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McFadden: He's Barry Good
Published: 6/27/2007 4:57 PM
Last Modified: 6/27/2007 4:57 PM

How good is Arkansas running back Darren McFadden? Former University of Tulsa head coach and ex-Alabama offensive coordinator Dave Rader put it in perspective during a Wednesday chat at a Tulsa Sports Charities luncheon.
Rader said McFadden is the best running back he has seen since Barry Sanders. McFadden is so good that Rader said any team (well, most of them) which had McFadden on its roster last season probably would have won the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. That team was Arkansas last year and the Hogs won the SEC West.
Rader said Arkansas' other running back, Felix Jones, is not far behind McFadden. Rader can't understand why anyone would punt or kick the ball to Jones, who is one of the nation's most electrifying return men.
McFadden and Jones are back this season, so it would be an understatement to say the Razorbacks have only a leg up on the competition.





Reader Comments 5 Total
John (6 years ago)
No disrespect to McFadden, but Rader once made the same comparison about Amos Zereoue.
Jimmie Tramel (6 years ago)
I was in Morgantown when Zereoue dropped a ton of yards on TU. At one point, Amos was starting a bit for the Steelers, but, my guess, was just not big enough to be a star at the next level. I'm with Rader on the suggestion that McFadden is the real deal.
John (6 years ago)
Mr. Tramel,
Yes, Sanders and Zereoue were comparable in size, but comparisons ended there. I think all of us were considerably fortunate to witness Sanders, the greatest back ever. However, McFadden's size+speed reminds me more of Adrian Peterson, or perhaps Dickerson if we want to extrapolate. I'm surprised that Rader doesn't remember the 1991 Freedom Bowl (Marshall Faulk) or Ladainian Tomlinson of TCU, both outstanding backs.
Jimmie Tramel (6 years ago)
I think we are on the same page. I agree completely that Sanders and McFadden have different body types. Faulk and Tomlinson were great college backs and proved to be stars at the next level. It seems like Ron Jackson actually outrushed Faulk in the bowl game, if memory serves correctly.
John (6 years ago)
Thanks Mr. Tramel. You're a true professional and I appreciate your columns!
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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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