“One Of The Most Underrated Players In The History Of The League”
July 18th, 2017
Receives major props.
Some Warrick Dunn love was dropped on “Good Morning, Football” today from none other than a long-time rival of the former stud Bucs running back.
Tiki Barber, twin brother of Ronde Barber (notice how Barber’s first name is not spelled with an “h?”) is a guest co-host this week along with regulars Kyle Brandt and Bucs fans’ it-girl, Kay Adams. The conversation drifted to Warrick Dunn.
Tiki Barber claims that former Bucs general manager Rich McKay told him Tampa Bay nearly drafted him coming out of Virginia, but instead drafted Dunn solely, Barber claims, because of Dunn’s Florida connection.
Dunn, of course, starred at Florida State and Barber spoke about the battles the two had against each other in the ACC. (Barber’s Virginia squad handed FSU its first ACC loss.)
Then, Barber noted Dunn is “one of the most underrated players in the history of the league.”
He may have a point.
When is the last time you ever heard of Dunn being one of the better running backs in the storied annals of the NFL? Dunn is the No. 22 all-time rusher in NFL history with 10,967 yards. No. 21 is O.J. Simpson. There are 18 running backs who had fewer career rushing yards than Dunn that have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yes, 18!
When is the last time you heard or read anyone seriously suggest Dunn is a Hall of Fame candidate?
Joe believes Barber has a helluva point here.
To watch Barber’s full conversation about Dunn, click here.
July 18th, 2017 at 1:23 pm
dunn was good….no doubt one of my favorite bucs of all time….but HOF??? IDK…most underrated????….I could go for that…..remember he went head to head with marshall faulk in that 38-35 victory….GO BUCS!!!!
July 18th, 2017 at 1:24 pm
I use to call in to the local Cable Sports show every Monday and asked why they were not using him more especially when Alstott was going through his fumblitis stage.by week 8 they were hanging up on me. Pound-for-pound one of the greatest players in the league ever. I remember when Trent Dilfer got sacked three times in a row on the first drive after a punt that booked them behind the 20 the rest of the game they had Warrick chip blocking Reggie White and he didn’t get another sack
July 18th, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Dunn had this amazing ability to always slither forward but rarely absorb full hits.
You would never think a little guy like that would be effective running between the tackles in the NFL for a decade+ but Dunn did it year in and year out. This along with Dunn’s dual threat receiving capability, speed and open field moves created a RB and weapon that was among the best this league has ever seen.
Dunn’s rushing and receiving totals as an NFL RB were exceeded only by 12 players:
Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Ladanian Tomlinson, Barry Sanders, Herschel Walker, Marcus Allen, Curtis Martin, Tiki Barber, Thurman Thomas, Frank Gore and Tony Dorsett.
Barber and Gore (still active) are the only NFL RBs in the 95 year history of the league who were more productive than Dunn and are not already in the Hall of Fame.
Just sayin…
July 18th, 2017 at 2:27 pm
He was better than Alstott and that’s a fact!
July 18th, 2017 at 2:36 pm
Shame on Tiki! One of the most underrated players of all time was his twin brother Ronde. That should have been the first word out of his mouth! On the field or off Barber was one of the best Bucs of ALL TIME!!!!
July 18th, 2017 at 2:49 pm
No slight on Ronde at all. He’s going to make a run at Canton.
Dunn? Joe has never heard anyone suggest it.
Have yet to hear anyone suggest Ronde is underrated. Ever. Overrated? Joe has heard that (don’t agree) but never heard anyone say Ronde Barber is underrated.
Ronde is the best corner in Bucs history. How exactly is that “underrated?”
July 18th, 2017 at 2:51 pm
Again, 18 running backs have less rushing yards than Dunn are in the Hall of Fame. Eighteen!
That’s not even factoring in Dunn’s receiving yards.
July 18th, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Joe, there is only one person around these parts who mistakingly spells it “Rhonde”…
and I haven’t seen him around the last few days.
July 18th, 2017 at 3:09 pm
More about the lack of respect from around the league then here locally. One of the fan favorites but never gained national attention he deserved for being one of the best. Dunn I think was a more common nationally known and liked player.
July 18th, 2017 at 3:12 pm
What Ronde heard most days was hey is that Tiki Barber?
July 18th, 2017 at 4:34 pm
I think WD’s size and style had a lot to do with it. He was deceptive.
He also arrived right at the tail of Barry Sanders career. I LOVE WD and I have no problem with Tiki’s assessment nor Joe’s assertion that WD should at least get consideration for the HOF.
But I think WD was always like a poor mans Barry Sanders. That is NO insult. Sanders may have been the greatest RB in the Sanders/Dunn style. I think to some degree Barry may have overshadowed Dunn’s career….WD in the wrong place at the wrong time.
July 18th, 2017 at 4:57 pm
Deshaun Watson grew up in a home built by Warrick Dunn’s foundation!!
Warrick Dunn is an ANGEL.
He was always my favorite player.
I was happy he re-signed with us after his pay-day in Atl.
He averaged 4 YPC in his last season at age 33!!
He is one of the greatest of all-time.
Warrick Dunn for the Hall of Fame!!!!
July 18th, 2017 at 5:56 pm
Joe you picked an awesome person to be on your logo. The man has done so much more off the field than he could ever of done on it. he is in the hall of fame in the game of life. He will probably give a little juke and spin as he enters the pearly gates!
July 18th, 2017 at 5:58 pm
Pickgrin said it best about Dunn’s ability to always fall forward. He was great at not absorbing big hits/contact. I’m hoping mcNichols has that ability.
July 18th, 2017 at 6:02 pm
He has no post-season story. It’s unfortunate, but true. He’s in the same situation as Fred Taylor, who has a stronger case than Dunn IMO.
July 18th, 2017 at 6:18 pm
We didn’t have the QB, nor enough good receivers, nor a decent offensive braintrust to achieve even a modicum of respectability on offense – except for Thunder and Lightning.
Loved those guys!
And both are better men than they were pro football players which is saying a lot.
July 18th, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Bill says:
“Fred Taylor – has a stronger case than Dunn IMO”
Dunn (as shown above) is the 13th most productive RB of all time – rushing and receiving combined.
Taylor is 23rd on that list.
The backs BEHIND Dunn and in front of Taylor all time combined yards are:
Edgerrin James. Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Steven Jackson, Jerome Bettis, James Brooks, Ricky Waters, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson
July 18th, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Just imagine what kind of yards he would’ve had if we would’ve had a legit offensive coordinator during his early days in Tampa.
July 18th, 2017 at 7:43 pm
He is underrated because he is understated. He didnt bring attention to himself. Scored a td n handed the ball to the ref ala barry. Its a great subject now that its been brought up. Ive never thought about him for hof. Sure did have the career to get him in tho after lookin at those stats. I believe you said last week about something Joe…something along the lines of..if youre not gona blow your own horn n try n create your brand, who will. Well WD didnt care about that. Very unselfish, giving man. Def my fav buc of all time as far as taking the character of the man into consideration. Go bucs
July 18th, 2017 at 7:45 pm
Dunn was and is great in my book.
July 18th, 2017 at 8:14 pm
Hof bound is way of a reach. Although one of the most talent back to ever suit up but like Rice he is over shadowed by our Legends. Alstott gets in before him
July 18th, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Many players “talk the talk”, but few “walk the walk” like Warrick Dunn did.
He didn’t preach Tampa a Sermon, he showed us one, by using some of his money, to help out poor kids of single mothers.
He never forgot where he came from.
July 18th, 2017 at 11:24 pm
Warrick Dunn is the reason im a bucs fan
July 19th, 2017 at 4:16 am
Pickgrin says:
“Dunn (as shown above) is the 13th most productive RB of all time – rushing and receiving combined.
Taylor is 23rd on that list.
The backs BEHIND Dunn and in front of Taylor all time combined yards are:
Edgerrin James. Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Steven Jackson, Jerome Bettis, James Brooks, Ricky Waters, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson”
All that’s fine man. Taylor was the better runner, Dunn the better receiver. Which was the better player? That’s clearly debatable, but the one thing they both have in common is that they made little noise in the playoffs. It’s not necessarily their fault, but that’s how it goes. In that sense they’re very similar.
I’ll take Taylor over Dunn because he was the focal point of the offense for many years. Dunn never was, not in Tampa or Atlanta. Had Dunn stayed in Tampa and had a ring on his hand, we wouldn’t be debating this.
July 19th, 2017 at 8:21 am
Dunn had some of the best vision downfield from the RB position anyone has ever seen. Because he was small & lacked power, he didn’t make tackle-breaking runs often (he was an avoider, not a smasher) and that doesn’t play as satisfyingly in the highlight reels.
He was definitely HOF material, but playing for Tampa for half his career hurt his visibility. Fans nationwide don’t pay attention to the Bucs. He also was quiet and unassuming, not a world class motormouth like Sapp. If Dunn had played for Green Bay or Pittsburgh or NY or Dallas, he would have been very much in the running for a HOF jacket.