The vote to determine whether or not we should grant Tiki Barber an automatic spot on our Big Blue View All-Time Giants Team is split almost 50-50. With that in mind, I can't just give him a spot. So, Tiki will have to rely on Big Blue View Nation to vote him in.
Here are your nominees for the two running back slots.
- Tiki Barber -- We all know the numbers. He's the Giants all-time leading rusher (10,449 yards), second-leading receiver of all-time (586 catches), is only the third player in NFL history to have 10,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving, had six 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He is the best running back in Giants history, and should go to the Hall of Fame. What I will be interested to see is, considering that his mouth has turned him into such a hated figure can Big Blue View Nation stomach voting for him?
- Frank Gifford -- Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977, Gifford had 3,609 yards rushing and 5,434 yards receiving in his career. He was named to eight Pro Bowls and was All-Pro four times.
- Joe Morris -- "Little Joe" was a big part of the Giants' 1986 championship team, gaining 1,516 yards (101.1 per game). He gained more than 1,000 yards three times and finished his 8-year career with 5,585 yards. Named to two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team.
- Rodney Hampton -- The powerful Hampton was the Giants' all-time leading rusher (6,897 yards) until he was eclipsed by Barber. Had five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 1991-95. On the down side, he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry for his career, and never reached 4 yards per carry after 1992, his third season in the league.
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Tuffy Leemans -- Played for the Giants from 1936-43, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978. Here is his bio, from Wikipedia:
Leemans finished his pro career in 1943 with 3,132 yards rushing, 28 receptions for 422 yards, and 2,318 yards passing to his credit. He scored 17 touchdowns rushing, 3 on receptions, and passed for 25 more. His career ledger also includes punt return and pass interception statistics. ... During his outstanding eight-year career, he was named first-or second team all-league every year from 1936 to 1942, by either or both the NFL and a major wire service.
You can make arguments that several others belong on this list, including Joe Morrison, Alex Webster, Dave Meggett and possibly others. Realistically, though, the guys on the list are the ones I feel strongly we should be voting on.
As always, vote in the poll. You have until Thursday night.