Was John Riggins a fullback?

[white is right]

I know he wasn't a pure fullback and played a hybrid type role, similar to an Alstott or Bettis. But for technical purposes was he listed as fullback or tailback?

 

[Don Wassall]

He was a fullback, but until the Caste System era fullback was often a running position. Jim Taylor was a fullback, Larry Csonka was a fullback, Rocky Bleier (a thousand yard rusher in '76) was a fullback, so was Jim Brown for that matter. The fullback and halfback often lined up alongside each other, and both carried the ball. It's only in the past 15 years or so that most fullbacks became an extra offensive lineman.

 

[whiteCB]

Yeah back before the 80s fullback just simply meant what the word itself implies. That is a bigger,or fuller, sized runningback. The FB back in the day recieved just as many carries as a HB, or smaller back, did.

 

[White Shogun]

I always thought the terms, quarter-, half-, and full- back indicated their position on the field in relation to the ball, i.e. the quarterback was 1/4 'back' from the ball, the halfback 1/2 'back' from the ball, and the fullback of course the farthest 'back' from the ball.

After reading this thread, I decided to see what Google had to offer. Here are a few links that I came across that describe the origins of the words and how the positions developed into what they are today.

Origin of the Running Species

The Origin of Football Terms

History of Position Names in American and Canadian Football

 

[sport historian]

Don is right. Through the 1960's, the fullback got more carries than the halfback on most teams in what was called the "pro set." The Raiders featured the fullback as the main runner until they drafted Marcus Allen in 1982.

This changed when the "I Formation" became the favorite formation in the 1970's. I believe Riggins ran out of the two back set with the Jets from 1971-75. In 1976, George Allen gave him a mammoth contract with Washington, and proceded to use him pretty much like fullbacks are used now.

Jack Pardee moved Riggins back from the line in 1978, and he went over 1000 in 1978-79. In 1982, Joe Gibbs placed Riggins at tailback in the "I," and he was MVP of Super Bowl XVII. John Riggins never really had an ideal situation until he was 33 years old.

 

[white is right]

Yes I was going to say that he was the tailback in the eye and the smaller Joe Washington was the fullback in most situations. They also had another fullback with an Italian or hispanic surname who blocked for him spelling Washington. But I always heard him mentioned as fullback eventhough I remember him lining up as a tailback.....

 

[Guest]

John Riggins was a stud. Pure and simple.


Who cares whether he was FB or TB. The guy was the best running back on just about any team, so you give a guy like that the ball and watch him move the chains and score TDs.

 

[Don Wassall]

Interesting that the white race, which had always produced great running backs, all of a sudden stopped producing them some 30 years ago, well after the NFL and I-A had been integrated. This dramatic development was as sudden and seemingly permanent as the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Football always had "Riggins types," and then presto, no more ever again.

 

[backrow]

exactly Don, and for the last one of those dinosaurs (Alstott)2006 will be the last season... and if talented guys like Hartigan and Lumsden can't make it, who can? Brian Leonard might be the last white hope...

 

[Leonardfan]

Kyle Bell and Jayson Bird might have a decent chance if they put up great numbers to be drafted in the later rounds. Hopefully the schools in the WAC and other schools out west continue to give a fair shot to whites.

 

[backrow]

stats? ask Mike Hass about what stats mean in the current NFL... they will find something against everyone - maybe with the exception of Leonard who's an exceptional athlete, with great speed, strength, power and skill... all the best to Kyle Bell and all of the others but i am becoming more and more pesimistic by a day... if nothing changes until next season, i'll probably give up watching NFL...

 

[Don Wassall]

These running backs and wide receivers overcome the numerous obstacles designed to filter whites out at the I-A level (and before) only to get ignored when forced to sign with the NFL as free agents or late round draft picks. There's no question that there have been many white players since the Caste System went into effect who would have been notjustvery capable RBs, WRs, CBs,safeties, etc., butwho would have had Hall of Fame careers if given the same opportunities in college and the NFL as black talents get.

 

[lumsdenpower]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjcZbZ5Oe4M

One word : AMAZING

 

[bigman]

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