SIAP. But who would you take. Jerry Eckwood or Basil Shabazz?

[Ben]

My opinion will always be shabazz, but eckwood i know was a beast

[DeltaBoy]

Love Shabazz.

[OS2 (SW) Razor Back]

Jerry Eckwood was relevant after High School, so Jerry Eckwood.

[pigture perfect]

Tough question. I think I'd change my offense to a veer and take them both.

[jgphillips3]

Shabazz.

[TAZZHOG60]

Eckwood.

[preachr]

Jerry Eckwood, prior to his knee injury, was the best running back I've ever seen.

After the knee injury, he was good enough to qualify for and have a distinguished career in the pros.

For me, that says enough.

[Peter Porker]

Gone over this a million times. Look at the stats. Shabazz was a very good runningback, but not elite. He wasn't even recruited as a runningback, but as a defensive back. When he made the USA Today All-American team it was as a DB.


Basil Shabazz (6-0, 190)
Pine Bluff, Class of 1991
High school highlights: 1990 — 1,596 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7.6 yards per carry.


Jerry Eckwood (6-0, 200 pounds)
Brinkley, Class of 1974
High school highlights: 1973 — 2,616 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 yards per carry; career — 5,215 yards and 67 touchdowns.

[Ben]

Gone over this a million times. Look at the stats. Shabazz was a very good runningback, but not elite. He wasn't even recruited as a runningback, but as a defensive back. When he made the USA Today All-American team it was as a DB.


Basil Shabazz (6-0, 190)
Pine Bluff, Class of 1991
High school highlights: 1990 — 1,596 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7.6 yards per carry.


Jerry Eckwood (6-0, 200 pounds)
Brinkley, Class of 1974
High school highlights: 1973 — 2,616 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 yards per carry; career — 5,215 yards and 67 touchdowns.

In shabazz' defense, he played at the highest level doing what he did. Eckwood was like in 2a with brinkley

[wildwolf]

Gone over this a million times. Look at the stats. Shabazz was a very good runningback, but not elite. He wasn't even recruited as a runningback, but as a defensive back. When he made the USA Today All-American team it was as a DB.


Basil Shabazz (6-0, 190)
Pine Bluff, Class of 1991
High school highlights: 1990 — 1,596 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7.6 yards per carry.


Jerry Eckwood (6-0, 200 pounds)
Brinkley, Class of 1974
High school highlights: 1973 — 2,616 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 yards per carry; career — 5,215 yards and 67 touchdowns.

How about  in 1997 - 2,227 rushing yards and 38 TDs (9.2 YPC)
3 year HS Career    - 6,723 rushing yards and 84 TDs.

This is for Jonathan Adams of Osceola, AR

[Peter Porker]

In shabazz' defense, he played at the highest level doing what he did. Eckwood was like in 2a with brinkley

So did Peyton Hillis and he was even more dominant.


Peyton Hillis (6-2, 250)
Conway High School, Class of 2004
High school highlights: 2003 — 2,631 yards, 29 touchdowns, 10.1 yards per carry.
College Choice: Arkansas

Hillis also rushed for 155 yards on that vaunted LR Central defense.

[10thPlanet]

Eckwood. He loved football more.

[DeltaBoy]

I saw both play in Person against 2A Teams Shabazz would have been even more dominate.  Jerry was a Man among Boys FB player. It was a dang gum shame he got that knee hurt or the Hogs would have been even better.

No one before or since has put on a State Title game show like Basil did against Mike Cherry's Ark High Team.

[Peter Porker]

I saw both play in Person against 2A Teams Shabazz would have been even more dominate.  Jerry was a Man among Boys FB player. It was a dang gum shame he got that knee hurt or the Hogs would have been even better.

No one before or since has put on a State Title game show like Basil did against Mike Cherry's Ark High Team.

Everyone goes off that one game.  It was an amazing performance.  It shouldn't make him the greatest though.

[DeltaBoy]

Jerry never faced the Defensive Talent Basil did.  4A vs 2A

[Swinehart]

Eckwood was THE most heavily recruited player this state has ever produced period.  When he hit the field we all thinking Heisman!  He was never the same after the injury.  IF he hadn't got hurt, well . . . .

[rickm1976]

Jerry Eckwood, prior to his knee injury, was the best running back I've ever seen.

After the knee injury, he was good enough to qualify for and have a distinguished career in the pros.

For me, that says enough.

This.

[cypert2]

Jerry Eckwood, prior to his knee injury, was the best running back I've ever seen.

After the knee injury, he was good enough to qualify for and have a distinguished career in the pros.

For me, that says enough.

Yes. So him play in high school and college. Before his injury was the best rb Arkansas ever produced.

[daBoar]

Eckwood was THE most heavily recruited player this state has ever produced period.  When he hit the field we all thinking Heisman!  He was never the same after the injury.  IF he hadn't got hurt, well . . . .

Jerry led the nation's high schoolers in rushing yardage his senior year in high school.  A huge stat. 

[pignparadise]

My opinion will always be shabazz, but eckwood i know was a beast

Watched Eckwood pull away from Barnabus White in the 100 yard dash in the Meet of Champs as a junior. The burst of speed in the last 25 yards was incredible!

[Hogs-n-Roses]

I also saw Eck run track and play football. Only saw Shabazz highlights and they are amazing but I will go with Eckwood. I'd argue with vthe statement in an above post about their competition of 2A vs 4A as Eckwood ran against some pretty good teams in the old SWC.

[Mike Irwin]

I would take both of them.

[GuvHog]

Basil Shabazz could have been a great one but he didn't care enough about his future to take care of business in the High School classroom so I'd take Eckwood.

[alohawg]

I also saw Eck run track and play football. Only saw Shabazz highlights and they are amazing but I will go with Eckwood. I'd argue with vthe statement in an above post about their competition of 2A vs 4A as Eckwood ran against some pretty good teams in the old SWC.

Eckwood was awesome and I agree, SWC defenses may have been a little tougher, lol.

[FATHAWG08]

First off Shabazz played Safety for the Zebras. Coach Glover put his best athletes on defense. He was a head hunter and you had to grind out 80 yards every possession against the Zebras. As the season progress the more Glover involved Shabazz in the offense. Shabazz gained over a 1,000 yards alone in the playoffs his Sr. Year. Eckwood played RB his entire career, Shabazz played when needed against the better competition in Arkansas. Yes, I agree Eckwood Had the better stats in HS. But if Shabazz had played 2A football his entire career there is no doubt he would still be the career rushing leader in National HS football. Now track people need to understand Shabazz never ran track full time, he played baseball. In between baseball he would run track never practicing on technique or training & he still has the record in the 200. Shabazz was a once in a lifetime athlete that we will never see again,  But that one game against Texarkana one should not forget how highly regarded their defense was though of with their speed & their dominance they showed through out the season. That was the big question leading up to that game. How would Shabazz respond to their defense that was regarded as the best in the state at the highest level. Well we  all know the story to that, he was a Man against boys. One might say you can't base it on one game, but if you watched Shabazz since his Jr High Days you knew once he got to play on that artificial grass at War Memorial  you were going witness speed & strength you would never see again. The Zebra fans had been seeing what the whole state got to see for one game we got to witness for years.

[snoblind]

Eckwood,

[bruisemeister]

I saw Shabazz play once. It was the first round of the playoffs in 1989 vs. Conway. He was a junior. It only took a couple of times of him running that I knew he was special. I don't really remember what kind of day he had. He may not have done much considering Pine Bluff was loaded with the state's top player that year at receiver in Tracy Caldwell. It was a blowout. Basil had this power, speed and acceleration that I have never seen in a High School player before and since.

I know Eckwood was one of the nation's best recruits in 1974 and had one of the best first half of a freshman season than any Razorback in history in 1975. I think the original poster put this up because both players were in the category of "what could have been". I think Eckwood paid the most due to his injury. Shabazz was going to be a safety at UA but decided to play baseball. When that career was over, he tried again at UAPB but couldn't get any carries since Ray Nealy(a high school QB)was the man.

Eckwood's career at Tampa Bay was similar to Arkansas. He had a great beginning. He ran for 99 or more yards in three of this first 4 games. However, for whatever reason, he went into a slump. Ricky Bell soon took over(much like Ben Cowins took over at Arkansas). His career lasted on 3 seasons.

[bruisemeister]

So did Peyton Hillis and he was even more dominant.


Peyton Hillis (6-2, 250)
Conway High School, Class of 2004
High school highlights: 2003 — 2,631 yards, 29 touchdowns, 10.1 yards per carry.
College Choice: Arkansas

Hillis also rushed for 155 yards on that vaunted LR Central defense.

He was a man against boys in High School. Too bad the Cats had trouble with point after conversions that year. That was the difference in the 21-18 loss to Central and the loss to West Memphis in the playoffs(they went for two and the win instead of one and the tie). Hillis and Kevin Wardlow was probably the greatest one two combination in state high school history. Wardlow is proof that not all great High School players had careers or high profile careers at the next level. For every Darren McFadden, there are several Wardlows, Tim Scarboroughs, Corey Adams, Keniko Logans, Tyrone Henrys, Billy Warrens and Terry Tatums to name a few. The fact they did not excel or even play on the next level does not diminish their careers as outstanding runners in Arkansas High School football history.

[Peter Porker]

First off Shabazz played Safety for the Zebras. Coach Glover put his best athletes on defense. He was a head hunter and you had to grind out 80 yards every possession against the Zebras. As the season progress the more Glover involved Shabazz in the offense. 1. Shabazz gained over a 1,000 yards alone in the playoffs his Sr. Year. Eckwood played RB his entire career, Shabazz played when needed against the better competition in Arkansas. Yes, I agree Eckwood Had the better stats in HS. But if Shabazz had played 2A football his entire career there is no doubt he would still be the career rushing leader in National HS football. 2. Now track people need to understand Shabazz never ran track full time, he played baseball. In between baseball he would run track never practicing on technique or training & he still has the record in the 200. Shabazz was a once in a lifetime athlete that we will never see again,  But that one game against Texarkana one should not forget how highly regarded their defense was though of with their speed & their dominance they showed through out the season. That was the big question leading up to that game. How would Shabazz respond to their defense that was regarded as the best in the state at the highest level. Well we  all know the story to that, he was a Man against boys. One might say you can't base it on one game, but if you watched Shabazz since his Jr High Days you knew once he got to play on that artificial grass at War Memorial  you were going witness speed & strength you would never see again. The Zebra fans had been seeing what the whole state got to see for one game we got to witness for years.

1. That was Madre Hill that accomplished that feat.

2. "Shabazz had more than just the motivation of winning a state title. He was also gunning for a roster spot on the Pine Bluff Zebras baseball team. Longtime Hall of Fame Zebra coach Billy Bock, who was also a football assistant, didn't allow upperclassmen in his program if they didn't enter as sophomores. Shabazz ran track, so his only baseball experience was American Legion ball in the summer. However, he really wanted to play for the Zebras his senior season, so he begged Bock. Bock told him if he ran for four touchdowns in the title game he could play." Excerpt from - http://www.syncweekly.com/news/2013/jul/16/best-ever/

[thirrdegreetusker]

Folks forget Eckwood had a RADICAL prodcedure on a blown-out disc in his back, in the summer after his HS senior year, before he ever put on pads for the Hogs. Even after his SECOND major injury (knee), he was still a stud.

Drafted ahead of Joe Montana in the NFL draft. In his NFL debut, became only the 11th rookie to rush for 100 yards in his inaugural NFL game.

[1highhog]

I saw Basil play more than any other player, I would take him over a lot of players that's been Razorbacks throughout the years easy.  But in this case, I've got to go with Eckwood.  That guy was a beast and proved it when Football was a mans game, we can debate the size of the players, the speed of the game, but no one says that today's players hold a candle to how tough the old school players were.  Eckwood was a beast and would even be today.

[cypert2]

Eckwood proved he was big time against the best of the best. Shabazz proved he was big time against Arkansas high school players.

[alohawg]

I saw Basil play more than any other player, I would take him over a lot of players that's been Razorbacks throughout the years easy.  But in this case, I've got to go with Eckwood.  That guy was a beast and proved it when Football was a mans game, we can debate the size of the players, the speed of the game, but no one says that today's players hold a candle to how tough the old school players were.  Eckwood was a beast and would even be today.

I certainly believe this.

[LZH]

Eckwood was before my time.  But to me, Shabazz was Arkansas High School football's version of Marcus Dupree.  I'm quite a few years older than he his, but I still heard everyone from grade school to elderly men at the coffee shop talk about that dude.  He must have really been something to see.

[Hogs-n-Roses]

Eckwood whupped Ditka.

[Hog1952]

Eckwood

[OLDHOG]

Eckwood would be my choice.

[rricha]

Folks forget Eckwood had a RADICAL prodcedure on a blown-out disc in his back, in the summer after his HS senior year, before he ever put on pads for the Hogs. Even after his SECOND major injury (knee), he was still a stud.

Drafted ahead of Joe Montana in the NFL draft. In his NFL debut, became only the 11th rookie to rush for 100 yards in his inaugural NFL game.


Damn good memory most people don't remember his back issues.  I read many years later that this procedure had something to do with his mental issues that he fights now.  Both were great backs and should be remebered as that. Both encoutered setbacks in life.

[hawkhawg]

Are we talking mini shabazz or regular size shabazz?

[Uncommon]

a

[thirrdegreetusker]

So, the choice is, would you rather have:

* an extraordinary high school athlete, who kept being extraordinary for another decade

* an extraordinary high school athlete, who never did much after that