Before franchise quarterbacks took pro football hostage, there was something known as franchise running backs. My, my, how the game has changed. Now, these guys are treated with all the respect of disposable diapers. Or as Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said infamously of Willie Parker not that long ago, “We’ll run him until his wheels fall off.”
It wasn’t long before Fast Willie became Limp-Legged Willie, all but done after three stellar seasons. So, before their position becomes extinct altogether, how about we give a little love for some of the most unsung, underappreciated and underrated running backs of all time?
