Interesting you mentioned that “Running backs live off power and speed.”
The two best backs I ever saw were Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers. Neither was large as Sanders was 5’7” 203 and Sayers was 6’0’ and 198. Their talent was not really speed or size, although Sander was a 4.37, it was their ability to cut and accelerate very quickly back up to their speed. Made them allusive as he(( in crowds and hard to judge in open field. Another person that never seemed to be judged at speed was Jerry Rice. He always had another gear. Both back’s careers were shortened but both had the ability to change directions at speed and get back the speed that was lost within a couple of steps at most.
rwood
Payton was always my favorite, mostly because I was a Bears fan. I enjoyed how he finished a run. You could tell he loved contact. As for Sanders, though, he was truly a remarkable talent, and had skills I’ve never seen before or since. Imagine his career if he had not been on the Lions. Another back I liked log ago was Earl Campbell. That was a guy that simply loves to run with the football.