3:29 The other # 34 in that shot for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Andy Russell who passed away last week on February 29th. Andy Russell was one of my all time favorite players who hailed from the University of Missouri. He went from being on some pretty putrid Steeler's teams to being a mainstay for their Super Bowl runs R.I.P. Andy Russell 1941-2024 Again Mark thanks for another quality video to get my day started !
Thank you for commenting about Andy Russell. While he appears to have the accomplishments that Hall of Fame voters like, he has been left out. I think it's a case of the Steelers having so many players in already. A similar player who has experienced the same fate, I think, is Packers guard Gale Gillingham.
Dang! I missed the news of Andy Russell dying. Going up in central Pennsylvania we revered Jack Ham, but, the kids a few years older waxed on about how awesome Russell was...rip #34.
Andy Russell anchored the Steeler linebackers before Jack Ham and Jack Lambert got there. Jack Ham from Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown and Penn State. He still does commentary on the Penn State Radio broadcast ,but if you're from Central PA you probably know all of that already@@9Hammers
@@markgardner9460 Sipe from San Diego St. The experts said he had too weak an arm. A lot to be said about savvy and throwing the ball on time. The good QBs don't just "Find the open receiver" but "Throw the receiver open."
What an athlete. He did it all, rushing, receiving, kick returns, punt returns and threw touchdowns. 🤣And he had a career 4.7 yds per carry. He was an animal. I never realized back then how great he was. You don’t see anybody doing that now. 🤣 Awesome vid. Keep em coming Mark!
His completion rate was not very good, but I have to admit I completely forgot Greg Pruitt threw 6 TD passes. That must be rank very high among RB all time! I'm from Cleveland and I remember watching the Superstars competition that Greg Pruitt won. One of the amazing skills he scored very high in was weight lifting! He probably didn't weigh 190 lbs and if I remember correctly he was flipping twice his weight over his head. I am now wondering if it is possible to find that Superstars Competition on TH-cam. How much am I remembering correctly?
Great stuff again my friend ! I loved Pruitt...even though ( as you can see in the video ) he used to KILL my Bengals ! I loved him because he was a "little" guy...but he could play ! I really loved him as a Sooner...he was cocky, I remember he used to wear a t - shirt under his pads that said "HELLO" on the front and "GOODBYE" on the back. Also the reference to "The Superstars" reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in years. In one of "The Superstars" competition they had a Swim contest, that Johnny Bench won...in the contest it looked as though Joe Frazier had never swam...it actually looked as if he might drown several times !
I remember that Superstars competition quite well because Ben Davidson snapped a boat oar in half when rowing and Lynn Swann hurdled the high jump bar in the obstacle course. Like you, I loved Pruitt because he was a small guy, but he could really play! Thanks for mentioning his t-shirt (hello/good bye) - classic!
Great clips of a man going to work! Six TDs in 19 attempts? Better than Marcus, 6 TDs in 27 attempts. Underrated! "Greg Pruitt Rule" - definitely had to be a Raider eventually. That 11.5 yards per return got him a ring.
One of your best videos Mr. Gardner! I used to love the Superstars show as a child. I actually live in Rotonda West, Fl. The 1973-1977 seasons were filmed here. At that time there was virtually nothing here. I think OJ won the first competition. The condos where the pool and tennis courts were used are about a mile away and look almost identical today as in 1973. I always wondered what these guys did in the evenings for fun in those days. Reggie Jackson used to say “ I have to go take a Rotonda”. I guess he wasn’t a fan. I would love to forward this video to Mr. Pruitt. I bet he would really enjoy it. Thank you.
Thank you, Evan! O.J. won in '75, while Bob Segren, a pole vaulter, won in '73. That's amazing to me! That's so cool that you're familiar with the location! Thank you for sharing.
GREG PRUITT!!! Man you are good. I didn’t realize how good he was early in his career. Maybe if he had a better qb situation something consistent he and team would’ve been better off. I didn’t realize he rated so high in all purpose yards. I’m going to check his win/loss record against the Steelers. His whole career was marred with the Steelers becoming the Steelers. Nice video!
Thank you. It's weird how his kick and punt returning was. He performed both duties for his first 3 years, then basically didn't perform any for the next 5 years, then returned to duty for the last 3 years of his career.
Greg Pruitt is my favorite all time running back when I was a kid. My personal Mount Rushmore of running backs are; Greg Pruitt, Mike Pruitt, Chuck Forman and O.J. Simpson.
love this channel you do a great job but to you me and other 70s diehards we knew how great this guy was when he was in Oklahoma and the browns.funny thing is mike Pruit i thought was overlooked. a very good back for a brief time. keep up the great work you provide great memories and therapeutic nostalgia
Always good to see you shine the light on those overlooked, including His high run average. One more stellar season probably would've got him looked at enough to get him into the hall.
To rush for 1,000 yards pre-1978 was quite an accomplishment and he turned the trick in three consecutive years narrowing missing in 1978 with 960 yards. The five year mandatory waiting period really hurt guys like Pruitt, Lydell Mitchell, McCutcheon and Foreman who put together nice strings of rushing yardage because then the 16 game season made it so much easier to rush for 1,000 yards. HOF voters have overlooked these guys who piled up big total yard seasons. Look at Brian Mitchell. He's 2nd all-time in all-purpose yards, 1st in punt return yards, 1st in kickoff return yards and scored 13 non-offensive touchdowns and he's on the outside of the Hall of Fame looking in.
Right on! I want to make a bunch of videos of underrated, but very good players. For some reason, the only '70's RB's who get much attention are O.J., Payton and Campbell.
Totally Agree On Pruitt ........... Check out his stats at Oklahoma.............. with Sims ......... Peacock And The rest .........Thanks SportsstatsandGab
Amazing how many times he was tackled by the now penalized horse collar tackle. I counted four in the video. Greg Pruitt (34) had the speed to blow by defenders - they’d pursue and reach out and pull him down by the back of the shoulder pads. Dangerous for the RB, but Pruitt was as tough as they come. 👍🏼
I noticed that, too. Back then they'd try just about anything to down a ballcarrier. For all of his usage, he sure held up well physically, for the most part.
@@markgardner9460 True, 12 year NFL career, mostly with the mediocre Cleveland Browns of the seventies - playing in the tough AFC Central with home and away games vs the vaunted Steelers. Not too many easy games on the schedule - the rival Bengals and the late 70’s Oilers were solid defensive teams back then as well. After the playoff game loss in 1980 (red-right 88), Greg put a cap on his career, winning the Super Bowl in 1983 with Los Angeles.
In the mid to late '70's those Oilers teams were very difficult to run against with big, strong Curley Culp anchoring the middle. Gregg Bingham and Robert Brazille were big LB's, too!
Pruitt was the real deal. Especially in an era where the all-purpose back was so important . Just unfortunate that Cleveland didn't build much around Pruitt. Quite a history of quality succeeding RB's for the Browns. Before Pruitt of course was Leroy Kelly, Jim Brown, and one human tank by the name of Marion Motley.
Great video as always. Seeing Pruitt and the Browns of the 70's got me thinking about how small and good that backfield was when you throw Brian Sipe in there.
@@markgardner9460 Dino Hall is from my area. He’s a local hero. I think he’s a teacher and the athletic director of his old high school Pleasantville High.
6:42 The tearaway jerseys seems so like a 70s thing (but you may be surprised to find that the actual idea existed maybe 50 years before this time)...I bet maintaining that got expensive. With that said, the NFL HoF is missing Greg Pruitt. Every RB that had more all-purpose yards than Pruitt at the time of his retirement are all in the NFL Hall of Fame.
I always felt like Pruitt was the running back hurt most by the NFL outlawing tear away jerseys. Pruitt was so elusive that often defenders could only get hold of his shirt. With tear aways he could get away. After banning them, he could get held up, and IIRC he started getting injured more often after the jerseys were banned.
I think you have recalled that correctly. Although caught from behind a few times in this video, he did have fine speed. We should take into account all of the energy expended during quick starts and stops, as well as making all of those moves prior to getting into a track meet with a defensive back.
@@markgardner9460 The other back from the time that I picture with a tattered jersey was Earl Campbell, but I never felt that his game was affected as much as Pruitt’s.
Pruitt was fun to watch. I don't believe I saw him live, wish I had. He combined speed, balance and illusiveness in his game. He played on a legendary horrible surface at home. Other teams in the Brownies division didn't have good surfaces either, green concrete. So he was durable. Is he HOF? You seemed to be making an argument for him....I dunno, great player though. He did play for mostly mediocre teams with occasional flashes. Good work sir. Thanks brother you're appreciated. -bradd-
In making the video, I didn't really want to advocate for his induction into the HOF because he's borderline. Some fans might think that he's not even that close. He's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. The Browns had to have played in more bad weather games than any other team, don't you think, Jammin'?
@@markgardner9460 yes, the mistake by the lake. Crummy stadium, Crummy weather, Crummy field, Crummy owner, great fans....Pruitt is borderline. I would say close, closer eh, nah. Thanks brother.
Yeah, if he had 2 more 1,000 yard seasons then we could talk HOF. Most of the time the fans came close to filling up the joint, but when the Indians were drawing 3,000-4,000 fans per game on some nights in the '70's it must have been demoralizing for the home town players in that 80,000 seat stadium.
Pruitt had a 97 yard punt return for a TD vs Redskins in 1983. In the same game Cliff Branch caught a 99 yard Touchdown pass. The Raiders lost that game 37-35. Marcus Allen didn’t play. However, he did play in the rematch a few months later
@@markgardner9460 Once a Raider always a Raider. Over 300 former Raiders showed up for a reunion during Training Camp last year. At least one player from every Raider team since 1960 was in attendance.
That's amazing. He's had so many surgeries that it boggles the mind.....but he said that he wouldn't change a thing. A lot of the old timers are like that.
Defenders would tear his jersey on purpose after he was tackled because the rules stated that the player with the torn jersey was required to miss a play while going to the sideline in order to change his jersey. So, it was strategy designed to keep him off the field of play.
5:51 - Not the last time Browns fans threw beer containers onto the field. Some of those tackles would be penalties for horse-collar tackles today. Joe Washington was another player who wore a lot of jerseys in a game. Excellent example was his multi-touchdown performance for the Colts at a rainy New England on MNF.
Yes Greg (and Mike Pruitt no relation). Greg he won a SB with the Raiders (and everyone in Cleveland says Clay Matthews should be in the HoF. Even his brother a HoF'er said so : )
@@stevenzimmerman4057 I don't recollect that he was underrated at the time. At least, I remember thinking he was a darned good back when I was watching in the 70s. But he may be underrated, or more likely forgotten, now.
@@stevenzimmerman4057 I agree. He was invaluable to the Browns because he returned kicks and punts for his first 3 years with the Browns while also being their primary ballcarrier from years 2 through 7, then he became a steller receiving RB for his last 2 years with thrm. Then, seemingly in the twilight of his career, he becomes a terrific kick returner...again.
Yes "Mark" ..."Pruitt" was a "man-eater"...coming out of the "backfield"..."explosive"...."elusive" he was...and " yes" ...in the "world of sports"...you are on a " fast track" to " becoming an.."Old Man" at "32"...he "earned" his chops"!! This"was" a "nice feature" of "Greg"..."Mark"!!
First off, he has 7,274 rushing yards which was the 4th most at the time of his retirement. Secondly, his 74 rushing td's were the 3rd most. Plus he was a 3X All-Pro who made 6 Pro Bowl teams and the Hall of Fame All-1960's Team. Those are the attributes of a definitive hall of famer.
@@RandallDenison He played over 50 years ago! So you'd only have Jim Brown and O J. Simpson in the HOF pre-1980 then. That's absurd. You have to look at the eras that the players played in to make a suitable determination.
Randall, are you an instigator,? Just trying to keep it real? A Browns hater? You ridiculed Leroy Kelly (74 Rush TDs don't impress you) and Greg Pruitt. You are on record/on this sight, also, stating Greg Pruitt was too small to be a "go to" RB, yet, he was the Browns "go to" for 4 straight seasons, 3 were 14 game seasons when Greg Pruitt gained 1000 yds in each while, also, averaging 40 catches a year. Granted the Browns were mediocre at best, Greg Pruitt would never be a goal line back (27 career rush TD), and the workload shortened his career because of injury turning him into a 3rd down back; and then specialist with the Raiders, but he was a 200 carry go to player with the Browns! He was the main draw in Cleveland for 4 would be/no doubt about it great years if (I have to admit ... facts and stats ...) Greg P had not fumbled 12 times one year (he did) avoiding the superstar status.
Injuries probably kept Greg out of the Hall of Fame and the coaching staff not using Mike Pruitt for his first 3 years maybe kept him out of the Hall. Greg was so much fun to watch, a waterbug darting around the field, a threat to house it every time he touched the ball.
I think Leroy Kelly was more under-rated than Pruitt. Johnny The Jet Rodgers 72 yard PR against Do-it Pruiit and the Sooners won the 35-31 game of the 20th century for Nebraska. Pruitt would have the NFL career Rodgers couldn't touch (he played in the CFL). Does that score remind you of perhaps the greatest Super Bowl of all-time?
I remember that OK/NE game! Wow, was that ever built up by the media, yet it delivered. Regarding Super Bowl 13, I think that game was the best one, too!
@@markgardner9460 The ESPN article about my work in the Physics of Sports (the 42 year-old throwing 101 mph) was put on the shelf after he hurt his knee (surgery). When will I get a break?
If being in Canton Football Hall of Fame means you can still be underrated then Leroy Kelly is just that player. Somebody else on this sight was saying/arguing with SportsStatsNGab that Kelly should not be in HOF. People don't realize how good he was following in the huge footsteps of Jim Brown.
True story Barry Sanders Dad I was friends with him . He was a Huge Oklahoma Sooners fan. He told Barry if you go to Oklahoma State and you play against Oklahoma I'm going to root for the Sooners not you. But he obviously knows all about Greg Pruitt and followed him with the Cleveland Browns. Now in conversation with him GREG PRUITT was BARRY SANDERS before BARRY SANDERS saying essentially GREG PRUITT was the Original and Barry was like GREG PRUITT remember in 1972 at Oklahoma GREG PRUITT should have won the Heisman trophy 🏆🏆 and averaged 9.4 yards a carry still a record with over 1,500 yards Totally, Totally Unbelievable you know that's a Damn 1st down every time you carry the football. Basically give the ball to GREG PRUITT and it's always 2nd down and 1/2 yd to go for the 1st down!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable, mind boggling stats .... look it up yourself.😮
You Bill Bill Don't know.... Don't have a Clue about PRUITT... 1st off film don't lie you seen how many All Pros and great players he made look drunk and silly trying to tackle him only Barry and Gayle had that too!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally PRUITT has better stats than Gayle Sayers and Floyd Little both aee are in the Hall of Fame!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please look it up stats don't lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@markgardner9460I believe that you are talking to Steve Austin but what stood out to me was the absolute versatility of Pruitt! He could do everything run between the tackles if needed , beat a defender around the corner , catch passes short and long, return kicks and punts and occasionally throws a option pass.. He had a sneaky great career and he was very entertaining to watch!
If his value was so minimal, then how did he have a long 12 year career? Why would Head Coaches keep him around every year if he was not providing adequate value?
@@markgardner9460 different era. Turnovers were tolerated in the 70's. If Pruitt played in today's NFL & fumbled as often as he did in the 70's, he'd be gone quickly. Same goes for Chuck Muncie, Wendall Tyler, Billy Sims, and many other backs.
@@stevenzimmerman4057 Greg Pruitt was a weapon feared by all NFL defenses and was a great back. Yeah, he fumbled, but if today's players had to deal with literal clotheslines, horse collars, helmet-to-helmet hits ya know real men playing real football lol. I could go on and on...hell, if today's players had to deal with that and play on grass in snow, rain, sleet and hail, well, dare I say half would go play soccer (no offense to soccer lovers out there just saying). Pruitt was a great back and vastly underrated.
@Methadone4Life You make very good points about what play was like in the '70's and that undoubtedly contributed to turnovers. Pruitt also touched the ball a lot (top 10 each year from '75-'77), so it makes sense that a player will fumble more than a player that does not touch the ball nearly as much. Plus he played nearly half of his career games in a field that was often covered in mud and snow - players didn't wear today's super, ultra tacky gloves back then, so it was difficult to hold onto the ball.
I loved these Browns teams as a single digit yr old kid growing up and just learning football..them and the 70s Vikings...but this was also the beginning of the bad draft choices..Mike Phipps , Paul McDonald , Charles White , and maybe the worst Mike Junkin ...
Great video, remember Greg Pruitt very well and I love how you still gave the great Leroy Kelly his props.
Thank you very much! Kelly was so quick off the ball and utilized his blockers so well. He had a nice combination of speed, power and balance.
Grew up in Baltimore and had his poster on my bedroom wall. Loved his running style.
When I was a kid, I used to practice his leg-kick out moves in the back yard. Payton had similar ones in that regard. Pruitt had great style!
Greg and Mike Pruitt were a good running back tandem for the Browns.I always thought they were brothers.
3:29 The other # 34 in that shot for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Andy Russell who passed away last week on February 29th. Andy Russell was one of my all time favorite players who hailed from the University of Missouri. He went from being on some pretty putrid Steeler's teams to being a mainstay for their Super Bowl runs
R.I.P. Andy Russell 1941-2024
Again Mark thanks for another quality video to get my day started !
Thank you for commenting about Andy Russell. While he appears to have the accomplishments that Hall of Fame voters like, he has been left out. I think it's a case of the Steelers having so many players in already. A similar player who has experienced the same fate, I think, is Packers guard Gale Gillingham.
Dang! I missed the news of Andy Russell dying. Going up in central Pennsylvania we revered Jack Ham, but, the kids a few years older waxed on about how awesome Russell was...rip #34.
Andy Russell anchored the Steeler linebackers before Jack Ham and Jack Lambert got there. Jack Ham from Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown and Penn State. He still does commentary on the Penn State Radio broadcast ,but if you're from Central PA you probably know all of that already@@9Hammers
Thanks for shining a light on a Cleveland legend . I was 6 in 1980 but I remember those Cardiac Kids .
That '80 club was so fun to watch! Brian Sipe: 13th round draft pick!
@@markgardner9460 Sipe from San Diego St. The experts said he had too weak an arm. A lot to be said about savvy and throwing the ball on time. The good QBs don't just "Find the open receiver" but "Throw the receiver open."
What an athlete. He did it all, rushing, receiving, kick returns, punt returns and threw touchdowns. 🤣And he had a career 4.7 yds per carry. He was an animal. I never realized back then how great he was. You don’t see anybody doing that now. 🤣
Awesome vid. Keep em coming Mark!
Yeah, I should have mentioned his stellar career YPC. Thanks for providing!
He was as they say "Sneaky good!"
His completion rate was not very good, but I have to admit I completely forgot Greg Pruitt threw 6 TD passes. That must be rank very high among RB all time!
I'm from Cleveland and I remember watching the Superstars competition that Greg Pruitt won. One of the amazing skills he scored very high in was weight lifting! He probably didn't weigh 190 lbs and if I remember correctly he was flipping twice his weight over his head. I am now wondering if it is possible to find that Superstars Competition on TH-cam. How much am I remembering correctly?
Huge Greg Pruitt fan
Great stuff again my friend ! I loved Pruitt...even though ( as you can see in the video ) he used to KILL my Bengals ! I loved him because he was a "little" guy...but he could play ! I really loved him as a Sooner...he was cocky, I remember he used to wear a t - shirt under his pads that said "HELLO" on the front and "GOODBYE" on the back. Also the reference to "The Superstars" reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in years. In one of "The Superstars" competition they had a Swim contest, that Johnny Bench won...in the contest it looked as though Joe Frazier had never swam...it actually looked as if he might drown several times !
I remember that Superstars competition quite well because Ben Davidson snapped a boat oar in half when rowing and Lynn Swann hurdled the high jump bar in the obstacle course.
Like you, I loved Pruitt because he was a small guy, but he could really play!
Thanks for mentioning his t-shirt (hello/good bye) - classic!
Great clips of a man going to work! Six TDs in 19 attempts? Better than Marcus, 6 TDs in 27 attempts.
Underrated!
"Greg Pruitt Rule" - definitely had to be a Raider eventually. That 11.5 yards per return got him a ring.
Well said!
Greg Pruitt was fun to watch. I still remember parts of his jersey getting torn off as people tried to grab anything to stop him.
One of your best videos Mr. Gardner! I used to love the Superstars show as a child. I actually live in Rotonda West, Fl. The 1973-1977 seasons were filmed here. At that time there was virtually nothing here. I think OJ won the first competition. The condos where the pool and tennis courts were used are about a mile away and look almost identical today as in 1973. I always wondered what these guys did in the evenings for fun in those days. Reggie Jackson used to say “ I have to go take a Rotonda”. I guess he wasn’t a fan. I would love to forward this video to Mr. Pruitt. I bet he would really enjoy it. Thank you.
Thank you, Evan! O.J. won in '75, while Bob Segren, a pole vaulter, won in '73. That's amazing to me!
That's so cool that you're familiar with the location!
Thank you for sharing.
GREG PRUITT!!! Man you are good. I didn’t realize how good he was early in his career. Maybe if he had a better qb situation something consistent he and team would’ve been better off. I didn’t realize he rated so high in all purpose yards. I’m going to check his win/loss record against the Steelers. His whole career was marred with the Steelers becoming the Steelers. Nice video!
Thank you. It's weird how his kick and punt returning was. He performed both duties for his first 3 years, then basically didn't perform any for the next 5 years, then returned to duty for the last 3 years of his career.
Greg Pruitt is my favorite all time running back when I was a kid. My personal Mount Rushmore of running backs are; Greg Pruitt, Mike Pruitt, Chuck Forman and O.J. Simpson.
Those are some good ones! Foreman, O.J., Billy Sims and Payton are on mine. Thanks for sharing!
love this channel you do a great job but to you me and other 70s diehards we knew how great this guy was when he was in Oklahoma and the browns.funny thing is mike Pruit i thought was overlooked. a very good back for a brief time. keep up the great work you provide great memories and therapeutic nostalgia
Thank you! I'm glad that you brought up Mike Pruitt because he had some terrific years! I think he's overlooked, too.
Greg was vastly underrated and is to this day...great all-around athlete
Never get tired of seeing completely muddy uniforms. The music rocks too!
Mud, snow, rain....bring it on. I think it adds another entertaining dimension to the game.
I’m a Steelers fan, but Greg Pruitt was one of my favorite of all time.
Likewise!!
Always good to see you shine the light on those overlooked, including His high run average. One more stellar season probably would've got him looked at enough to get him into the hall.
To rush for 1,000 yards pre-1978 was quite an accomplishment and he turned the trick in three consecutive years narrowing missing in 1978 with 960 yards. The five year mandatory waiting period really hurt guys like Pruitt, Lydell Mitchell, McCutcheon and Foreman who put together nice strings of rushing yardage because then the 16 game season made it so much easier to rush for 1,000 yards. HOF voters have overlooked these guys who piled up big total yard seasons. Look at Brian Mitchell. He's 2nd all-time in all-purpose yards, 1st in punt return yards, 1st in kickoff return yards and scored 13 non-offensive touchdowns and he's on the outside of the Hall of Fame looking in.
Greg Pruitt was my guy! Very underrated and somewhat forgotten now--but not by me!
Right on! I want to make a bunch of videos of underrated, but very good players. For some reason, the only '70's RB's who get much attention are O.J., Payton and Campbell.
Totally Agree On Pruitt ........... Check out his stats at Oklahoma.............. with Sims ......... Peacock And The rest .........Thanks SportsstatsandGab
U of OK was a running back factory back then for sure!
Steve Owens too
How could I forget Tinker's older brother?
Amazing how many times he was tackled by the now penalized horse collar tackle. I counted four in the video. Greg Pruitt (34) had the speed to blow by defenders - they’d pursue and reach out and pull him down by the back of the shoulder pads. Dangerous for the RB, but Pruitt was as tough as they come. 👍🏼
I noticed that, too. Back then they'd try just about anything to down a ballcarrier. For all of his usage, he sure held up well physically, for the most part.
@@markgardner9460 True, 12 year NFL career, mostly with the mediocre Cleveland Browns of the seventies - playing in the tough AFC Central with home and away games vs the vaunted Steelers. Not too many easy games on the schedule - the rival Bengals and the late 70’s Oilers were solid defensive teams back then as well. After the playoff game loss in 1980 (red-right 88), Greg put a cap on his career, winning the Super Bowl in 1983 with Los Angeles.
In the mid to late '70's those Oilers teams were very difficult to run against with big, strong Curley Culp anchoring the middle. Gregg Bingham and Robert Brazille were big LB's, too!
@@markgardner9460 Plus Elvin Bethea (65) DE, the Hall of Famer. Bum Phillips’ Oilers were formidable back then.
Pruitt was the real deal. Especially in an era where the all-purpose back was so important . Just unfortunate that Cleveland didn't build much around Pruitt. Quite a history of quality succeeding RB's for the Browns. Before Pruitt of course was Leroy Kelly, Jim Brown, and one human tank by the name of Marion Motley.
Ken Brown being the Browns 1973 rushing leader surprised me. I had never heard of him. He didn't have any football cards either.
The Browns defense always seemed to be lacking during his best years.
@@markgardner9460I only heard of Ken Brown because a friend was a hard core Browns fan!
It's amazing that he was able to outrush a superstar (Kelly) and a hot shot rookie (Pruitt).
The AFC Central in the 70s was like a four way rivalry with 4 great teams.
I miss the tear-away jerseys. Greg was a treat to watch!
"Who made that tackle?" "Wahoo! That's who!"
What a running back factory Oklahoma was? Billy Simms David Overstreet Elvis Peacock Kenny King Greg Pruit
Steve Sewell, too
Joe Washington, Steve Owens, Adrian Peterson, Marcus Dupree, Spencer Tillman, Stanley Wilson, etc.
DeMarco Murray
And the unfortunate David Overstreet
HOF'er Tommy McDonald played 3 years at RB for OK. His last 2 years he rushed for 26 td's on only 222 carries - nice td ratio!
Great video as always. Seeing Pruitt and the Browns of the 70's got me thinking about how small and good that backfield was when you throw Brian Sipe in there.
Dino Hall ('79 - '83) was only a 5'7" running back for the Browns. Sipe was listed at 6'1", but I think that was quite generous.
@@markgardner9460 Dino Hall is from my area. He’s a local hero. I think he’s a teacher and the athletic director of his old high school Pleasantville High.
I can still hear Don Criqui talk about Dino Hall during some of those Browns games - about how he could hide behind the large offensive linemen.
@@markgardner9460Don Criqui was excellent!
He had a great vocal quality and was very knowledgable, too.
6:42 The tearaway jerseys seems so like a 70s thing (but you may be surprised to find that the actual idea existed maybe 50 years before this time)...I bet maintaining that got expensive. With that said, the NFL HoF is missing Greg Pruitt. Every RB that had more all-purpose yards than Pruitt at the time of his retirement are all in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Thank you - I wonder who else used to wear those tear-away jerseys in the pros. In college, it seemed to be quite more prevalent.
Unfortunately in the 1971 Nebraska Oklahoma game, The Game of the Century, Greg Pruitt was overshadowed by Johnny R Super Star
It was played on Thanksgiving Day and both teams had 12 days to prepare. That was a great game.
I always felt like Pruitt was the running back hurt most by the NFL outlawing tear away jerseys. Pruitt was so elusive that often defenders could only get hold of his shirt. With tear aways he could get away. After banning them, he could get held up, and IIRC he started getting injured more often after the jerseys were banned.
I think you have recalled that correctly. Although caught from behind a few times in this video, he did have fine speed. We should take into account all of the energy expended during quick starts and stops, as well as making all of those moves prior to getting into a track meet with a defensive back.
@@markgardner9460 The other back from the time that I picture with a tattered jersey was Earl Campbell, but I never felt that his game was affected as much as Pruitt’s.
Oh yeah - I forgot that his jersey used to get shredded, too!
Pruitt was fun to watch. I don't believe I saw him live, wish I had. He combined speed, balance and illusiveness in his game. He played on a legendary horrible surface at home. Other teams in the Brownies division didn't have good surfaces either, green concrete. So he was durable. Is he HOF? You seemed to be making an argument for him....I dunno, great player though. He did play for mostly mediocre teams with occasional flashes. Good work sir. Thanks brother you're appreciated. -bradd-
In making the video, I didn't really want to advocate for his induction into the HOF because he's borderline. Some fans might think that he's not even that close. He's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. The Browns had to have played in more bad weather games than any other team, don't you think, Jammin'?
@@markgardner9460 yes, the mistake by the lake. Crummy stadium, Crummy weather, Crummy field, Crummy owner, great fans....Pruitt is borderline. I would say close, closer eh, nah. Thanks brother.
Yeah, if he had 2 more 1,000 yard seasons then we could talk HOF. Most of the time the fans came close to filling up the joint, but when the Indians were drawing 3,000-4,000 fans per game on some nights in the '70's it must have been demoralizing for the home town players in that 80,000 seat stadium.
Pruitt had a 97 yard punt return for a TD vs Redskins in 1983. In the same game Cliff Branch caught a 99 yard Touchdown pass. The Raiders lost that game 37-35. Marcus Allen didn’t play. However, he did play in the rematch a few months later
talk about an exciting game. That's one for the ages.
@@markgardner9460 Once a Raider always a Raider. Over 300 former Raiders showed up for a reunion during Training Camp last year. At least one player from every Raider team since 1960 was in attendance.
That's amazing! Very cool that they had guys all the way from the beginning.
@@markgardner9460 Jim Otto is 86 years old and still going
That's amazing. He's had so many surgeries that it boggles the mind.....but he said that he wouldn't change a thing. A lot of the old timers are like that.
As gifted as they come
I remember the Tear away jersey and video about it too!
Defenders would tear his jersey on purpose after he was tackled because the rules stated that the player with the torn jersey was required to miss a play while going to the sideline in order to change his jersey. So, it was strategy designed to keep him off the field of play.
5:51 - Not the last time Browns fans threw beer containers onto the field.
Some of those tackles would be penalties for horse-collar tackles today.
Joe Washington was another player who wore a lot of jerseys in a game. Excellent example was his multi-touchdown performance for the Colts at a rainy New England on MNF.
I watched that MNF game - Washington was phenomenal. He had terrific moves and quickness.
Yes Greg (and Mike Pruitt no relation). Greg he won a SB with the Raiders (and everyone in Cleveland says Clay Matthews should be in the HoF. Even his brother a HoF'er said so : )
The Browns Clay Mathews definitely belongs in the HOF
I think the great Steeler teams of the 70's being in the same division might have overshadowed him and some other great players.
I think you're absolutely right!
Great vid.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Pruitt is the kind of player that you appreciate more when you look back at the big picture!
@@stevenzimmerman4057 I don't recollect that he was underrated at the time. At least, I remember thinking he was a darned good back when I was watching in the 70s. But he may be underrated, or more likely forgotten, now.
@@stevenzimmerman4057 I agree. He was invaluable to the Browns because he returned kicks and punts for his first 3 years with the Browns while also being their primary ballcarrier from years 2 through 7, then he became a steller receiving RB for his last 2 years with thrm. Then, seemingly in the twilight of his career, he becomes a terrific kick returner...again.
Yes "Mark" ..."Pruitt" was a "man-eater"...coming out of the "backfield"..."explosive"...."elusive" he was...and " yes" ...in the "world of sports"...you are on a " fast track" to " becoming an.."Old Man" at "32"...he "earned" his chops"!!
This"was" a "nice feature" of "Greg"..."Mark"!!
Thank you! I have a few more '70's Running Backs that I hope to feature in upcoming videos.
How in the world is Leroy Kelly in the HOF with 6k yards rushing!?
First off, he has 7,274 rushing yards which was the 4th most at the time of his retirement. Secondly, his 74 rushing td's were the 3rd most. Plus he was a 3X All-Pro who made 6 Pro Bowl teams and the Hall of Fame All-1960's Team. Those are the attributes of a definitive hall of famer.
@markgardner9460 Sorry Mark, 7k is still not enough for the HOF.
@@RandallDenison He played over 50 years ago! So you'd only have Jim Brown and O J. Simpson in the HOF pre-1980 then. That's absurd. You have to look at the eras that the players played in to make a suitable determination.
Randall, are you an instigator,? Just trying to keep it real? A Browns hater?
You ridiculed Leroy Kelly (74 Rush TDs don't impress you) and Greg Pruitt.
You are on record/on this sight, also, stating Greg Pruitt was too small to be a "go to" RB, yet, he was the Browns "go to" for 4 straight seasons, 3 were 14 game seasons when Greg Pruitt gained 1000 yds in each while, also, averaging 40 catches a year. Granted the Browns were mediocre at best, Greg Pruitt would never be a goal line back (27 career rush TD), and the workload shortened his career because of injury turning him into a 3rd down back; and then specialist with the Raiders, but he was a 200 carry go to player with the Browns!
He was the main draw in Cleveland for 4 would be/no doubt about it great years if (I have to admit ... facts and stats ...) Greg P had not fumbled 12 times one year (he did) avoiding the superstar status.
9.4 yards per carry!
That's hard to comprehend to me. Amazing.
Man, Andy Russell got beat again
Injuries probably kept Greg out of the Hall of Fame and the coaching staff not using Mike Pruitt for his first 3 years maybe kept him out of the Hall. Greg was so much fun to watch, a waterbug darting around the field, a threat to house it every time he touched the ball.
Great insightful comments! Thanks for providing.
I think Leroy Kelly was more under-rated than Pruitt. Johnny The Jet Rodgers 72 yard PR against Do-it Pruiit and the Sooners won the 35-31 game of the 20th century for Nebraska. Pruitt would have the NFL career Rodgers couldn't touch (he played in the CFL). Does that score remind you of perhaps the greatest Super Bowl of all-time?
I remember that OK/NE game! Wow, was that ever built up by the media, yet it delivered.
Regarding Super Bowl 13, I think that game was the best one, too!
@@markgardner9460 The ESPN article about my work in the Physics of Sports (the 42 year-old throwing 101 mph) was put on the shelf after he hurt his knee (surgery). When will I get a break?
If being in Canton Football Hall of Fame means you can still be underrated then Leroy Kelly is just that player. Somebody else on this sight was saying/arguing with SportsStatsNGab that Kelly should not be in HOF. People don't realize how good he was following in the huge footsteps of Jim Brown.
The guy was great. A little Barry Sandersish.
That's a good reference! He could really bob and weave - a little scat back.
True story Barry Sanders Dad I was friends with him . He was a Huge Oklahoma Sooners fan. He told Barry if you go to Oklahoma State and you play against Oklahoma I'm going to root for the Sooners not you. But he obviously knows all about Greg Pruitt and followed him with the Cleveland Browns. Now in conversation with him GREG PRUITT was BARRY SANDERS before BARRY SANDERS saying essentially GREG PRUITT was the Original and Barry was like GREG PRUITT remember in 1972 at Oklahoma GREG PRUITT should have won the Heisman trophy 🏆🏆 and averaged 9.4 yards a carry still a record with over 1,500 yards Totally, Totally Unbelievable you know that's a Damn 1st down every time you carry the football. Basically give the ball to GREG PRUITT and it's always 2nd down and 1/2 yd to go for the 1st down!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable, mind boggling stats .... look it up yourself.😮
Andy Russell almost had him
I saw that! I had forgotten what a receiving weapon he was late in his career, too.
Not underrated, he was to small to be the go to back.
You Bill Bill Don't know.... Don't have a Clue about PRUITT... 1st off film don't lie you seen how many All Pros and great players he made look drunk and silly trying to tackle him only Barry and Gayle had that too!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally PRUITT has better stats than Gayle Sayers and Floyd Little both aee are in the Hall of Fame!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please look it up stats don't lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3rd to comment
What stood out for you in this video, Steve?
@@markgardner9460I believe that you are talking to Steve Austin but what stood out to me was the absolute versatility of Pruitt! He could do everything run between the tackles if needed , beat a defender around the corner , catch passes short and long, return kicks and punts and occasionally throws a option pass..
He had a sneaky great career and he was very entertaining to watch!
well said! I was impressed watching his acceleration through the holes and of course his fake this way, fake that way, then he's gone!
I remember Greg Pruitt. He was a good player. I don’t think of him as a superstar though. 😀
He was in The Superstars Competition, so he had to have been right? ha ha :-)
Pruitt was a fumbling machine, so despite the yardage he racked up, his value was minimal.
If his value was so minimal, then how did he have a long 12 year career? Why would Head Coaches keep him around every year if he was not providing adequate value?
@@markgardner9460 different era. Turnovers were tolerated in the 70's. If Pruitt played in today's NFL & fumbled as often as he did in the 70's, he'd be gone quickly. Same goes for Chuck Muncie, Wendall Tyler, Billy Sims, and many other backs.
I respectfully disagree! A man who was 6th all time in all purpose yards at his retirement hardly had minimal impact!
@@stevenzimmerman4057 Greg Pruitt was a weapon feared by all NFL defenses and was a great back. Yeah, he fumbled, but if today's players had to deal with literal clotheslines, horse collars, helmet-to-helmet hits ya know real men playing real football lol.
I could go on and on...hell, if today's players had to deal with that and play on grass in snow, rain, sleet and hail, well, dare I say half would go play soccer (no offense to soccer lovers out there just saying). Pruitt was a great back and vastly underrated.
@Methadone4Life You make very good points about what play was like in the '70's and that undoubtedly contributed to turnovers. Pruitt also touched the ball a lot (top 10 each year from '75-'77), so it makes sense that a player will fumble more than a player that does not touch the ball nearly as much. Plus he played nearly half of his career games in a field that was often covered in mud and snow - players didn't wear today's super, ultra tacky gloves back then, so it was difficult to hold onto the ball.
I remember him at Oklahoma as well yes great player
(3) 200+ rushing yard games as a junior when 200 yard games were rare.
I loved these Browns teams as a single digit yr old kid growing up and just learning football..them and the 70s Vikings...but this was also the beginning of the bad draft choices..Mike Phipps , Paul McDonald , Charles White , and maybe the worst Mike Junkin ...
Junkin: 5th overall pick in '87. 2 years with the Browns, 1 with KC and that was that - he definitely did not pan out.