Football players, like those of other sports, are most readily measured by their statistics—their rushing or passing yards, for example, or their number of touchdown receptions. However, players also can be measured by the performance of their teams. The players profiled here, both Hall of Famers and contemporary stars, hold a great number of records for their individual achievements. What makes many of them even more notable is the way they have helped elevate their teams to the NFL’s elite.
Players, coaches, and owners who have made outstanding contributions to the game of gridiron football earn entry into the Football Hall of Fame, located in Canton, Ohio. A few standout individuals from several decades are profiled in this section.
Quarterback Bart Starr was a great leader and field tactician. He led the Green Bay Packers to five league championships (1961–62, 1965–67) and to Super Bowl victories after the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
Bryan Bartlett Starr was born on Jan. 9, 1934, in Montgomery, Ala. From 1952 to 1955 he was quarterback for the University of Alabama, completing eight of 12 passes in the 1953 Orange Bowl victory over Syracuse and directing the team to a loss in the 1954 Cotton Bowl. He was drafted in the 17th round by the Packers in 1956 and played with them through the 1971 season. He became the team’s starting quarterback in 1959, the first season Vince Lombardi coached the Packers.
Starr was particularly effective in postseason games. In six NFL title games, he completed 84 of 145 passes attempted for 1,090 yards, with only one interception. His performance in his two Super Bowl games was outstanding, and he was named most valuable player in both of them. Four times All-NFL (1961–62, 1964, 1966), he led the league in percentage of passes completed four times (1962, 1966, and 1968–69) and average yards gained three times (1966–68).
After retiring as a player in 1972, Starr became head coach of the Packers from 1975 through 1983. However, his coaching success did not equal his success as a player. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
The dominant player of his era, Jim Brown led the NFL in rushing yards for eight of his nine seasons. He ranks among the best running backs of all time.
James Nathaniel Brown was born in St. Simons, Ga., on Feb. 17, 1936. In high school and at Syracuse University in New York, he displayed exceptional all-around athletic ability, excelling in basketball, baseball, track, and lacrosse as well as football. In his final year at Syracuse, Brown earned All-America honors in both football and lacrosse.
From 1957 through 1965 Brown played for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. During that time he led the league in rushing yardage every year except 1962. He ran for more than 1,000 yards in seven seasons and established NFL single-season records by rushing for 1,527 yards in 1958 (12-game schedule) and 1,863 yards in 1963 (14-game schedule), a record broken by O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills in 1973. On Nov. 24, 1957, he set an NFL record by rushing for 237 yards in a single game, and he equaled that total on Nov. 19, 1961. At the close of his career, he had scored 126 touchdowns, gained a record 12,312 rushing yards, and a record combined yardage (rushing along with pass receptions) of 14,811 yards. Brown’s rushing and combined yardage records stood until 1984, when both were surpassed by Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears.
Running back Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns, finding a gap in the defense and gaining yardage. Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
At 30 years of age and seemingly at the height of his athletic abilities, Brown retired from football to pursue a career in motion pictures. He appeared in many action and adventure films, among them The Dirty Dozen (1967) and 100 Rifles (1969). Brown also was active in issues facing African Americans, forming groups to assist black-owned businesses and to rehabilitate gang members. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Many consider Jerry Rice to be the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL. Playing primarily for the San Francisco 49ers, he set a host of NFL records, including those for career touchdowns (208), receptions (1,549), and reception yardage (22,895).
Born Jerry Lee Rice on Oct. 13, 1962, in Starkville, Miss., he attended Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena on a football scholarship. There he earned All-America honors and set 18 records in Division I-AA of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, including most catches in a single game (24).
Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers was equally good at short-pass plays and acrobatic catches of long throws, like this touchdown reception in 1991. Brad Mangin/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft. He struggled at first, but in his second season he caught 86 passes and led the league in reception yardage (1,570) and touchdown receptions (15). Rice thrived in San Francisco’s so-called West Coast offense, which relied on many short, quick passes by the quarterback and precise route running by the receivers. He set a single-season record for touchdown receptions (22) in 1987, even though a players’ strike limited the season to 12 games, and was named NFL Player of the Year. Led by Rice and quarterback Joe Montana, the 49ers won the Super Bowl at the end of the 1988, 1989, and 1994 seasons. Rice was named the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXIII (1988 season), and he set numerous Super Bowl records. He was named to the annual Pro Bowl from 1986 through 1998.
In a controversial move to develop younger players, the 49ers traded Rice to the Oakland Raiders before the 2001 season. The following season he became the first player to score more than 200 career touchdowns as he helped the Raiders reach Super Bowl XXXVII, where they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2003 he made his 13th Pro Bowl appearance. Midway through the 2004 season, Rice was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, but he was released by the team at the end of the season. After an unsuccessful attempt to become a starting receiver for the Denver Broncos the following year, he signed a ceremonial one-day contract with San Francisco and retired as a 49er. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
In 2002 Emmitt Smith became the all-time leading rusher in NFL history. He retired after the 2004 season with 18,355 yards rushing. He also holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in a career, with 164.
Emmitt James Smith III was born in Pensacola, Fla., on May 15, 1969. He played football for three years (1987–89) at the University of Florida (in Gainesville), racking up 58 school records before being selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith soon established himself as one of the league’s premier running backs. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year in 1990. The following season he ran for 1,563 yards to capture the first of his four NFL rushing titles (the other three were in 1992, 1993, and 1995). He led the Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl wins following the 1992 and 1993 seasons. In 1993 he earned most valuable player trophies for both the regular season and the Super Bowl. A third Super Bowl championship followed the 1995 season. After the 2002 season Smith was released by the Cowboys and signed by the Arizona Cardinals.
Though Smith was relatively small—he stood only 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall and weighed 212 pounds (96 kilograms)—and lacked great speed, he thrived in the NFL by relying on his strength, doggedness, and superb conditioning. He ultimately proved to be one of the NFL’s most durable players at any position; between 1990 and 2002 he failed to start in only two games. In 2010 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Still active in the pro game as of the 2010 season, the individuals featured in this section are marquee players, performers who stand out over the rest because of their skill and popularity. These men may very well be elected to the Hall of Fame when their playing days are through.
Known for his agility, competitiveness, and field presence, Brett Favre broke all the major NFL career passing records as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. He was also remarkably durable, setting the record for most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback.
Brett Lorenzo Favre was born on Oct. 10, 1969, in Gulfport, Miss. He grew up in Kiln, Miss., and attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he became the football team’s starting quarterback while a freshman. He was drafted by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 1991 but was traded to Green Bay the following year. Originally a backup quarterback, he started for an injured teammate in the third game of the 1992 season and never gave up the position. Favre was named the league’s most valuable player (MVP) a record three consecutive times (1995, 1996, 1997) and led the league in touchdown passes in each MVP year.
At the end of the 1996 season, Favre led the Packers to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. He returned to the Super Bowl a year later, but the Packers lost. The team was less successful in the following years, but Favre continued to be productive. He led the league in pass completions in 1998 and 2005, and he had the most passing yards and touchdown passes in 1998 and 2003, respectively. In the 2007 season Favre broke John Elway’s record of 148 career wins as a starting quarterback and Dan Marino’s all-time records of 420 touchdown passes and 61,371 passing yards. Favre announced his retirement at the end of the 2007 NFL season.
In mid-2008 Favre let it be known that he wanted to return to the NFL, and he was reinstated by the league. The Packers traded him to the New York Jets. Though he was named to his 10th career Pro Bowl in 2008, Favre’s one season with the Jets was nevertheless a disappointment. He led the league in interceptions, and the Jets missed the play-offs.
Favre retired for the second time in early 2009. Later that year, however, he again returned to the league and joined the Minnesota Vikings. Favre had one of his best seasons in 2009. He set a career high in completion percentage and threw only seven interceptions. He guided the Vikings to a 12–4 record and the National Conference championship game After the 2010 season Favre announced his retirement a third time.
Quarterback Peyton Manning was named the NFL most valuable player (MVP) four times in his first 12 NFL seasons. He led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory in 2007.
Born on March 24, 1976, in New Orleans, La., Peyton Williams Manning was immersed in football from a very young age. His father, Archie Manning, was a star quarterback with the New Orleans Saints. (Younger brother Eli also became an NFL quarterback.) Peyton Manning attended the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting quarterback for four years. He earned the Sullivan Award as the country’s top amateur athlete in 1996, was selected a first-team All-American in 1997, and finished his collegiate career in 1998 as Tennessee’s career passing leader.
Manning was drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. After struggling somewhat in his rookie season, he helped the Colts in 1999 to win the franchise’s first division title since 1987. In 2000 Manning threw for 4,413 yards and 33 touchdowns to finish among the NFL’s leading passers. Three years later he shared the league’s MVP award with Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans. Manning won the MVP honor outright in 2004 with a sensational performance that included 49 touchdown passes, an NFL record for a single season. (His touchdown record was broken by Tom Brady in 2007.)
During the 2005 season, Manning led the Colts to victories in their first 13 games. Although considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, the team lost in the divisional play-offs. Some questioned Manning’s ability to win a championship, but in the 2006 season he silenced his critics. He threw for 4,397 yards—the seventh time in his career he had passed for more than 4,000 yards, breaking the record held by the Miami Dolphins’ Dan Marino—and helped the Colts defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. For his performance, which included 25 completed passes for 247 yards, Manning was named the game’s MVP. In 2008 and 2009 he won his third and fourth league MVP awards.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is one of the most talented and popular players in the NFL. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
After the 2009 season Manning led the Colts to the Super Bowl once again, but his team lost to the New Orleans Saints.
Wide receiver Randy Moss was a key player on some of the most productive offensive teams in NFL history. He befuddled defenders with his incredible speed and outstanding leaping ability.
Randy Gene Moss was born on Feb. 13, 1977, in Rand, W. Va. He played college football at Marshall University in West Virginia, then a member of Division I-AA of the NCAA. In his freshman season he set a number of I-AA receiving records and helped lead Marshall to a national championship. During his sophomore year Marshall moved up to Division I-A, and Moss set a I-A record by catching 25 touchdown passes. In the 1998 NFL draft Moss was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings.
Moss was a sensation in his first year with the Vikings. He set an NFL rookie record with 17 receiving touchdowns, was named NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year, and earned first-team All-Pro honors. Minnesota scored the most points in NFL history that season and posted a 15–1 record before losing in the National Conference championship game. Moss caught at least 11 touchdown passes and amassed at least 14,000 receiving yards in each of the following two seasons, and he set career highs with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards in the 2003–04 season.
In 2005 the Vikings traded Moss to the Oakland Raiders. His two years in Oakland were unproductive by his standards. Moss scored only 11 total touchdowns in his two seasons with the Raiders, and he was traded to the New England Patriots in 2007.
Moss turned his career around in New England. In 2007–08 he teamed with quarterback Tom Brady to form the core of a high-powered offense that broke the single-season scoring mark, previously held by the Minnesota Vikings, while posting the first 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history. In addition, Moss broke Jerry Rice’s 20-year-old NFL record by catching 23 touchdown passes. However, the Patriots’ storybook run ended with an upset loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
In 2009 Moss caught his 141st career touchdown pass, the second highest total in NFL history behind Rice. During the 2010 season Moss played for both the Vikings and the Tennessee Titans.
At 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 meters) and about 220 pounds (100 kilograms), LaDainian Tomlinson was considered small for an NFL running back. But what he lacked in size, he made up for with a hard-nosed running style and terrific speed in the open field. After just his first few years in the league, the player many fans referred to as LT could already stake a claim as one of the premier running backs of his era.
Tomlinson was born on June 23, 1979, in Rosebud, Tex. He attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, and in both his junior and senior years he was college football’s leading rusher. In 2000 he finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, given to the year’s outstanding collegiate player. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the NFL draft in 2001.
Tomlinson was one of the most versatile players in the NFL, gaining more than 1,200 rushing yards, and making more than 50 pass receptions in each of his first seven seasons. In 2003 he became the only NFL player ever to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in the same season. Also in that season, he became one of only seven players in the history of the league to have run, caught, and passed for a touchdown in a single game.
Running back LaDainian Tomlinson was a double threat for seven seasons with the San Diego Chargers, breaking records in both rushing yards and pass receptions. Donald Miralle/Getty Images
In 2006 Tomlinson led the league in rushing yards and broke both Shaun Alexander’s record for most touchdowns scored in one season (31) and the 46-year-old record for most single-season points scored (186). Earlier in the season Tomlinson had reached another milestone when he scored the 100th touchdown of his NFL career, accomplishing the feat in just 89 games—quicker than anyone else in league history. Tomlinson’s success led to his selection as the NFL’s most valuable player for the 2006 season.
Tomlinson led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns again in the 2007 season, and in the postseason he helped the Chargers advance to the American Conference championship game. However, his numbers declined over the following two seasons; in 2009 he rushed for a career-low 730 yards. In 2010 he was released by San Diego and signed with the New York Jets.
