How Does Larry Csonka Compare to Mike Alstott?? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

How Does Larry Csonka Compare to Mike Alstott??

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Muck

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First, let me clarify why I worded the question the way I did. Most of us here are too young to have seen our Hall of Fame FB Csonka every week. And many who were were 5 years old and such. But ALL of us have seen Alstott. And he is pretty much the premier "FB/big man runner" in the league. So basing the comparisons to Alstott would the easiest/best way for us to comprehend.

So I guess this question is geared more towards the board "elders". How does Larry Csonka compare to Mike Alstott in terms of Power, Speed, Quickness, Receiving ability, Durability, Fumbling, BLOCKING, # of carries, Leadership, Attitude, etc.

We got a little taste of this last week when the Herald ran the article comparing Ricky to Csonka. I think this is another great opportunity for the board to be truly educated and learn about some Dolphin history.

And to take things a step further (optional), you could compare the "Thunder and Lightening" backfields if you like. Tampa attempted to get this going with Warrick Dunn-Mike Alstott backfield. So perhaps comparing Mercury Morris to Warrick Dunn (when he was a Buc) would be fun as well.

One thing we do know.....Tampa didn't have a Jim Kiick. ;)
 
I'm not even going to pretend to answer all those questions, but here's my two cents for what it is worth: I remember watching Csonka as a kid (I'm 39 now), and it was absolutely incredible. I don't have the clearest memory nowadays (clogged with malted hops and bong resin - as the saying goes), but I do recall Csonka carrying tacklers down the field on his back and hanging from his legs. It looked like little kids trying to tackle an adult. If you were going to try to tackle him, you better bring a friend, cuz he would hit you harder than you were going to hit him. I remember seeing a lot of blood on uniforms in those days.

The game was different back then. These guys were just plain tough, in a longshoreman type way. In fourth grade I did a book report on a book called "Always On The Run" by Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Totally inappropriate reading for a fourth grader, talking about hard partying and getting girls, etc., but one quote has stuck with me through the years. They said that playing on astroturf back then sucked because it was like playing on a "throwrug over asphalt." Not sure why I remember that in particular, but it is an interesting mental picture.

Anyway, IMHO, it is tough to compare players from back then with current players. But, I think Allstott has quite a way to go before he ranks up there with the ZONK.
 
Zonk was a beast. He put together 3 1000yd. seasons in a row when the seasons were only 14games. Alstott is quicker and is utilized more in the receiving game than Zonk was but Zonk could still catch the ball. Zonk gained an avg. of 5yds a carry during the SB years and like the previous poster said, he would be running with guys hanging off him.
 
I don't seem to recall Czonka putting the ball on the ground as often as Alstott.
 
Well, time to show my age. Thanks Muck:tongue:

Players on the average are much bigger now, Csonka wasn't much smaller than the linemen at the time. And although the Fins had other runners (Kiick and Morris) he, unlike Alstott was the feature back in the offense. Csonka was used much like RW is, pound the ball until you soften the defense. Kiick was the guy catching balls out of the back-field and when Morris came along he more or less shared the carries with Csonka, giving them a two different looks at RB.

LC was never the all around athelete that RW is but having watched him play I can tell you that Alstott doesn't even merit mention in the same sentence. IMO Alstott stands out because FB's rarely run the ball.

The other comparison you asked about, "Thunder and lighting"?

The difference is talent, the back fields of Dunn/Alstott or Barber/Dayne just don't measure up to what we had back then as far as talent in the backfield and that includes QB.

The combination of Griese, Csonka/Kiick/Morris and Warfield at WR has 3 HOF'ers. They were able to control the ball and compliment our greedy defense.

The 'World Football League' broke my heart :cry:
 
Csonka had an advantage being so reletively big for his time. Power goes alot further when you're linemen sized, as compared to the same size or smaller then at least half of the Defensive players like Alstott is.

You cant compare the past to the present. Csonka in his day is about 500x the runner Alstott is to the Bucs now.
 
Btw, I'm a younger guy. I was born long after Csonka retired.

But alot of people reference to the time Csonka drew an unsportsmanlike contact call when he was carrying the ball. How in the hell did he do that?
 
For once if you were to compare Alstott to Csonka one of the things that I will tell you would be that Larry Csonka was a lot tougher and smarter than Alstott. Larry Csonka laid some devastating blocks and Mike Alstott isn't a very good blocker but can run over defenders if he gets into his zone. Larry Csonka was probably as strong but ran with bigger power.

This was on the 70's when the nfl was in its heights of playing competitive. A time were you can relate football to the football that we play today. A time where the great students of Papa Bear such as Shula, Landry were running the nfl with their innovating coaching. Then Nfl was at the top of its game, biter rivalries and crushing hits is what the sport has always fed off. Larry Csonka while in company of other great runners such as OJ simpson, gale sayers, etc was one of the most fear runners in the nfl. He played a slow career where he left the dolphins, retired from the nfl then came back and played for a little bit but he'll forever be known as one of the most powerful backs in history. He has rings to prove that, pro bowls and a spot in the hall of fame and that is something that Mike Alstott should look up to someday. Mike has a way to go. People stop mike now a days but people in some instances couldn't stop csonka.
 
Mike has longer legs and is a nicer person. Larry could fall foward for 3 yards. he was like tackling a train. speed is relative cus everyone is faster now. but Larry really liked to give abuse. and no remorse. Alstot is a better comparison than Ricky because Ricky is like a rocket compared to both of them.
 
Originally posted by Disgustipate
Btw, I'm a younger guy. I was born long after Csonka retired.

But alot of people reference to the time Csonka drew an unsportsmanlike contact call when he was carrying the ball. How in the hell did he do that?
Click to expand...

Someone with a better memory than I will pop up and tell the story more accurately, but I do remember the play and there is a clip of it on the NFL flims site.

We were playing Buff and some buff DB had taken a cheap shot at one of our guys (sorry, only heard the story can't remember which one). Zonk asked for the ball to go to that side the next play (Griese called the signals). I think it was a pitchout to zonk, anyway he runs to that side, gets through the defenders, finds the Buff DB, and forearms him in the face, jolting his neck back and crushing him to the ground.

I think the clip of it is on the NFL site under a title having something to do with the 10 year sweep against the Bills.
 
Originally posted by RikWriter
I don't seem to recall Czonka putting the ball on the ground as often as Alstott.
Click to expand...


Good point. I went to NFL.com and listened to Shula when he gave the speech for Csonka's induction into the HOF. He said Csonka had 21 fumbles in his career. One fumble for every 95 carries. Alstott has already had 29 fumbles. It computes to one fumble for every 41 carries. Quite a difference.
 
Fumbles would definitely be a major difference. WFL definitely was a heart breaker. The year Morris and Zonk rushed for 1,000 yards, Jim Kiick almost ran for 1,000 also.
 
Very interesting thread bro. Well, i say durability wise that Csonka was more so than Mike. Larry could dish out massive amounts of damage and take it too. Like a friggin AmTrak at full speed. Power wise, Csonka. Speed wise, Alstott. IMO, leadership and attitude go hand in hand--for Csonka. Receiving I'd have to say Alstott. Carries tho' I'm not too sure about. I'm tring to refrain from saying it but I have to; RW is a punisher and a speedster. Devastating combo.
 
Well, that is a shame. Hopefully he'll be alright eventually, but messing up a disc in one's neck is pretty serious business.
 
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