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YOUR BALANCE
Top 10 Clemson RBs
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Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 10:30 AM

Just to facilitate some discussion today, here's my list. I'm not as old as a lot of people on here so my list skews more recent. Who's on yours?

10. Travis Zachary
-1998-2001
-3,043 Yards (6th All-Time)
-All-ACC

9. Kenny Flowers
-1983-1986
-2,914 (7th All-Time)
-All-ACC
-1 ACC Championship
-2nd Round Draft Pick

8. Andre Ellington
-2009-2012
-3,436 (4th All-Time)
-3x All-ACC
-1 ACC Championship
-6th Round Draft Pick

7. Terry Allen
-1987-1989
-2,778 Yards (8th All-Time)
-2x All-ACC
-2 ACC Championships
-9th Round Draft Pick

6. Travis Etienne
-2018-Present
-2,424 Yards (to date) (11th All-Time if he were to not gain another yard)
-Single-Season Rushing Record
-All-ACC
-2018 ACC POY
-2 ACC Championships (to date)
-1 National Championship (to date)

5. Wayne Gallman
-2014-2016
-3,429 Yards (5th All-Time)
-2x All-ACC
-2 ACC Championships
-National Championship
-4th Round Draft Pick

4. Banks McFadden
-1936-1939
-All-SoCon
-All-American
-AP POY
-1st Round Draft Pick

I couldn't find any stats for him and I suspect they weren't kept back then (Tim Bourret didn't start til 1940) but he's was a 3-sport star and widely considered the most versatile athlete in Clemson History. Obviously most of the guys on this list would surpass him in their respective times but he deserves a spot.

3. Raymond Priester
-1994-1997
-3,966 Yards (1st All-Time)
-3x All-ACC
-5th Round Draft Pick

2. James Davis
-2005-2008
-3,881 Yards (2nd All-Time)
-2x All-ACC
-ACC Rookie of the Year
-6th Round Draft Pick

1. CJ Spiller
-2006-2009
-3,547 Yards (3rd All-Time)
-2x All-ACC
-Unanimous All-American
-ACC POY
-ACC Leader in Career All-Purpose Yards
-1st Round Draft Pick

Obviously ETN could be moving up the list when all is said and done. Spiller and McFadden are apparently our only All-American RBs/"backs." Also an interesting note that Woody Dantzler is still our 9th All-Time rusher...

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 10:34 AM

Amazing that our 2nd and 3rd all time rushers had three overlapping years.

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 10:40 AM

Yea both of them pass Priester if they would have had more than 1 season without splitting carries with the other.

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It's hard not to skew recent when most of the guys who are


Apr 18, 2019, 10:40 AM [ in reply to Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs ]

in the top 5 played in the last 15 years.

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And on top of that, we didn’t really accomplish much


Apr 18, 2019, 9:46 PM [ in reply to Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs ]

while they were at Clemson. Just goes to show that it takes an entire team to be successful.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: And on top of that, we didn’t really accomplish much


Apr 18, 2019, 10:03 PM

Like what you did there judge ??

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Re: And on top of that, we didn’t really accomplish much


Apr 18, 2019, 10:03 PM [ in reply to And on top of that, we didn’t really accomplish much ]

Like what you did there judge ??

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I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 10:48 AM

Glad you included Travis Z in your top 10. So not flashy but steady, healthy, reliable. Not great at any one thing but solid all around.

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Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 10:57 AM

I thought he really added a dynamic to the passing game. I thought it was his greatest strength. I am glad TZach was included.

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Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 11:04 AM [ in reply to I'd put Terry Allen in top 3 ]

Glad somebody feels the same . For those who are old enough I think that Allen was the best pure RB we've ever had . He had great balance , speed and was very strong for an undersized back .
His NFL career is a testament to what he was capable of at the TB position while at Clemson . Injuries diminished his stats as a Tiger .

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DB23


Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 11:14 AM

I seem to remember him having a big knee brace and tearing up SCAR to the tune of +150 yards his final season. I could be wrong so I'm not going to look up the facts. In my mind's eye he destroyed South Carolina with one leg just like DW.

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Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 12:16 PM

Terry won A the Clemson-Georgia gain 87? By
His willpower alone.
He would not be denied !

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Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 19, 2019, 1:13 AM [ in reply to Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3 ]

He would have certainly been drafted much higher in today's time. Back's rarely came back from knee surgery then. I think that he became the first to play in the pros after surgeries on both knees.

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TA is definitely in that discussion


Apr 19, 2019, 1:42 PM [ in reply to Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3 ]

But it's also ironic that TA came having to fight his way up the depth chart because at the time of his recruitment, the backfield was absolutely loaded with Kenny Flowers, Terrance Flagler, Stacy Driver, Steve Griffin, Tracy Johnson, Chris Lancaster, and Wesley McFadden, but also, Reggie Demps came as a national recruit stolen from out of Florida from Miami, FSU and UF was considered the desired RB take in that class with TA.

Another irony is that Donnell Woolford was originally listed as a RB as well, but turned out to be one of the best ever shut down corners at Clemson and became a 1st round draft pick for the Bears under Mike Ditka...

great players and great times back in the day!

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Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings


Apr 18, 2019, 11:25 AM [ in reply to I'd put Terry Allen in top 3 ]

in a Clemson game ever. Safety @ 2:08:00. Allen takes over at 2:14:00. Pandemonium in the stadium @ 2:18:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJxaPlbFRw

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Re: Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings


Apr 18, 2019, 12:19 PM

Besides the Natty's, best game I've ever been to.

Because......Georgia.

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Re: Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings


Apr 19, 2019, 1:21 AM

Treadwell had a thing for kickin' dawgs.

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I was there***


Apr 18, 2019, 12:20 PM [ in reply to Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings ]



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Cool story bro***


Apr 18, 2019, 8:01 PM



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Awesome game, but why do all the players from


Apr 19, 2019, 9:09 AM [ in reply to Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings ]

The 80’s look like they are in their mid 40’s?

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Brent Musberger is an all time great at opening intros!!!


Apr 19, 2019, 1:17 PM [ in reply to Maybe Allen's finest moment, in one of the best endings ]

that guy can tell a story and make it a blockbuster!! that intro gives as many chills as when he first told a national audience what we already knew, that the run down the hill is "the most exciting 25 seconds of college football"...

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Re: I'd put Terry Allen in top 3


Apr 18, 2019, 12:34 PM [ in reply to I'd put Terry Allen in top 3 ]

Ha ha. I think just the opposite. I never thought TZac was that great.

I like Kevin Mack and Terrance Flagler a lot. I'd find a place for them on the list. You also have Chuck McSwain and Cliff Austin and for a wild card, Tracy Johnson - he was always good for 4 yards or so, and often broke some long runs up the middle.

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Don't forget this guy!


Apr 18, 2019, 11:03 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_amjS0t5Bg4

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IMO... Wayne Gallman had a great year


Apr 18, 2019, 11:03 AM

in the NC run culminating in the trophy. I think he was the perfect back for that team. Terry Allen is my favorite. I still can remember him gliding through holes and that 70 yard run against FSU is a classic. Can't forget Kenny Flowers and Terrence Flagler, although I have never seen them in person.

I liked watching Reggie Merriweather, Rodney Blunt, Andre Ellington and Tracy Johnson. I had a class with Tracy. My fan favorite was Rudy Harris. Best run I have ever seen in person is CJ Spiller's run against GT in the night game. He took a swing pass and juked two DB's and took it to the house. I was on the field that night and it is still the most amazing thing I've seen in person.

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 11:06 AM

I admit I also tend to have bias towards the more recent backs, and I pretty much agree with your list.

Imo, ETN should be much higher. I would go ahead and put him at a solid number 2 and honestly you could argue he is #1 if #1 wasn’t CJ who will forever be #1 to me no matter what, no matter the stats. ETN has a chance to break a lot of CU rushing records in only 3 years if he has another big year with a much lighter work load so he’s incredibly efficient/effective.

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 11:24 AM

How about Ray Yauger (sic) a good back on bad early 70s teams.

Would be nice to also have a linebacker discussion. Would it include Levon Kirkland and Jimmy Williamson?

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Don’t forget the “Rubber Duck” Lester Brown!...


Apr 18, 2019, 11:36 AM

Lester Brown scored 32 touchdowns during his Clemson career that spanned 1976-79. The Clemson graduate from Myrtle Beach, SC was a first-team All-ACC running back on Clemson’s 1978 team that finished the season 11-1 and a #6 ranking in the nation. He scored 17 rushing touchdowns that season, a record that was tied in 2006 by James Davis. Brown went on to a seven year career in the Canadian Football league.

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Terry Allen is my personal favorite.


Apr 18, 2019, 11:41 AM

Ronald Williams would definitely be top 5 had he not been injured. He was another good 'un.

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 18, 2019, 12:21 PM

Buddy Gore 65-66-67 rushed for 2571yds playing three years !

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I had him initially but bumped him out for ETN and McFadden***


Apr 18, 2019, 4:48 PM



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ETN / Woody Dantzler


Apr 18, 2019, 12:45 PM

Just wondering if I am the only one that see's the similarities in their open field running styles of both ETN and Woody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ipKjDq1CBs

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Terrance Flagler was also an All American for Clemson


Apr 18, 2019, 3:18 PM

at RB but he doesn't have many career yards because most of his time at Clemson was sharing the ball with Kenny Flowers, Stacy Driver, Steve Griffin, Tracy Johnson, and Chris Lancaster. Flagler would definitely be in my top 10, but Zachary and probably McFadden would not be in my top 10. Unfortunately, the further removed from a players playing days along with the changes in the game do affect how we view players and their contributions to the Clemson record books, but fortunately, I am old enough to have seen all of these choices and others in person except for Banks McFadden because I attended Clemson with Wesley McFadden, Flagler, Flowers, Driver, Allen, Johnson, Lancaster and others during Coach Ford's days...

one this is certain, that is it's always a great time to be a Tiger!!

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Hal Davis


Apr 18, 2019, 5:33 PM

For me, no list of great Tiger RBs is complete without the inclusion of Hal Davis and I take every opportunity to remember him. Hal was one year ahead of me - he played varsity FB in '62,'63 and '64. He was not the biggest, fastest or best RB we ever had - and wasn't the top RB during the years he played. What impressed me about him was his toughness and his desire to win.

On many occasions, I watched as Hal got the edge, then the open field and at full throttle was met by an opposing safety. Hal didn't like to juke defenders, he liked to run over them or through them. He was amazing when he lowered his shoulder and took on a defender head-on. He wasn't very big and would sometimes bounce off a safety, back up a couple of yards, look him in the eye and instead of running around him, would go straight for him again and run him over or go down trying. All of this in the open field like gladiators. He was magnificent at times.

Here are his stats - unimpressive by today's standards:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/hal-davis-1.html

Hal was in architecture and did very well for himself, getting his Master's from UPenn:

https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/commercial-real-estate/An-Interview-With-Hal-Davis-12138

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Woody Dantzler gotta be in there -


Apr 18, 2019, 7:34 PM

slick as eel scat

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Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 19, 2019, 2:17 AM

Great list - glad to see Banks in there. Think Buddy Gore was a great back - Clemson’s first 1000 yd back. Also remember Joel Wells. Think Flagler only played much one season ? Always wish Terry Allen had played one more year - think Clemson wins the 1990 FSU game in the Valley if he had played ......

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If people were as good as their obituary - and products were as good as advertised - this would truly be a wonderful world !!


Re: Top 10 Clemson RBs


Apr 19, 2019, 8:25 AM

Terrance Flagler should be on the list and probably ahead of Flowers and Zachery.

Priester is too high on the list. Great runner. Slow but never lost yardage. 1-dimensional.

Zachery would have been fun to watch with current offense. Great receiver.

Hard to compare Banks McFadden against any on the list. See suggestion below.

Etienne shouldn’t be on the list right now. It is not fair to him or others on the list. He’ll end up in top 3 for sure.


Suggestion: Set guidelines for the rankings

1) Current player cannot be on the list. Their career is still active.
2) Create multiple lists from different eras.

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He might not be Top 10, but Lester Brown, "the rubber duck"


Apr 19, 2019, 10:24 AM

was beautiful to watch tote the rock.

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