Greatest NFL Football Players of All Time (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

Louis you are right that they are bigger, stronger and faster. But you have to put that in context. They are also the products of a football system that now starts in kindergarten and where the superior players are nurtured and managed with incredible care and attention. Do you really think that those greats from the 50s and 60s would not have been even more amazing with todays care and attention? In that context, I think many of those guys would take todays players apart. You go tell Mean Joe, Gino Marchette, Art Donavon, Sam Huff and Merlin Olsen, in their primes, that they are wussies, I wouldn't even do that today.

You are certainly right that todays players are groomed from kindergarten on in Pop Warner football to grow up to be great. But that's why today, rather than the 50's is the real golden age of NFL football. Mean Joe, Marchette, Donovan, Huff and Olsen would all have benefitted from todays system and been better, but you can't coach size and speed. I sincerely doubt that guys who played when the average offensive lineman was 6'1 tall and 250 lbs. and could barely run a 5.5 forty would be all time greats when playing against a league where the average quarterback is bigger than that. Ben Roethlisburger would have tossed those guys around like they were high school players. Could you imagine those guys trying to deal with 270 pound running backs like Brandon Jacobs? They are simply not physically gifted enough to do it. Look at the two Williams who play DT for the Vikings: each north of 330 lbs, able to bench press 400+ pounds, and faster than the average running back was in the 50's. Todays Detroit Lions would have dominated a team from the 50's.

 

[lancer]

Speaking of tough, where are the Eagle fans who should be touting Chuck Bednarik. Now we are talking tough player when players were tough to start with. -- lancer

 

[Spitfrnd]

You are certainly right that todays players are groomed from kindergarten on in Pop Warner football to grow up to be great. But that's why today, rather than the 50's is the real golden age of NFL football. Mean Joe, Marchette, Donovan, Huff and Olsen would all have benefitted from todays system and been better, but you can't coach size and speed. I sincerely doubt that guys who played when the average offensive lineman was 6'1 tall and 250 lbs. and could barely run a 5.5 forty would be all time greats when playing against a league where the average quarterback is bigger than that. Ben Roethlisburger would have tossed those guys around like they were high school players. Could you imagine those guys trying to deal with 270 pound running backs like Brandon Jacobs? They are simply not physically gifted enough to do it. Look at the two Williams who play DT for the Vikings: each north of 330 lbs, able to bench press 400+ pounds, and faster than the average running back was in the 50's. Todays Detroit Lions would have dominated a team from the 50's.

Well that is my point, you have to judge the player in context and that includes the population from which they were drawn. Today's players are bigger and stronger etc largely because of the advances in nutrition and training and the physical evolution of the population. That said, I wouldn't be so cavalier about Roethlisburger tossing around guys like Green and Huff, he is big but he is not nearly that tough.

Any way, you are welcome to your preference for today's NFL. Frankly I haven't enjoyed the game as much since Theismann retired. I keep hoping I will see some spark that recaptures the magic from those earlier years but do not hold much hope out for it. Bloody H*ll, I am starting to sound old I guess.

 

[VanguardFC007]

Todays Detroit Lions would have dominated a team from the 50's.

You're giving an awful lot of credit to the team soon to be the first to 0-16!

 

[lancer]

I love today's football. The players are bigger, faster than ever before. I do not concede that today's football is better than that of the 50's and 60's. The players from yesteryear had a definite edge in toughness and desire IMO. Where is the man, who like Bednarik, ties a torn bicep back into position and continues to play? Where is the QB who suffers a split upper lip, packs mud into it to stop the bleeding and continues to play, like Unitas did? I do not criticize todays players but they just do not want it as bad, IMO. Do not get me started on the criminal element running amok in the NFL (or sports in general) and do not tell me that todays players are not spoiled rotten compared to yesteryears players. The golden age was the 50's, 60's, and I concede the 70's, too. JMHO. Sermon over. -- lancer

 

[Combat]

One question: With you season on the line, who would you rather have covering the other team's best receiver then Deion Sanders, all time? You give me a credible alternative, and I'll take him off my list.

If we are discussing the greatest players in NFL history, that's a much more limited group than the best cover guy for one play or season. You are not going to have a player at every position among the top ten players of all time. Nevertheless, I would take a guy like Darrell Green of the Redskins over Deion. The guy was as talented, supported his team, and had many great seasons with the Skins. There is no science to judging the "greatest." Maybe Deion would have been a better player in one game or one series, but I would take Green over him for his entire career.

 

[tdubel]

If we are discussing the greatest players in NFL history, that's a much more limited group than the best cover guy for one play or season. You are not going to have a player at every position among the top ten players of all time. Nevertheless, I would take a guy like Darrell Green of the Redskins over Deion. The guy was as talented, supported his team, and had many great seasons with the Skins. There is no science to judging the "greatest." Maybe Deion would have been a better player in one game or one series, but I would take Green over him for his entire career.

I love Darrel Green, Mel Blount and the rest, especially Mel Blount, but I must respectfully disagree, Deion was worth much more than 1 play, season, etc, he is the greatest corner in my book. The reason he was able to say show me the money is because he was that good. The other guys were great too, but there is only 1 greatest corner and that will be Deion. Even in his retirement years at Baltimore, Plaxico Burress (while at the Steelers) tested him only once in a game I saw live and guess what, at 37 years old he blew Plax away. The play wasn't even close and the Steelers never threw at him again. To me, that is respect, the guy was 37 and supposedly over the hill, yet my boys the Steelers stayed away from him. We just picked on McAlister instead.

In all seriousness, Deion wasn't always the best "citizen", but you can't take away his skill, I can't think of anyone who commands the same respect from opposing offenses on the field. Green and Blount are with ease top 5 corners, and they were good guys, played with their respective franchises whole careers. Prime Time was the cover guy.

As for the Redskin debacle, that was more Marty SHI*heimer.

TD

 

[lancer]

Hey Combat, good call on Green. He was a outstanding player and a credit to his team and still is an outstanding individual around D.C. -- lancer

 

[Louis Badolato]

I will say one thing in agreement with the fans of the 50's and 60's, the game required toughness across the board that you only see today from exceptional players. I love Art Donovan telling stories about how tough and dirty the game was in the 50's, and the idea of Night Train Lane perfecting a knockout blow with his shoulder pads is too cool for words.

However, in response to playing with the torn biceps and the split lip, two players on my list have you beat: Ronnie Lott HAD A DOCTOR CUT OFF HIS PINKY BECAUSE IT WAS BROKEN AND WOULD NOT HEAL IN TIME TO LET HIM PLAY!!!!! I kid you not. The playoffs were a week away, and the team physician told him he couldn't play because the fracture was too bad, required surgery, and he couldn't play with it without permanent damage. Ronnie Lott said what if it was amputated? Could I play? The doctor said, well, yeah, I guess, so he had it cut off, played, and they won the Superbowl that year. Tough enough?

How about this: Lawrence Taylor played the last five games of the 1999-2000 season, as well as the playoffs and Superbowl on a BROKEN ANKLE!!! He fractured the fibula portion of his malleolus in a game in week 11, and played out the season on the way to his second Superbowl championship.

So yeah, the game was played the way it should be across the board back in the 50's and 60's, without the b.s. rules they have since instituted to protect the Quarterbacks from getting injured, but there are still some very tough guys today . . .

 

[lancer]

I will concede that amputation trumps anything for toughness and that there are individuals today that are tough enough to have played in any era but I do not believe that the toughness today is anywhere near as widespread as was neccesary in the old days. -- lancer

 

[Louis Badolato]

If we are discussing the greatest players in NFL history, that's a much more limited group than the best cover guy for one play or season. You are not going to have a player at every position among the top ten players of all time. Nevertheless, I would take a guy like Darrell Green of the Redskins over Deion. The guy was as talented, supported his team, and had many great seasons with the Skins. There is no science to judging the "greatest." Maybe Deion would have been a better player in one game or one series, but I would take Green over him for his entire career.

Darryl Green is another player who belongs on my honorable mention list, and is certainly one of the top ten cornerbacks of all time. He was the fastest man in the NFL throughout pretty much his entire career, played on a couple of Superbowl Champions, was a solid citizen, and his hall of fame status is well deserved.

Another great cornerback of the 80's was Everson Walls, who played the majority of his career on the Cowboys, but finished it out as the best cornerback on the Giants 1999-2000 Superbowl XXV Champion Team. The guy never ran faster than a 4.6 forty, but was a successful shut down corner because of his incredible knowledge and instincts.

But I still stand by my assessment that Deion Sanders was the best cover-corner of all time. He was signed by the 49ers, and they beat the Cowboys and went on to win the Superbowl. Then he signed with the Cowboys and they beat the 49ers and went on to win 2 Superbowls. The guy was the single most important defensive player on three Superbowl squads. He took away half the field from the opposing offense every game. Period.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I will concede that amputation trumps anything for toughness and that there are individuals today that are tough enough to have played in any era but I do not believe that the toughness today is anywhere near as widespread as was neccesary in the old days. -- lancer

I totally agree. There is no question that the average NFL player in the 50's was just about as tough as nails. That's what I love about that era. The players were tough, gritty, blue collar guys. Dick Lynch. a great cornerback on the Giants, who sadly passed away this season, was one of my all time favorite NFL tough defenders from the 50's. And the systemic rule changes today take away from the toughness of the game. But its still an incredibly tough game played by men who are bigger, stronger, faster and more talented than I'll ever be, so I love to watch it every Sunday!!

 

[lancer]

No doubt about it, I love to watch it too. No way I ever had the talent to play above after-school sandlot level. I do love the smash-mouth aspect to the old days though. -- lancer

 

[Combat]

I'm not sure the players have gotten softer, they just changed a lot of the rules in the NFL and other sports to protect the players (or so they say). It takes away a lot of the aggressive play from the days of yore. Imagine a Deacon Jones headslap on someone today. They could cry for months on ESPN. Ban the guy and fine him thousands of dollars. A lot of BS. This is all about marketing image. If they wanted to reduce injuries, the first thing they would do is get rid of the artificial turf.

 

[tdubel]

I'm not sure the players have gotten softer, they just changed a lot of the rules in the NFL and other sports to protect the players (or so they say). It takes away a lot of the aggressive play from the days of yore. Imagine a Deacon Jones headslap on someone today. They could cry for months on ESPN. Ban the guy and fine him thousands of dollars. A lot of BS. This is all about marketing image. If they wanted to reduce injuries, the first thing they would do is get rid of the artificial turf.

Here are a few statements we definitely agreen on.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Here are a few statements we definitely agreen on.

I'm with you 100% too.

 

[Spitfrnd]

I'm not sure the players have gotten softer, they just changed a lot of the rules in the NFL and other sports to protect the players (or so they say). It takes away a lot of the aggressive play from the days of yore. Imagine a Deacon Jones headslap on someone today. They could cry for months on ESPN. Ban the guy and fine him thousands of dollars. A lot of BS. This is all about marketing image. If they wanted to reduce injuries, the first thing they would do is get rid of the artificial turf.

Very true, also good call on Darrell Green; he was a huge reason why the Redskins were successful for so long. I would add him to my season on the line corner list.