JUST MISSED
There’s room to argue. We understand that. I had plenty of arguments with myself while compiling this top 65 list. Players that failed to make the top 65 are still great players. We understand that.
How do you leave off a quarterback like Drew Brees, who ranks fifth all-time in passing yardage heading into the 2014 season and is one of the most accurate passers in the game? What about Aaron Rodgers, who is simply unstoppable when he gets on a roll? Bert Jones had perhaps the strongest arm of any quarterback not named Dan Marino, while Sonny Jurgensen and Lenny Dawson were great leaders who may not have been great athletes but found a way to come through when it mattered most.
As we look at the other positions, it’s hard not to mention a back like Jerome Bettis who clearly left everything he had on the field, and is the 6th-leading rusher in NFL history. Jim Taylor was the best running back on Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. He did the heavy work inside and could also take it on the power sweep through the alley provided by Green Bay’s great blocking. Marion Motley was the equivalent of a tank in a football uniform. Injuries kept Seattle Seahawks running back Curt Warner from achieving greatness.
Some believe that Green Bay’s Don Hutson was the best receiver the game has ever seen until Jerry Rice came along. Tim Brown may not have been much of a technician as a route runner—his own admission—but he caught everything he touched. Was there ever a more thrilling sight than Raider tight end Dave Casper tracking an over-the-head pass from Ken Stabler?
Jackie Slater was a ferocious blocker who was smarter than 99 percent of the defensive ends who tried to beat him. Mick Tinglehoff was small compared to the men he had to block, but he was always quicker than his opponents, a fact that pleased Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant.
Doug Atkins and Gino Marchetti were two of the strongest men to ever play on the defensive line and two of the most underrated. Buck Buchanan was hidden away in the American Football League, but he dominated with speed and strength.
Rickey Jackson was unlucky to play at the same time as Lawrence Taylor. Jackson was an awesome player, but L.T. overshadowed him throughout their careers. Dave Robinson may have been the most underappreciated player on Vince Lombardi’s Packers. He simply never missed a tackle.
Paul Krause was the greatest interceptor in league history. Dick “Night Train” Lane was a spectacular interceptor and a ferocious tackler. Jimmy Johnson was a cover corner before the term had been invented. Kenny Easley would have been the equal of Ronnie Lott had injuries not devastated his career.
Though I agonized over many of my selections, I couldn’t include everyone who seems deserving of making the list. Therefore, here’s a secondary list of those players who just missed the cut.
QB: Sonny Jurgensen, Len Dawson, Bert Jones, Ken Anderson, Dan Fouts, Y.A. Tittle, Sid Luckman, Terry Bradshaw, Warren Moon.
RB: Jim Taylor, Franco Harris, Lenny Moore, Joe Perry Ricky Watters, Marion Motley, Roger Craig, Curt Warner.
Receiver: Don Hutson, Raymond Berry, Steve Largent, James Lofton, Tim Brown, Art Monk, Marvin Harrison, Fred Biletnikoff, Lynn Swann, Michael Irvin, TE Ozzie Newsome, Terrell Owens, TE Shannon Sharpe, John Stallworth, TE Dave Casper.
Offensive line: Bob “Boomer” Brown, Jackie Slater, Dwight Stephenson, Mick Tingelhoff, Willie Roaf, Larry Allen, Dan Dierdorf, Mike Webster, Roosevelt Brown, At Shell, Bruce Matthews, Jim Otto, Orlando Pace.
Defensive linemen: Jack Youngblood, Carl Eller, Doug Atkins, Buck Buchanan, Gino Marchetti, Andy Robustelli, Kevin Greene, Michael Strahan
Linebacker: Ray Nitschke, Harry Carson, Derrick Thomas, Sam Huff, Derrick Brooks, Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson, Chuck Howley, Dave Robinson.
Defensive back: Dick “Night Train” Lane, Paul Krause, Emlen Tunnell, Johnny Robinson, Larry Wilson, Jimmy Johnson, Kenny Easley, Ed Reed.
Kicker: Lou “The Toe” Groza (OL), Jan Stenerud, Morten Andersen, P Ray Guy, Sammy Baugh (QB)