Here are the Top Massillon Running Backs of All Time

Football on the offensive side of the line has changed drastically throughout its long history, from the Bunch and Single-Wing formations of the early days, to the Full House-T, Wing-T, Power-I, Veer and Wishbone sets of the middle ages, and onto the modern day Spread Offense.  But one aspect has remained constant throughout all that time; i.e., the need to run the ball to be successful.  And that has been ever so true at Massillon, which has been fortunate enough to have had many outstanding running backs come through the program.

Some of the backs showcased their abilities with great averages per carry.  Others were the workhorses of their teams, with high levels of carries that resulted in a lot of yards and touchdowns.  And then there were those that excelled in both categories.  But nearly all have found their way into the current Tiger records book.

This story presents what is perceived to be Massillon’s best running backs of all time, disbursed by decade.  The selections are based on game statistics, post-season awards (All-Ohio and Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame), and football after Massillon (college and pro).  The story does not, however, attempt to rank the players from across the board due to a number of influential factors, including:

• Detailed player statistics were not available until 1959.
• Offensive formations were constantly changing, with each presenting a different style of play and related run/pass ratio.
• The state playoff system was introduced in 1972, resulting in additional games, with the ever-increasing number of participating teams over time.

Therefore, it is left to the reader to decide which player was the best.