I was at the fiesta and can still see LP running, and bugging Osborne to keep getting back into the game. He was a downhill, power runner. We had a plethora of those in that era. Childs, Diedrick, Green, Benning. All very similar style runners.
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Former OSU coach Pat Jones
- Thread starter Husker In Oklahoma
- Start date
But they couldn't carry LP's jock strap...
I’m seriously not arguing with you. Lol.
I thought he wore a cup?
Maybe things get better in retrospect, but the best cut back NU runner I ever saw was Bobby Reynolds. As recall l that was about 1954 or 5. He could also pass, punt, placekick, drop kick and pay well defensively.
He got lime in his eye playing baseball for NU; unfortunate for him and all the fans.
He got lime in his eye playing baseball for NU; unfortunate for him and all the fans.
1950 was his best year, as a sophomore. Then he got injured and never was quite the same.
All before my time, but my Dad played with him.
All I know was in the Miami bowl game LP was continually met behind the line of scrimmage and it ended up a 5 yard gain...that was good enough for me...cut or no cut.
It is absolutely the case that size and height impact cut-back ability in that this is a center of gravity issue. Either lower hips, such as Barry Sanders, or weight below the hips (Robert Newhouse) help out, or a taller person has to be able to drop down as they cut to be effective at it. Physically.
But it's more. Vision is essential, and that is comprised of physiologic ability to focus on a wider field of information and the mind's ability to make sense of what it takes in. We are not all equal in this.
You speak of Phillips making cuts as he is confronted with defenders as he is headed upstream. That is a form of shiftiness, and he had plenty. But that is a narrow focus of vision, a one on one confrontation.
The cutback you refer to requires that more broad vision as it requires analysis of many people over a larger area to make reads. This is very akin to a QB seeing the entirety of the defensive backfield or a point guard seeing the whole court. Not everyone is gifted in this way, and in fact, it can be a struggle to find a human to play QB well because of this limitation.
I have not looked at Phillips in this way, so all this might be for naught, but I suspect this is what Pat Jones spoke to.
That’s sounds like a fair analysis. Makes sense.
Well, swampland in Florida it is then!
I don't remember LP as a cut back runner. He was a bruiser with good football acceleration. What I remember about LP more than anything was his ability to set up and read blocks then boom hit that hole hard and run away. STL wasn't the down hill offense LP would have done better in.
I don't recall LP as very shifty (like a Sanders). He didn't do a lot of juking and mis-direction in the backfield or at the line (again, like Sanders often did) but if he had open space and had built up a head of steam, he was very difficult to stop.
In terms of analogies, Sanders ran like a spider. Just all over the place.
LP was like a steam locomotive. Doesn't make turns easily, but once he's headed a certain direction, impossible to stop.
I think I would rather have Green than LP on my team for a variety of reasons.
Green could.
