Trey Sermon in his last two games reminds me of Jim Brown

[eastbaycat99]

It’s a fool’s game to compare players across time-distant eras, but I’ll play the fool and say that watching Trey Sermon run past, through and over the Cats and Clemson gave me a flashback to watching Jim Brown overmatch defenders when I was a kid. Because he was so much better than anyone else on the field when he played, I will always think of Brown as the greatest running back I ever saw.
Since Brown retired, there have certainly been a number of great backs (I particularly enjoyed Walter Payton). I think Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson had a combination of power and speed to come into the conversation, but the way Sermon made two very good defenses look helpless really made me feel like I was in a time warp.
Heaven knows whether Sermon will turn out to actually be one of the greats of this era, or whether his career will fizzle due to injury or some as of yet discovered weakness. I will say that the two games he just had were memorable.

 

[Hungry Jack]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

 

[NUCat320]

It reminds me of Cardale Jones.

 

[CappyNU]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

Think someone had mentioned both were coming off of injuries and Teague got up to speed quicker earlier in the season.

 

[torque-cat]

It’s a fool’s game to compare players across time-distant eras, but I’ll play the fool and say that watching Trey Sermon run past, through and over the Cats and Clemson gave me a flashback to watching Jim Brown overmatch defenders when I was a kid. Because he was so much better than anyone else on the field when he played, I will always think of Brown as the greatest running back I ever saw.
Since Brown retired, there have certainly been a number of great backs (I particularly enjoyed Walter Payton). I think Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson had a combination of power and speed to come into the conversation, but the way Sermon made two very good defenses look helpless really made me feel like I was in a time warp.
Heaven knows whether Sermon will turn out to actually be one of the greats of this era, or whether his career will fizzle due to injury or some as of yet discovered weakness. I will say that the two games he just had were memorable.

He reminds me of Larry Johnson Jr at PSU when he trucked over everyone and then went on to be the best back in the NFL at one point--though his physical style limited his longevity. I never saw Jim Brown and it does seem that relative to his competition he may have been the most advanced--kind of like Wilt Chamberlain. But players have gotten vastly bigger, stronger, faster, better conditioned and the pool of talent is vastly larger due to the growing population and greater incentives today in college and pro sports. The best RB I've ever witnessed is Barry Sanders, college and pro. Bo Jackson may have been the most dominant RB combo of speed and power. Adrian Peterson is in that conversation somewhere and did it much longer. Herschel was a beast in college and USFL, but never dominated the NFL to the same degree as the others in this discussion.

 

[Titanium999]

It’s a fool’s game to compare players across time-distant eras, but I’ll play the fool and say that watching Trey Sermon run past, through and over the Cats and Clemson gave me a flashback to watching Jim Brown overmatch defenders when I was a kid. Because he was so much better than anyone else on the field when he played, I will always think of Brown as the greatest running back I ever saw.
Since Brown retired, there have certainly been a number of great backs (I particularly enjoyed Walter Payton). I think Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson had a combination of power and speed to come into the conversation, but the way Sermon made two very good defenses look helpless really made me feel like I was in a time warp.
Heaven knows whether Sermon will turn out to actually be one of the greats of this era, or whether his career will fizzle due to injury or some as of yet discovered weakness. I will say that the two games he just had were memorable.

Looks like a faster version of beastly Eddie George!

 

[phatcat]

It’s a fool’s game to compare players across time-distant eras, but I’ll play the fool and say that watching Trey Sermon run past, through and over the Cats and Clemson gave me a flashback to watching Jim Brown overmatch defenders when I was a kid. Because he was so much better than anyone else on the field when he played, I will always think of Brown as the greatest running back I ever saw.
Since Brown retired, there have certainly been a number of great backs (I particularly enjoyed Walter Payton). I think Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson had a combination of power and speed to come into the conversation, but the way Sermon made two very good defenses look helpless really made me feel like I was in a time warp.
Heaven knows whether Sermon will turn out to actually be one of the greats of this era, or whether his career will fizzle due to injury or some as of yet discovered weakness. I will say that the two games he just had were memorable.

He had two fantastic games but he had about half of his yards before contact. Their line manhandled us. And Clemson too

 

[Capiche]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

Teague apparently got hurt in the NW game. Hopefully we get him back for Alabama. Sermon has played well but our OL has really jelled in the last 2 games. We need to get some of our DL (Harrison, Friday) back for the the game. Congrats to the Cats for a great season.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

Don’t Coaches always start the wrong RB? At least that is what we’ve been told by this forum.

 

[FanatiCat]

Teague apparently got hurt in the NW game. Hopefully we get him back for Alabama. Sermon has played well but our OL has really jelled in the last 2 games. We need to get some of our DL (Harrison, Friday) back for the the game. Congrats to the Cats for a great season.

I think I saw that Teague got a concussion in the CCG. Probably would’ve been better for us if they were able to stay with Teague and didn’t unleash the Sermon in the 4th quarter.

 

[BigCatFan19]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

Master Teague concussion protocol from NU game

 

[NUera]

I’m just glad he did it to someone other than us! He’s peaking at the right time. We’ll see if he can keep it going after college, but man has it been fun to watch.

 

[chariots]

My comparison is purely statistical. He is one game away from matching the magic of Ezekiel Elliott in 2014.

If Sermon runs for 153 against Bama it would equal the 676 yards in three games Elliott had six years ago and would likely lead the Buckeyes to the title.

 

[KramerCat91]

Sermon transferred from Oklahoma and with limited practices this fall was second to Teague.

 

[WildcatWillie]

Because he was so much better than anyone else on the field when he played, I will always think of Brown as the greatest running back I ever saw.

Jim Brown was indeed in a class by himself. Something I appreciated about him was the matter-of-fact way he went about business. None of this self-congratulatory, chest-pounding, faux-signaling of 1st downs, etc. that one sees now. After even an outstanding play, Brown always acted as if he'd done it before and would doubtless do it again.

Not so well remembered is that he was also the outstanding lacrosse player of his time (or as some say, ever). He was also good enough at Syracuse to be honorable mention All-America in basketball as well. Just Incredible.

Did you know he spent several weeks at NU? In summer of 1957 Jim Brown was on campus with the College All-Stars, preparing to play the prior year's NFL champs in the Tribune-sponsored event at Soldier Field. (As I recall, the All-Stars lost.). Otto Graham was their head coach.

I was on campus that summer and often saw Brown and teammates, as they also took their meals at Sargent Hall. One possible special dispensation made to Brown was that he was permitted to park his impressive new convertible in the driveway between the then-separate Bobb and McCulloch (sp?) halls. Nobody went near that car except to admire it.

Eastbay -- thanks for remembering Brown in comparison to Sermon's recent display of speed and explosiveness as a runner. Perhaps the OSU back will have a long and illustrious career as well, but hopefully not another big game against the Cats.

 

[No Chores]

Jim Brown was indeed in a class by himself. Something I appreciated about him was the matter-of-fact way he went about business. None of this self-congratulatory, chest-pounding, faux-signaling of 1st downs, etc. that one sees now. After even an outstanding play, Brown always acted as if he'd done it before and would doubtless do it again.

Not so well remembered is that he was also the outstanding lacrosse player of his time (or as some say, ever). He was also good enough at Syracuse to be honorable mention All-America in basketball as well. Just Incredible.

Did you know he spent several weeks at NU? In summer of 1957 Jim Brown was on campus with the College All-Stars, preparing to play the prior year's NFL champs in the Tribune-sponsored event at Soldier Field. (As I recall, the All-Stars lost.). Otto Graham was their head coach.

I was on campus that summer and often saw Brown and teammates, as they also took their meals at Sargent Hall. One possible special dispensation made to Brown was that he was permitted to park his impressive new convertible in the driveway between the then-separate Bobb and McCulloch (sp?) halls. Nobody went near that car except to admire it.

Eastbay -- thanks for remembering Brown in comparison to Sermon's recent display of speed and explosiveness as a runner. Perhaps the OSU back will have a long and illustrious career as well, but hopefully not another big game against the Cats.

Thankfully, we have a few old folks like you and I on this Board who remember the great Jim Brown. He remains, in my view, the greatest running back of all time.

 

[wolve1972]

Thankfully, we have a few old folks like you and I on this Board who remember the great Jim Brown. He remains, in my view, the greatest running back of all time.

Agree 100%. The most dominant RB ever

 

[Hungry Jack]

Thankfully, we have a few old folks like you and I on this Board who remember the great Jim Brown. He remains, in my view, the greatest running back of all time.

Yeah. I am amazed that some of you guys actually saw Brown play in person. I only have grainy highlight films, and seeing him as Fireball in "The Running Man" or that hilarious scene in "Mars Attacks."

I would say Walter Payton is the greatest running back of all time. But if that distinction belongs to Jim Brown, then Payton is the greatest football player of all time.

 

[SmellyCat]

It'll always be Barry Sanders for me, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone picking Brown (or Sweetness, for that matter).

 

[Hungry Jack]

Sanders was part running back, part Tasmanian Devil.

 

[Catreporter]

Brown was an unbelievable athlete. He also KICKed extra points. Scored all 21 points for Syracuse in a bowl game back in the 50s.

 

[DaCat]

Brown was an unbelievable athlete. He also KICKed extra points. Scored all 21 points for Syracuse in a bowl game back in the 50s.

Did he have to play two ways too in college? Thought I heard that somewhere.

 

[Gladeskat]

Agree 100%. The most dominant RB ever

At 6'2" and 230 lbs, he was the size of the average defensive or offensive lineman back then. He was very dominant for his era.

 

[eastbaycat99]

At 6'2" and 230 lbs, he was the size of the average defensive or offensive lineman back then. He was very dominant for his era.

I agree with Gladeskat about Brown’s dominance relative to the players of his era.
One thing that has not changed as much relatively is speed. O.J. Or Bob Hayes would still be fast relative to players at their positions. In the late ‘60s I saw a guy named Ivory Crockett run back kicks and punts in a high school game. He had recorded a 9.3 hundred yard time the previous spring, and a few years later set the world record in the 100 yard dash, and blew out the 100 meter record by .2 only to have it not count because the wind was something like 2 mph over the acceptable limit. Needless to say, after he returned his first 2 touches for TDS, every ensuing kickoff was on sides and punt was out of bounds.
The main difference these days is how big (and strong) everyone is.

 

[kawacko]

He looks like a helluva back and NFL prospect. Is Master Teague hurt, or did Sermon somehow sit behind him for too long? Teague is a fine player, but Sermon is demonstrably better.

Maybe if Teague dosen't get a concussion we never see Sermon.

 

[klemman]

Teague was coming into this year after a torn Achilles and Sermon after a torn ACL. Both showed the kind of hesitancy you would expect early in the year.

Jim Brown was an amazing athlete. An All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse as well. I'm too young to have seen Brown play, but old enough to remember when he was thought of as the best running back ever and no one close. Since then there are some players who can be in the argument.

My personal favorite was #34. The yardage he would have had if he had even 3 years of a decent passing game threat during his career not to mention a half dozen. As it was he was still had a Hall of Fame Career playing 1 on 11 during his prime.