Today's This or That is about the two best running backs of the 1990's, one of whom is the best of all time. Both of these guys were short and thick guys who excelled at avoiding big hits - Barry Sanders made tacklers miss with juke moves you'd have to see to believe. Emmitt Smith took on contact like a practitioner of judo - it was difficult to hit all of him, even when the tackler had a clear shot. But these two Hall-of-Famers could do it all - catch, block, outrun, run over, you name it.

Emmitt Smith had a better career, but that had everything to do with the quality of the team he played on. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the legendary franchises in all of sports who have drafted and produced a large number of Hall-of-Fame players. Barry Sanders played for the Washington Generals of the NFL, the Detroit Lions. The Lions have only made the playoffs nine times in the Super Bowl era - during Barry Sanders' time with the team, they went to the playoffs six times. The only playoff game they won during the Super Bowl era was with Sanders on the roster.

Barry Sanders - b. 1968

Height/Weight-5'8" 203
Years Played-1989-1998
Carries-3062
Yards-15269
Touchdowns-99
Rush Average - 5.0

Emmitt Smith - b. 1969

Height/Weight-5'9" 216
Years Played-1990-2004
Carries-4409
Yards-18355
Touchdowns-164
Rush Average - 4.2

Sanders:

Smith: