How about Elvin Bethea? One of the quickest defensive linemen ever. Anyone else catch his NFL Hall of Fame induction speech on Sunday? Brought back some great memories.
wow. this is a good one. barry sanders is - by far - the greatest RB i have ever seen. i cannot recall any running back that never got squared up and planted on his backside. only barry. barry had the unique ability to sense a hit coming, then lean away from the contact. he didn't step out of bounds like that p***y emmitt smith. you just never hit him in the earhole. NEVER. and you never tackled him with just one man. group efforts were mandatory, not suggested. of all the great RBs, barry had the absolute best ability to go full speed, stop on a dime (not a stutterstep, mind you), and go in reverse. i will never forget the play against the redskins where barry was supposed to do a simple dive up the middle. as barry got the handoff from whatever shmuck QB was playing for detroit back then, both DEs break around and are on a beeline for barry. TWO STEPS after getting the handoff, barry's at full speed. he - somehow - peripherally saw both DEs about to collapse on him, so he plants his right foot, stops, and literally backpedals two steps! THE DE's freaking collide into each other lide a damn cartoon! barry bursts around the now vacated left end and sprints for a 70 yarder....all the way down to the 8 or 9 yard line....where he is promptly removed from the game by that jackass wayne fonts, since they were in the red zone and fonts "didn't want barry to get hurt". barry was THE MAN. defensively, that's tough. singletary (need i explain?) LT (see above) deion (even though he wouldn't hit you, i've never seen a CB that would literally cut off one half of the field) ray lewis (plays the run better than any LB i have ever seen) ronnie lott
Bruce Matthews hands down (Ok, a little exaggerated). I'd rank him the best offensive lineman ever. And the offensive line is the hardest position to play other than the QB. My favorite players: Walter Payton, Warren Moon, and Earl Campbell.
Good post verse Don't know if you ever saw O. J. Simpson play, but he was exactly like Barry. He was at full speed in 2 steps and could stop on a dime. I can't recall (though it may have happened) him ever getting hit in the "earhole." OJ was such a beautiful runner with grace and style. Deacon Jones- if they recorded sacks back when he played, he would have the record and it would probably never be broken ( much like Bill Russell blocking shots) Deacon was also incredible against the run. 2nd greatest defensive player to ever play IMHO. Johnny Unitas was arguably the greatest QB to ever play (Otto Graham gets special mention) Joe Montana played in an era of more complex defenses, so his accomplishments should not be overlooked. Lawrence Taylor, IMHO, is the GREATEST defensive player to ever play in the NFL. The only defensive player I have ever seen who could play defensive line, linebacker AND defensive back. "Night Train" Lane could do it also, but that was back in the 1950's, when the talent level wasn't as great as it was when LT played. Teams ran their offense based on where LT was in the defensive formation. Teams would have 2 offensive lineman AND the fullback block LT and he still got to the QB!!! Jim Brown- Simply the Best. He was a man among boys. He could run by you or go right through you. The best way to describe Jim Brown for those who never saw him is: Earl Campbell only faster and stronger!!!
*, i only remember the tail end of OJ's career, so it's difficult for me to speak about him. i've seen plenty of film on him, though, and yes he was amazingly fluid. if i'm not mistaken, wasn't OJ considered one of the greatest NCAA players ever (USC), as well? it's a shame his post football antics have tarnished his legacy so.
In person, Earl Cambell or Emmitt Smith. On TV, I will go with LT on defense and Jerry Rice on offense.
Of course Bob has to go back and dig up pre-Sumerian players. I've got to agree with many of you guys. I've never had more fun watching a football player than watching Barry Sanders play. His runs were insane. I swear his tendons and ligaments were springs because he would change directions explosively at full speed. It's a shame he left so soon because he would have been the greatest to ever play the positions... and if not the greatest, among the top 3.
Did I just miss it or has no one mentioned big Dick Butkus on the defensive side? Before he eventually had too many knee injuries, he absolutely dominated. I'll take Earl because I loved his style, although Brown, Payton, Sanders, Sayers could all be argued. I'll take Elmer Fudd....err Terry Bradshaw for QB. He also had size, arm strength, speed, toughness etc. Hated him in the day, but really appreciate him now. No better receiver than Rice, although Swan was as good in a shorter career. Most underrated linebacker I would take ahead of just about anyone but Butkus? Rober Brazile. Big, fast and hit like a ton of bricks.
Agree 100% Moe. Butkus was LT before there was an LT. Gale Sayers is another who could have been the best ever (damn knee injuries ) Bradshaw was unbelievable. I cringed every time he dropped back to throw the bomb. 99% of the time it was completed for a big gain or a TD with Swann or Stallworth at the recieving end. Brazile was the king in the "House of Pain"
Warren Fricken' MOON Have we no respect for one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, and CFL history. I guess I am the only poster who remembers the Oilers.
Most fun to watch open field: Barry Sanders - Made many defenders grab air. Stongest power running back: Earl Cambell (he went to my rival high school in Tyler) - prefered to run over defenders as opposed to around them. Honorable mention: Jim Brown. (Really a toss-up here) Most dominate offensive lineman: Nate Newton, Dallas Cowboys ( hey I was a Cowboy fan) Most dominate defensive lineman: Lawrence Taylor - ask Washington Redskin QB Joe Thiesman or any other NFL QB of that era. And finally, the best overall player: Joe Montana. Yes, Joe. The hated 49er. He beat my (then) beloved Cowboys so many times I have to give him the nod. He didn't have the physical skills of todays modern QB's but he could just find a way to beat you.
Walter Payton - He was the man. Close 2nds (for my time): Offense: Elway - what he used to do to the Oilers was amazing, the comeback king. Sanders and Favre - what they did/do to the Bears/NFL, wow. Defense: Singletary and LT. Everyone will say Brian Urlacher's name in this category soon. I've never actually gotten to see any of these guys...
On offense, I would have to say Barry Sanders on a consistent basis. Bo. Hershcel Walker on a less consistent basis could put up some moments of pure brilliance. Speed, Power. Just incredible. Randy Moss too, his first year, when he behaved. Warren Moon : He used to get absolutely slaughtered by linebackers just screaming off the edge, cause no one would be there to block them. His performance against Kansas City was incredible, and he would've set an unreachable mark that day, save for a number of egregiously bad calls - including taking away a 30-40yd pass to Haywood Jeffries because the defensive player pushed him out as he jumped straight up to catch the ball. EVEN THOUGH THE RULES SAID THAT WAS A COMPLETE PASS. His momentum wasn't going to carry him out, only that defender did. That was a catch! Warren will always have the record to me. On defense : Lawerence Taylor or Ronnie Lott. You couldn't even really say they "hit" people. They used to "smite" them, like some sort of angry god.
