Huskers top running QBs of all time. Who ya got?

[knapplc]

Frazier

Crouch

Martinez

Newcombe

Frost

Lord

Gdowski

Gill

Tommy/Steve Taylor

Is this in order? Gerry Gdowski was a fine QB. If we're limiting it to *running* quarterbacks like the title says, he's not remotely close to Turner Gill. Gill is top five, no question.

Gdowski is more in the mold of David Humm and Zac Taylor. He was a Tom Osborne QB so he had to run, but that was not his forte, and he was not better at it than Gill, Steve Taylor or Tommy Armstrong.

I call BS on saying Gdowski was in the mold of Humm or Zac Taylor. The dude ran for 925 yards as senior with a 7.9 YPC. He won numerous state track medals as a high schooler and was plenty fast at Nebraska.

Taylor Martinez left school with all kinds of passing records. Are you going to tell me he was a passing quarterback?

Martinez and Gdowski passing and running stats, respectively, reflect the style of offense they were in, not their strengths as quarterbacks. Gdowski was more a passer than a runner, more Humm than Crouch.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Frazier

Crouch

Martinez

Newcombe

Frost

Lord

Gdowski

Gill

Tommy/Steve Taylor

Is this in order? Gerry Gdowski was a fine QB. If we're limiting it to *running* quarterbacks like the title says, he's not remotely close to Turner Gill. Gill is top five, no question.

Gdowski is more in the mold of David Humm and Zac Taylor. He was a Tom Osborne QB so he had to run, but that was not his forte, and he was not better at it than Gill, Steve Taylor or Tommy Armstrong.

I call BS on saying Gdowski was in the mold of Humm or Zac Taylor. The dude ran for 925 yards as senior with a 7.9 YPC. He won numerous state track medals as a high schooler and was plenty fast at Nebraska.

Taylor Martinez left school with all kinds of passing records. Are you going to tell me he was a passing quarterback?

Martinez and Gdowski passing and running stats, respectively, reflect the style of offense they were in, not their strengths as quarterbacks. Gdowski was more a passer than a runner, more Humm than Crouch.

Gdowski wasn't a drop back passer like Humm and Zac Taylor. Osborne didn't change his offense on iota when Steve Taylor graduated and Gdowski started. He still used a quite a bit of option and QB runs with Gdowski. He set the Nu record (at the time) for running yards for a QB, and averaged nearly 10 carries per game as a senior. That is a running QB, especially for that era.

 

[Bowfin]

Gdowski was more a passer than a runner, more Humm than Crouch.

Yes, Gdowski was an excellent passer. Head and shoulders above Steve Taylor with a 177.3 passing efficiency. However, passing and running are not mutually exclusive.

"...According to his coach, Tom Osborne, no Nebraska quarterback has ever played the position any better than Gdowski."

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-01/sports/sp-120_1_fiesta-bowl-game

 

[Bowfin]

That's a terrible comparison.

You forgot to include the part where you say WHY it is a terrible comparison. It should look like this:

"That's a terrible comparision BECAUSE (fill in this blank)"

Gdowski's yards per carry during his sophomore and junior years was 8.2 yards per carry, if that gives you any more reference.

 

[Cdog923]

Gdowski was more a passer than a runner, more Humm than Crouch.

Yes, Gdowski was an excellent passer. Head and shoulders above Steve Taylor with a 177.3 passing efficiency. However, passing and running are not mutually exclusive.

"...According to his coach, Tom Osborne, no Nebraska quarterback has ever played the position any better than Gdowski."

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-01/sports/sp-120_1_fiesta-bowl-game

So, Turner Gill shouldn't be anywhere near anyone's list, then?

 

[Cdog923]

That's a terrible comparison.

You forgot to include the part where you say WHY it is a terrible comparison. It should look like this:

"That's a terrible comparision BECAUSE (fill in this blank)"

Gdowski's yards per carry during his sophomore and junior years was 8.2 yards per carry, if that gives you any more reference.

When something is that far off of the reservation, an explanation isn't necessary; the point can stand on its own.

 

[knapplc]

Gdowski ran a drop-back system in high school.

He came to Nebraska, where Osborne ran a run-heavy offense, and learned to run the ball.

He was drafted by the Saints to run a drop-back system.

He coached QBs at Nebraska in a run-heavy offense.

He then coached QBs at South Dakota State. Drop-back system.

He then coached QBs and was Offensive Coordinator with Frank at Ohio. Drop-back system.

He's now at Vanderbilt where he coaches tight ends. Drop-back system.

The only outliers here are when he was at Nebraska. Everywhere else he went, he played in or coached a drop-back system.'

Of course he could run the ball - he was a three-sport athlete in high school. He's in the Nebraska High School hall of fame, I believe.

That doesn't mean he's a running quarterback. It means that, when he wanted to be associated with Tom Osborne & Nebraska football, he modified his game accordingly.

By nature, he was a pocket QB.

 

[Bowfin]

When something is that far off of the reservation, an explanation isn't necessary; the point can stand on its own.

I don't know either. That's why I asked.

 

[Cdog923]

When something is that far off of the reservation, an explanation isn't necessary; the point can stand on its own.

I don't know either. That's why I asked.

You compared one season of a college football player to the entire career/life of one of the greatest race horses in history. The comparative disconnect there is massive.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I just don't get how people don't think of Gdowski as a great running QB during his time at NU. Yes, he was a very good and efficient passer, but he was an awesome runner as a QB. A guy can be both.

 

[dvdcrr]

It has been amazing to watch all of them. Taylor Martinez had about the quickest cut and acceleration I have seen. Played hurt a lot and never really learned how to get down and protect the ball. Keep in mind he was devoting a lot of time to learning how to throw it too...

Many other greats, after all this is NU!

 

[dvdcrr]

Although not a husker, do you remember Jamelle Holieway?

 

[NUance]

Although not a husker, do you remember Jamelle Holieway?

I remember the name. But had to look up his highlights. He had a LOT of big running plays.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Although not a husker, do you remember Jamelle Holieway?

The best thing that happened for Barry Switzer in 1985 was when Troy Aikman broke his leg, and OU had to turn to Holieway. That dude was awesome, and helped Switzer get a final National Championship in '85.

 

[Bowfin]

You compared one season of a college football player to the entire career/life of one of the greatest race horses in history. The comparative disconnect there is massive.

Secretariat's career was all of 15 months. That would disqualify this horse's accomplishments by your parameters of how much time he was competing.

Look, if you saw Gdowski (or more correctly, saw him the few games Nebraska was on TV and listened to his play on the radio and his highlights on the sports segment), and you saw someone you thought better, fine. I think he was the best pure runner going from Jeff Quinn to present. We can agree to disagree on how long he had to be the great to be great.