herschel walker vs bo jackson

by Will
(Jacksonville, Florida)

If you're talkin about the best of all time these two and top dogs.....but as i would have to go with herschel for the tie breaker because i think he did more with less at georgia in a shorter period of time

The Bo vs. Herschel debate came up again. Send this to all your Auburn friends and end the debate.

Anyone who's watched SEC football for the past, oh, 50 years knows that when it comes to running backs, there's Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, and everyone else. So who's the better college running back? Bo? Herschel? There are a few ways you can look at this one.

1. Freshman impact. No contest here. Herschel set the freshman rushing record at 1,616 yards - and he did that in the equivalent of 9 games (he missed the bulk of the Ole Miss game, and a half against both UT and TCU). Bo? 829 yards. Ho hum. Or let me put it this way: Bo rushed for fewer yards as a freshman than Jasper Sanks did as a sophomore. Herschel should have won the Heisman as a freshman. Bo? Bo wasn't diddly as a freshman.Advantage: Herschel, and Bo doesn't really deserve to be mentioned in his company here.

2. Season rushing stats. Let's take a look at their seasons in terms of yards gained per season and put them in order.

1. 1,891 yards. Herschel, 1981.
2. 1,786 yards. Bo, 1985.
3. 1,752 yards. Herschel, 1982.
4. 1,616 yards. Herschel, 1980.
5. 1,213 yards. Bo, 1983.
6. 829 yards. Bo, 1982.
7. 475 yards. Bo, 1984.

Auburn fans will quickly remind you that Bo's 1984 season was shortened by injury. I will remind Auburn fans that Herschel missed a game and a half his freshman year and a game his junior year based on injury. OK, so let's go ahead and play the "what if" game. What if Bo and Herschel hadn't missed any time due to injury? To let you know how I came up with these numbers, I did it like this. Herschel missed 1.5 games in 1980 due to injury. Take 1,616, divide by 9.5, multiply by 11 for the revised total. Here are the "no injuries" numbers:

1. 1,936 yards. Herschel, 1982.
2. 1,891 yards. Herschel, 1981.
3. 1,871 yards. Herschel, 1980.
4. 1,786 yards. Bo, 1985.
5. 1,213 yards. Bo, 1983.
6. 1,045 yards. Bo, 1984.
7. 829 yards. Bo, 1982.

Bo don't know Herschel's yards. Put another way, Herschel's 3 years are 3 of the top 5 rushing totals in SEC history. Bo's second best year doesn't even make the top 20.

Advantage: Herschel, and it's not close.

3. Career rushing stats.
Herschel: 5,259 yards in 3 years
Bo: 4,303 yards in 4 years.

Some Auburn fans will tell you that a healthy Bo Jackson would have outrushed Herschel over 4 years. Fine. Let's play that game, too. I'll even give Bo a 1984 equivalent to his best season, 1985. Don't forget, though, that Herschel had another full year to play when he left. Giving Herschel the equivalent of his best year, you get these numbers:

Herschel: 7,150 yards
Bo: 5,614 yards

Sorry, Aubies. Advantage: Herschel, and again, it's not even close.

4. Durability. To make it through the always-brutal SEC schedule, a running back must have durability. The best home-run running back in the world doesn't do squat from the bench.

Per game: Herschel has two of the top 4 rush attempts in a game. Bo doesn't even make the list.
Per season: Herschel has the top 2 seasons. Bo's best season is at #15.
Career: Herschel had more rushes in 3 years than anyone in SEC history had in 4.

No contest here. Compared to Herschel, Bo was a china doll. Bo took himself out of games. Herschel put himself back in them. Advantage: Herschel, and Bo isn't in the same class.

5. Team impact. Good players get good stats. Great players get great stats. Elite players lift the teams around them. Let's look at the team records and accomplishments.

National championships: In Herschel's 3 years, Georgia won a national championship and played for another. In Bo's 4, Auburn won none and played for none.

SEC championships: Georgia won 3 in Herschel's 3 years. Auburn won 1 in Auburn 's 4.

Winning percentage:
Georgia: .917 (33-3), Auburn: .755 (37-12)
At home: Georgia: 1.000 (19-0), Auburn: .846 (22-4)
Away: Georgia: .909 (10-1), Auburn: .714 (10-4)
SEC: Georgia: 1.000 (18-0), Auburn: .708 (17-7)

Win streaks:
Home: Georgia: 19, Auburn: 10
SEC: Georgia: 18, Auburn: 9

AP final ranking:
Georgia: 1, 6, 4, Auburn: 14, 3, 14, unranked

Bowls:
Georgia: Sugar, Sugar, Sugar, Auburn: Tangerine, Sugar, Liberty , Cotton

Advantage: Herschel, and Bo is nowhere near.

6. Heisman balloting:
Herschel:
1980: 3rd (highest ever point total for a freshman)
1981: 2nd
1982: 1st (margin, 695 votes over John Elway)

Herschel beat out such names as John Elway, Eric Dickerson, Anthony Carter, and Dan Marino.

Bo:
1982: not on the ballot
1983: not on the ballot
1984: not on the ballot
1985: 1st (margin, 45 votes over Chuck Long, the closest vote ever)

Bo beat out such names as Chuck Long, Robbie Bosco, Vinny Testaverde, and Allan Pinckett.

Advantage: Herschel, and Bo doesn't approach him.

7. Other arguments.

Bo was a great baseball player. So was Nolan Ryan, but no one mistook him for a football player.

Bo had a better pro career. By what standards? Consider this:

Bo never had over 1,000 yards. Herschel did it for two different teams.

Bo never finished in the league's top 10 in any statistic in any season. Herschel was in the top 10 in rushing yards twice, rushing scores 5 times, receptions twice, yards from scrimmage 4 times, and rush/recieve TD's twice.

Bo never finished in the top 50 for any stat in his career. Herschel is in 5 categories. Herschel is the only player to have 10,000+ yards gained on offense and 5,000+ yards on kickoff returns. Herschel is one of only six players to exceed 60 TDs rushing and 20 TDs receiving.

Bo is only one of two players with two 90+ yard rushing TDs, but Herschel is the only player in NFL history to score a 90+ yard TD rushing, receiving, and kickoff return in the same season, and he did it in his 30's.

In conclusion:

The SEC has seen a lot of great players, and a lot of great running backs. None of them have been better in four years than Herschel Walker was in three, and that includes Bo Jackson. Bo had one great year. So did Charles Alexander from LSU and Kentucky 's Mo Williams, who both exceeded 1,600 yards in a season. So did Florida 's Emmitt Smith, Auburn 's Rudi Johnson, and Georgia 's Garrison Hearst, who all exceeded 1,500 yards in a season. No one, however, has had the sustained excellence that Herschel had throughout his career.

No one comes close. Not even Bo.

Editor's Note:

Thanks Will, great submission. Fantastic. To give credit where due, this submission appears to have been first submitted at http://igottarant.com/showthread.php?p=217500

Check out this great herschel walker video at

Herschel Walker Video.

Also check out:

Herschel Walker Biography

Bo Jackson Biography

Comments for herschel walker vs bo jackson

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May 30, 2008
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wow
by: Anonymous

i wish i was as smart as this guy

Aug 18, 2008
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UGA vs Penn State
by: Anonymous

I watched the UGA Title game against PennState - and Herschel got his hat handed to him by one of the linebackers early in the game and never did much the rest of the game- result - UGA lost. That was the only time I saw Herschel lose a head on fight.

Good comparison in the article. I Bo was a great athlete, but the best running back was Herschel!

Sep 26, 2008
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MAN
by: SEC FANS SUCK

This site is so PRO Georgia its not even freaking funny

O.J Simpson was the best running back ever though

Oct 06, 2008
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Bo vs Herschel is Auburn vs Georgia
by: Tim

I love the "Bo vs. Herschel" debate. I've gone round and round
with
others about it. In the end I think it depends on whether
you are
talking about the best athlete or best football player.

As someone
else said, I think Bo Jackson was the best athlete and Herschel Walker
the best football player.

Even though I'm a Georgia fan, I still give Bo his due. He was
an amazing athlete. No one ever "knew" as many sports as Bo
Jackson.
Remember those "Bo Knows" ads?

Funny that the debate over the best SEC football player ever comes
down to a Georgia vs Auburn debate. Of course, Herschel was
from Georgia and Bo from Auburn.

The Georgia vs Auburn
rivalry is known as the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" and is one
of,
if not the, best in the SEC.

There is a discussion of the incredible
'96 Auburn-Georgia game at Best
All-Time SEC Football Rivalry Games.

Oct 13, 2008
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Bo Jackson
by: Anonymous

Bo Jackson is the bes then Barry Sanders then
Hershchel...
There all great tho

May 08, 2009
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Look deeper
by: Anonymous

When doing the comparison, you have to look at all the facts. Herschel played in an I-Formation offense all three of the years he was at UGA. Bo played in a Wishbone for the first three years. UGA had no other running backs outside of Herschel who carried the ball, Bo was playing with Lionel James, Brent Fullwood and Tommie Agee. All great running backs in their own right. As a result Bo never averaged more than 17 carries/game in his career, while Herschel was closer to 30 carreies/game. These items nullify any yards per season argument. Yards/carry is the true measure and Bo at almost 6 yds/carry is far greater than Herchels barely 4yds/carry. Hershel is not even in the top 20 for yds/carry in the SEC, while Bo is at the top. Herschel was a great back, but Bo did more with less, and he also played hurt. Played against Alabama with busted ribs, and dislocated his shoulder because he was playing hurt against Texas.

May 14, 2009
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What are you 12?
by: Thor

You certainly form an argument like a 12 year old.
All Georgia, all the time, cater to your own fanbase much?

May 15, 2009
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This is for look deeper
by: Anonymous

Dude are you serious? Bo had alot more to work with than herchel. He played with two other great backs like you said thats already more than herschel. Georgia did not have anybody special when herschel got there and yes he played in a I formation team that would depend on the tailback every game to perform. Herschel played hurt too buddy how bout playing with a dislocated shoulder in the national championship against notre dame back in there prime and dominace in college football. Did bo ever play in a national championship? oh no he didnt and he had two other great running backs to help him. dude you know nothing about SEC football! Get the h*** outta here!

Sep 16, 2009
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Bo.. greatest ever.
by: uconn(fan)

I think these two backs are the greatest ever.

Bo Jackson was taller and heavier than Walker.
Bo ran the 40 time in 4.12 seconds at that size!
Bo is 6-1", 220-230lbs, where in all of history can we find a human being that can match that?
He was the only player in history to make the all-star status in the NFL and MLB! Bo turn down the olympic team! Both Steve Largent and Lenny Moore have said he is the greatest running back and athlete they have ever seen.

Hershel is great but Bo Jackson is unbelievable.
Remember, Bo Jackson out ran cornerbacks in the NFL. He simply is the greatest ever.

Uconn fan out!

Sep 16, 2009
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wow
by: Anonymous

Yes Bo was fast but so was herschel...they both had outstanding track numbers....herschel ran the 100m in 10.10 seconds and bo ran it in 10.39 seconds....thats really flying for two guys that were 225

Oct 23, 2009
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Great breakdown.
by: Anonymous

Great breakdown.

Dec 11, 2009
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Looking Deeper Still
by: sec fan

I watched Hershel run over teams and thought he was the greatest until I saw Bo in person the first time. He did play hurt and that is what caused him to dislocate his shoulder against Texas. Healthy, I saw him run away from defenders, and more often than not, it was after running over them. In the pro's I saw him run over the Boz in the greatest performance by a running back on Monday Night Football. I wonder what he might have done had he not had his hip dislocated.

Oh and by the way, what he did on the baseball field was even more amazing, hitting Monster homeruns. I watched him take batting practice at UAB where he hit cars parked at the gas pumps of a service station(now the 8th AVE on ramp to I65 North) on the opposite side of the Intersection directly behind the Big Green Wall in straight away centerfield, easily a 600 fot shot. I also remeber seeing him jump a 5ft fence chasing down a fowl ball and land on his feet on one ocasion and on another in the pursuit of a fly ball in the gap actually ran up the wall at an angle using it like a banked turn in racing. The man was the greatest athlete I have ever seen.

Playing the 'What If' game, If Bo had been in a power I instead of the wishbone, He would have gotten another 5 to 10 carries a game and shattered all the rushing records in the SEC. Something to remember is that Bo still put up huge numbers when Auburn rarely threw the ball and everyone in the stadium knew he would get the ball when the game was on the line.

Jan 30, 2010
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Herschel's the man
by: Anonymous

I'll put it simply Herschel period the end. There is a reason he was recently voted the greatest college player ever to live. He deserves the PRO FOOTBALL HALL of FAME as MUCH as ANYONE. He could easily be considered the GREATEST ATHELTE OF ALL TIME. What I'd like to know is there anything Herschel can't do.

Feb 18, 2010
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what he conveniently fails to mention...
by: Anonymous

Is that Bo not only played baseball in the college football offseason (while Herschel rested and recuperated), but Bo also shared the backfield with some great Auburn running backs. Herschel got many more carries than Bo did, hence loftier stats.

Mar 25, 2010
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Bo was better
by: Anonymous

Yards per carry is all that matters from a logical approach. BO was superior to Walker in that regard. The majority of your argument is based on total yards and that is a weak argument.

For example, if I hand the ball off to a running back 1000 times in his career and he gets 4000 yards as a result, he's really only getting 4 yards per carry. However, most people look at the 4000 yards only and conclude "best ever". That's what you're doing for the most part.

However if I hand the ball off to another running back only 500 times and he gets 3000 yards in his career, he's actually averaging MORE yards per carry than the first back. But all people seem to want to do is look at the TOTAL yardage.

The second back is actually MORE productive. This is basically an Smith vs. Sanders debate albeit with Bo and Hershel instead.

Most people realize Barry was the better back but Emitt had more accolades and yards. The same is true here. Bo was actually the better back but all people seem to want to do is look at Heisman awards and total yards.

May 07, 2010
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BEST OF TWO WORLDS
by: Anonymous

Ok, i got to see both of them, and earl campbell at texas..forgot marcus dupree?Both of them were great!. Hershel Walker was a freak...and so was Bo(PHYSICALLY SPEAKING)..both world class sprinters in track,one a great decathlete, the other RAN 10.2+100METERS. I saw him lead calvin smith, and emmitt king(for 65 meters)calvin was the world record holder then.(Uof F)Hershall was unbelieveable,couldn't tackle him,Bo-punished you,I remember him against florida, and bo against Michigan..old two long runs called back georgia fans..anyhow,it was a pleasure to see them both in my life time..saw OJ,CHARLES WHITE,BARRY-WOW(IMAGINE NOT BEING A BACK-UP TOO THURMOND THOMAS)...BUT MY FAVORITE WAS BO JACKSON, YET HERSHEL HAS THE HEART OF A LION, AND NEVER, TOOK A SNAP OFF..EVEN NOW, HE'D KICK A LOT OF BEHINDS ACROSS THE MAT..HA GO HERSHEL..

Jun 11, 2010
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This guy must be from Georgia
by: Raider

Funny at the end where this author still bad mouths Bo's pro stats but he fails to mention that he only played in 7-8 games a year because of his baseball career. For the guy who likes the for instances, put together Bo's stats if he played a full football season???? Plus, you fail to mention that Bo was on the NCAA 4 X 100 chamionship team and the baseball team. So, please give him some excuse for not staying 100 healthy. What year did you graduate from Georgia?

Jun 12, 2010
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Missing Statistic
by: Anonymous

The ONE little thing you forgot to mention... Just a thought average yards per carry, since Herschel also has the record for most carries (3 years). Herschel: 5.3, Bo: 6.6 so if bo had the same number of carries as Herschel: (throw in barry sanders for fun, only played one year)

College Statistics

Herschel: 5,259 yds 159.4 yds/gm 52 TD 5.3 yds/att
Bo: 6,560 yds 172.6 yds/gm 43 TD 6.6 yds/att
Barry: 2,628 yds 238.9 yds/gm 37 TD 7.6 yds/att

Bo >> Herschel but Barry >> everyone else

Aug 22, 2010
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H.W. VS B.J.
by: >E

HERSCHEL WALKER VS BO JACKSON! Now thats what u call a THOROUGH topic between 2 of the greatest total packaged athletes ever! They both r evenly matched & if them 2 were on the same team in there prime they would of been the best 2 man combo ever!

If they had a 2 on 2 all around athlete competition while these 2 guys were in there prime they would of came out on top ever time! W/ all that said when it comes 2 H.W. vs B.J. this is a battle 2 the end!

They r the only 2 athletes that have these 4 gifts combined & each gift they r top notch @ & thats why i said only these 2 guys have it! They both have top speed , top strenght , top size , top power & thats what u call a complete , thorough , universal athlete that has the total package & thats why they dominate because they have all this combined like no other! They both would dominate the competition in college but if u gotta pick 1 HERSCHEL would probably have a slight edge! When it comes 2 the NFL BO would continue 2 dominate the competition , its just 2 bad he couldnt play a full season because he was playing baseball & 2 bad he got hurt & ended his NFL career but he still has enough highlights 2 last 4 eternity! He didnt dominate baseball like he did football but he did some super hero things in baseball! When he hit a homerun it would go in2 space & his arm could throw it back 2 earth , lol! He would run up walls in the outfield & break bats over his leg like it was nothing! He threw the football @ a scoreboard 1 time! BO was out of this world @ times! BO KNOWNS!

HERSCHEL played 4 awhile in the NFL but he didnt dominate like i thought he would! He had a ok career but he didnt look like the same guy that was in college dominating the competition! They both r top notch athletes but when its all said & done i gotta go w/ my main man BO JACKSON!

Aug 22, 2010
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A few stats conveniently omitted
by: Anonymous

- Bo Jackson faced a strength of schedule of .601. Herschel Walker's foes' winning % was .485. Of Bo Jackson?s 41 games, 29 of his opponents had a winning record. Herschel Walker faced only 15 winning teams out of 36 games.

- Number of games averaging 5 or more yards per carry:
Bo avg'd 5+ yds/carry in 29 of 41 (70.7%) of his games. Herschel avg'ed 5+ yds/carry in 16 of 36 (44.4%) games.

- Number of games averaging 7 or more yards per carry:
Bo avg'ed 7+ yds/carry in 10 of 41 games (24.4%). Herschel in only 3 of 36 games (8.3%).

- Let's look at games when Herschel and Bo both had 20+ carries. Walker had 33 games of at least 20 carries; Bo Jackson had 12.
Walker: 165.5 YPG/5.19 avg/18.4 att per TD
Jackson: 182.7 YPG/6.74 avg/17.1 att per TD
So Bo avg'ed more yds/game, more than 1.5 yds PER CARRY and scored more frequently.

Herschel was a workhorse. Bo did more with the opportunities he was given. I can't imagine the #s Bo would have posted had he been able to run out of the "I" for four years, instead of only one, and been able to carry nearly as often as Herschel.

Sep 08, 2010
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Not all about yards/carry
by: Anonymous

This is an interesting discussion. I do have a comment for the guy who said that average yards per carry is all that matters. That is simply not true. There is a multitude of things to consider and total yards is as relevant as yards per carry.

Nobody would consider a back who had one carry for 10 yards to be the best ever...

You have to credit guys who can carry the ball 30 times a game and wear a defense down. Maybe the yards per carry are less but there's something to be said for a guy who you can count on to carry the load when your team needs it.

I love it that someone mentioned Dupree. He played right around the time these other two did and he was a physical freak in his own right. Had he had the work-ethic that the other two had he would be mentioned in the same sentence as these two guys. But, of course, he didn't.

Oct 22, 2010
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Bo was much better
by: Anonymous

I will have to remind you Bo Jackson had a shitty Offensive Coordinator. If he had played for Malzahn four years he would have had four Heisman trophies.

Nov 07, 2010
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h
by: Anonymous

Herschel played like one season in the NFL and BO played baseball so he played half seasons in the NFL. IN college Herschel got more carries than Bo but Bo averaged more yards per carry by almost 1 his carrier so if he had as many carries as herschel he would have had more yards. but good try though

Nov 12, 2010
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Marcus Dupree was more natural than BOTH
by: Anonymous

Marcus Dupree was a more natural runner than BOTH of them

that's right BOTH

1144 yds on 146 carries with 6 TD's over 60 yds and a 77 yd punt return as an 18 yr old

the ONLY yr we ever got to see Marcus at full strength was as an 18 yr old 235lb freshman

his vision and moves and cutting were superior to Bo or Herschel his will and work ethic were not

Give Marcus Herschels carries and he goes for 2000+ as a freshman

played vs BEST D in the country and went for 240 in HALF a game vs Arizona State in Fiesta Bowl while weighing 245 and coming back out of shape from Chrismas

Marcus was a more natural runner than either and only a HAIR slower

If he would have remained healthy and focused the debate would be who is the 2nd best ever because Dupree would have been the best

Feb 24, 2011
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I wrote this.
by: Rabid Dawg

I was the one to originally put this up - on the Dawg Run - as Rabid Dawg. It took a lot of research, so I'd really appreciate being credited for this.

Feb 24, 2011
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I'll even add to this, Barners.
by: Rabid Dawg

Some of you have voiced additional arguments for Bo over Herschel: yards per carry, and the offense that Bo was in. Let's deal with these one at a time. I'll start with the offense, because that carries implications for the yards per carry argument.

Yes, Bo was in the wishbone formation. Yes, that did limit his carries to a limited extent. However, the main difficulty in playing against any triple-option team is that it turns into assignment football and allows more one-on-one matchups at the sidelines. In this respect, running backs in the wishbone formation tend to get fewer carries, and more yards per carry. Bo's yard per carry average is actually inflated by the offense he was in. To support this point, let's look at a different wishbone running back. In 1982, Michael Haddix was the feature back in the Mississippi State offense. From 1979-1982, Haddix averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Was he a better running back than Herschel Walker? Certainly not. His yard per carry average was inflated by the offense he was in. You can't use the "limited number of carries" argument without acknowledging that the wishbone is an offense that yields more yards per carry than the I-formation.

This segues nicely into the second argument: yards per carry. Bo's only full year running the I-formation was 1985. He was the feature back in that offense. That season, Bo rushed for 1,786 yards on 278 carries - a 6.4 yard per carry average. Over 11 regular-season games, this translated into 162.4 yards per game. Herschel's comparable season was 1981. In 11 games, Herschel rushed for 1,891 yards on 385 carries - a 4.9 yard per carry average. An Auburn fan would claim that makes Bo a better running back, but does it really? Look at the per game average. Herschel's per game average was 171.9. 171.9 > 162.4. Herschel also rushed for 18 TDs, while Bo rushed for 17. During the only seasons when Bo and Herschel played in the same number of games and in a comparable offense, Herschel was more productive on a per-game basis, and scored more touchdowns on the season. This renders the per-carry argument irrelevant. One final note: for his career, Brent Fullwood had a higher ypc - 7.2 - than Bo. Any Auburn fans care to argue that Fullwood was better than Bo? I thought not.

Feb 24, 2011
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Further...
by: Rabid Dawg

I'd like to make one more observation. During his regular season career, Herschel played in a total of 31 games. In those 31 games, Herschel had 5,259 rushing yards, 5,749 all-purpose yards, and 52 TDs. During his regular season career, Bo played in a total of 37 games (junior season limited by injury). In those 37 games, Bo had 4,303 rushing yards, 4,575 yards, and 45 TDs. Average rushing yards per game: Herschel, 169.6; Bo, 116.2. Average all-purpose yards per game: Herschel, 185.4; Bo, 123.6. Scoring per game average: Herschel, 10.1 points per game; Bo, 7.3 points per game. Herschel was more productive on the ground per game, in all-purpose yards per game, and scored more points per game. This, again, renders the yards per carry average irrelevant. Don't try to extrapolate the yards per carry - Bo had a complete senior season in the I-formation, and didn't get more carries because Pat Dye knew that he wasn't physically up to it. Ask any Florida fan: their defense put Bo out of at least one game. Herschel put the Florida defense out of games. Bo simply did not have the physical toughness that Herschel had - and that's the defining difference between Bo, the second-greatest running back in SEC history, and the greatest, Herschel Walker. It's why Herschel had more carries, ran for more yards, had more all-purpose yards, and scored more touchdowns in FEWER GAMES.

Moderators: please feel free to append these addition to my original post.

Oct 07, 2011
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Forget Walker -- Bo wins!!
by: Terry

Bo wins without question because of an awesome 6.6 yards per carry, almost 2 higer than your Mr Walker's. You probably knew this and intentionally left it out. Busted -- War Eagle

Dec 10, 2012
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Guy that wrote "look deeper" comment is wrong about HW's avg yard/carry
by: Anonymous

Herschel averaged more like 5.3 yards/carry over his career...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Walker

1980 - avg 5.9
1981 - avg 4.9
1982 - avg 5.2

Dec 25, 2012
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Georgia These Days
by: Geaux Tigers

Funny thing about this article, Georgia still shows 1980 highlights of Walker, because that was the last time they have had a nat. championship team.
They simply cannot win big games.

Nov 14, 2014
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"not so fast"
by: donell

all that is true about walker, but BO was a far better two sports star, the ONLY person to be named to the NFL pro bowl AND the MLB all star game, and his 40 tme was faster......BO 4.32 vs. walker's 4.39

May 02, 2015
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Better than Bo I don't think so.
by: Anonymous

Now let me say starting out this pains me to no end to admit because I am a diehard Crimson Tide fan. We have to be honest a RB is measured on one stat and one stat alone and that's Y.P.C. "yards per carry" and Bo owns that stat over Herschel my friends. Bo is a 3rd better at that stat "Bo 6-ypc" "Herschel 4-ypc" not even close so its no comparison.

Oh and let me tell you this in todays football 4-ypc can put you on the bench. I will say this every yardage stat you posted in this article was made irrelevant when you didn't put attempts and average yards per carry in the stat. Hell if you run any average RB enough he could break every record in the books. Then in the pro's its the same thing Bo's YPC are much better than Herschel's. So all the writing you did with stats were made null and void without at least one of those two stats. I mean there's a bunch of things you could say about Herschel but being better than Bo ain't one of them. The truth is clear Herschel got way more carries in 3 year than Bo did in 4 years. The facts don't lie my friend.

Jun 20, 2015
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best ?
by: Anonymous

gee - do you think this writer is a bulldog fan ???????????????????

Sep 11, 2015
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My two cents, Herschel Walker wins the argument.
by: Anonymous

I took a different approach at analyzing who would be my choice, Herschel or Bo.

I first heard about Herschel Walker during my junior year in high school, in 1980. There was an article about him in our local paper referring to him as Hurrying Herschel Walker. The article said he had rushed for over 6,000 yards or something, before the beginning of his senior year, said he had a close to a 4.0 GPA, could have attended Harvard, was a black belt in karate, and had world class track and field sprinters speed. I watched him compete in the Olympic Trials in 1980, where he came in fourth.

So when I hear that Bo Jackson was a better athlete, and ran faster than Herschel, I don't believe it. I know Bo ran track at Auburn, and as fast as Bo Jackson was, and he was fast, I don't recall that he had world class sprinter speed, and I don't recall that he ever was fast enough to compete in the Olympic trials. There is a difference between football speed and track and field speed. Very few fast football players can compete successfully in track and field against world class sprinters. Herschel Walker could.

Herschel was born on March 03, 1962. Bo was born on November 31, 1962. So, they were born in the same calendar year, which means they should have finished high school in the same graduating class, the class of 1980. Since Bo was born late in the year, it would not be unusual for him to have graduated in 1981. Herschel graduated in 1980, but Bo did not graduate until 1982. By graduating in 1982, Bo had a real unfair advantage over his competition. He played against guys two years younger. There is a huge difference in physical development of a 17 or 18 year old high school senior and a 19, almost 20 year old playing high school football.

To me, Herschel was a better athlete and better running back in high school, college, and the pros. His college football records, his stats, and his performance speak for themselves. Not to take anything from Bo, because he was an awesome athlete and football player, but he was no Herschel Walker. Herschel had a better college football career, doing more with less in fewer number of years.

As far as being a better athlete, Herschel was a world class sprinter, competed in the winter Olympics, ran in the summer Olympic trials, is a world class martial artist, and still looks like he could play at 53. Bo was a great football player, baseball player, and was fast enough to run track at Auburn, but I don't believe he was as fast as Herschel. Herschel was a world class athlete in 4 sports, while Bo was world class in 2.

When Herschel played at Georgia, he wasn't a 20 year old freshman, like Bo was at Auburn. Herschel dominated the college football landscape as an 18 year old freshman, 19 year old sophomore, and 20 year old junior. Bo did not dominate the college football landscape as a 20 year old freshman, 21 year old sophomore, or 22 year old junior, when he should have been a rookie in the NFL.

Feb 14, 2018
Rating

Bo knows ( that Herschel was better )
by: Anonymous

You can't do "what if's " you have to go with what is... Football is a game of durability also and Herschel was much more durable than Bo. I saw the Tennessee game where Bo took himself out of the game .. and was at full speed a week later.. Tennessee had put the brakes on Bo.. Herschel had more yardage in three years than Bo did in four... You say that Bo averaged more yards per carry but that is because he ran in the wishbone and carried the ball fewer times... If you want to see some impressive yards per carry just go back to the wishbone days and look at some of the great Oklahoma backs... Herschel was faster and both were 6'1" 225 .. Herschel turned in the second fastest 100 time in the NCAA Behind Carl Lewis who turned out to be the worlds fastest human in his day...Bo's 4.1 40yd. time was hand held timing and his next fastest was never below 4.34 ... Brent Fullwood said he outran Bo everyday in practice .... and Fullwood also said he himself ran a 4.1 40 hand held time... Test show that .25 needs to be added to hand time..

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