after you and no school wanted you that puts you up there

Charles Woodson

Orlando Pace for proving it would take a miracle for a lineman to win

Ron Dayne as a cautionary tale

Ricky Williams as another cautionary tale

Steve McNair as proof that the best player rarely wins due to stupid politics

Eric Crouch as a tale of oddness

Michael Crabtree as a cautionary tale, but also to point out it may not be too late

Timmy Chang to prove that apparently there really is such a thing as a system QB

Jimmy Clausen to prove hype isn't everything, cause NOBODY had more hype than him, except of course maybe Ron Powlus who will be included in the story

LaVarr Arington - but with the caveat "I'm pretty sure he was on the juice"

[RAcker]

I'm an Alabama guy, but you have to have Bo Jackson on that list.

[RAcker]

This guy

He is on morning sports talk show here in Birmingham now with Jay Barker as his partner.  Jay Barker's best accomplishment is not being a quarterback on an Alabama National Championship team in 1992...it's being married to Sara Evans. 

[Eja117]

So that's where Jay Barker went


The thing about Bo is that he just barely beat Chuck Long is the closest Heisman vote ever I think (till this year?)

granted he did throw a major wrench into the Bama/Auburn thing

[RAcker]

So that's where Jay Barker went


The thing about Bo is that he just barely beat Chuck Long is the closest Heisman vote ever I think (till this year?)

granted he did throw a major wrench into the Bama/Auburn thing

I'll take this over a long NFL career.

[Roy Hobbs]

I'll say Archie Griffin.  Two Heismans says a lot.

[indeedproceed]

Lawrence Phillips is another guy from my generation that you have to consider if you're just talking generational stuff.

[Eja117]

Lawrence Phillips is another guy from my generation that you have to consider if you're just talking generational stuff.

I thought about it, but I just couldn't include a guy that dragged a girl down stairs by her hair and was adequately replaced by freshmen Ahman Green.

I just couldn't.

[Eja117]

I'll say Archie Griffin.  Two Heismans says a lot.

They should start a facebook page or something dedicated to giving Archie two Heisman votes, not one

[Bahku]

1.   Herschel Walker
2.   Jim Thorpe
3.   Vince Young
4.   Archie Griffin
5.   Earl Campbell
6.   Jim Brown
7.   Walter Payton
8.   Deion Sanders
9.   Dick Butkus
10. Hugh Green
11. Red Grange
12. Archie Manning
13. Barry Sanders
14. Lawrence Taylor
15. Tony Dorsett
16. John Hannah
17. Ron Dayne
18. Bo Jackson
19. Matt Leinart
20. Bubba Smith


To be completely honest, OJ should be on here, (for reasons of talent and impact), but for obvious reasons, I just can NOT give him props in any way, shape or manner ... even though by just saying this, I guess I already have.