Signing with Green Bay in 1935 out of Alabama, Don Hutson would single-handedly revolutionize offensive football. At a time when teams viewed the pass as a desperate last resort, head coach Curly Lambeau paired the lightning-quick end with passers Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell, creating a vertical attack that caught the entire league flat-footed. Hutson invented the modern route tree—perfecting precise Z-outs, post patterns, and sudden double-moves that left defensive backs grasping at air. On the first play of his second career game, he caught an 83-yard touchdown pass against the Chicago Bears, setting the standard for a career defined by instant, explosive production.

Nicknamed "The Alabama Antelope" for his gliding, 9.7-second 100-yard dash speed, Hutson did not merely lead the league; he completely eclipsed his contemporaries. Over an 11-year run, he topped the NFL in receptions eight times, receiving yards seven times, and receiving touchdowns nine times—including an extraordinary stretch from 1941 to 1944 where he swept all three categories annually. In 1942, he became the first player in pro football history to break the 1,000-yard receiving barrier, catching 74 passes for 1,211 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 11 games—a statistical margin over his peers that remains unmatched in sports history.

His supreme individual brilliance drove Green Bay to three NFL Championships (1936, 1939, and 1944). Hutson’s dominance was so total that he captured back-to-back Joe F. Carr Trophies as the NFL MVP in 1941 and 1942, standing as one of the few receivers ever to earn the league's top individual honor. In a 1945 matchup against Detroit, he showcased his explosive scoring capability by racking up an absurd 29 points in a single quarter—catching four touchdown passes and kicking five extra points.

Operating in the two-way, ironman era of football, Hutson was far more than an offensive weapon. Playing safety on defense, he used his instincts and speed to intercept 30 passes over his final six seasons, even leading the entire NFL with six interceptions in 1940. He also doubled as the team's primary placekicker, converting 172 extra points and seven field goals. When he retired following the 1945 season, he held 18 major NFL records, including 99 career touchdown catches—a mark that stood untouched for 44 years until Steve Largent finally broke it in 1989.

Hutson played his entire career with the Packers, appearing in 116 games with 488 receptions, 7,991 yards, and 105 touchdowns. An eight-time First-Team All-Pro, he was named to the NFL 1930s All-Decade Team and the NFL's 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. In 1951, the Packers retired his No. 14 jersey, making him the first in franchise history, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Can we begin by saying that Bart Starr is one of the greatest athlete names ever?

With the 200th overall pick of the 1956 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Bart Starr quietly went from an afterthought depth piece before transforming into the ultimate field general of pro football's grandest dynasty. He spent his early years splitting time in a struggling offense, but everything shifted with the 1959 arrival of head coach Vince Lombardi. Recognizing Starr's elite preparation, unflappable composure, and sharp decision-making, Lombardi handed him full control of the offense, setting off a golden era in Titletown.

Starr was the ultimate master of field position, running Lombardi's offense with a calculating mindset that prized efficiency over raw volume. In an era when quarterbacks routinely threw nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns, Starr treated turnover avoidance like a religion. He set a then-NFL record by throwing 294 consecutive passes without an interception across the 1964 and 1965 seasons, demonstrating an ability to read coverage and protect the football that was decades ahead of its time.

His accuracy in executing Green Bay's iconic power sweep compelled opposing safeties to step up towards the line of scrimmage, creating dangerous play-action passing chances. Starr led the NFL in completion percentage four times (1962, 1966, 1968, 1969) and in passer rating four times, consistently outperforming opposing secondary schemes with precise timing. His 1966 season remains a benchmark for quarterback mastery: throwing 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions, guiding the Packers to a 12–2 record, winning the AP NFL MVP award, and earning Super Bowl I MVP honors.

When the stakes were highest, Starr possessed a unique, ice-cold clarity that defined his big-game brilliance. He orchestrated back-to-back world titles in 1961 and 1962, dismantling the New York Giants in consecutive NFL Championship Games. In the 1961 title matchup, he threw three touchdown passes in a 37–0 rout, proving that Green Bay's offense could flex its passing muscles whenever teams stacked the box against the run.

That clutch DNA reached its legendary apex in the 1967 NFL Championship Game—the iconic "Ice Bowl" against the Dallas Cowboys. Trailing 17–14 in minus-13-degree temperatures with 16 seconds left and no timeouts, Starr called his own number on third-and-goal. After Jerry Kramer's famous block on Jethro Pugh, Starr lunged over the goal line for the game-winning touchdown sneak, securing Green Bay's third consecutive league title and cementing his reputation as the most clutch quarterback to ever play on the gridiron.

Starr’s postseason metrics remain mind-boggling in historical context. He compiled an astonishing 9–1 postseason record, throwing 15 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. His career postseason passer rating of 104.8 stood as an NFL record for decades, serving as definitive mathematical proof that no quarterback in history elevated his game in the playoffs more consistently than No. 15.

With the Packers, Starr played 196 games, completing 1,808 passes for 24,718 yards and 152 touchdowns. A four-time Pro Bowler and on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, his No. 15 jersey was retired in 1973. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Packers Hall of Fame in 1977, he is regarded as the ultimate winning quarterback in pro football history.

Missing teeth, a menacing glare, and an unyielding physical style turned Ray Nitschke into the undisputed heartbeat of Vince Lombardi’s defense. Arriving in 1958 as a third-round pick out of Illinois—where he played both full-time fullback and linebacker—Nitschke took full ownership of the middle linebacker position by 1962, transforming it into an art form of raw intimidation and tactical mastery.

Nitschke was the key figure for a Green Bay defense that won five NFL Championships (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) and the first two Super Bowls. His talent shined brightly during major games; notably, in the harsh conditions of the 1962 NFL Championship against the New York Giants, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass leading to an interception, earning him MVP honors in the tough 16–7 win.

Between 1962 and 1969, Nitschke reached his career-defining peak, with Green Bay's defense consistently finishing no lower than fourth in total yards allowed. He was named All-Pro seven times over this eight-year period, with a standout 1964 season that included two interceptions, First-Team All-Pro honors, and his only Pro Bowl appearance. His most impressive stretch was in 1966, when he was again named First-Team All-Pro, accumulating tackles for loss and leading a defense that allowed just 11.7 points per game—a league low—and helped secure Super Bowl I.

While his bone-jarring tackles against the run defined his reputation, Nitschke was also exceptionally smooth dropping into pass coverage. He snared 25 career interceptions and recovered 23 fumbles, displaying soft hands and elite instincts that repeatedly snuffed out opposing drives. Though Pro Bowl voters inexplicably overlooked him for most of his career, his peers and sports writers recognized his true dominance, naming him to both the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

He anchored the middle of the field in Green Bay for fifteen grueling seasons, retiring after the 1972 campaign as one of the most revered figures in franchise history.

Over his career, he accumulated 25 interceptions for 385 return yards, two pick-sixes, and 23 fumble recoveries, alongside five NFL Championship rings and two Super Bowl titles. A 1964 Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro, seven-time overall All-Pro, and member of the Packers Hall of Fame, Nitschke was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 before having his No. 66 officially retired by Green Bay in 1986.

It might be hard to be named Keith Jackson when a very famous sports commentator with the same name had already become the voice of the sport.  The Tight End with the same name still managed to carve out his own identity.

Jackson took the football landscape by storm in his rookie year, catching 81 passes.  He never reached that level again, but he remained among the league’s top tight ends and earned five Pro Bowl selections.  He was at his best when the pressure was on, and his star shone brightly in the playoffs.  As a clutch receiver, Jackson was often a favorite target when needed most.  He cemented his fine career in his final season with a Super Bowl Ring as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Keith Jackson had a very solid career, but he is one of many talented Tight Ends on the outside looking in.

You would think that the one-time All-Time Leader in NFL receptions would have at least been a finalist for the Hall of Fame.  Of course, Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963.  He has dropped considerably since then.

Billy Howton was one of the top receivers for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s.  He was a constant fixture for years in every receiving category, and when he became the all-time leader in receptions and yards, he took that slot from the legendary Don Hutson.

A huge force works against him as he was cast off from the Green Bay Packers when the most iconic figure in professional football, Vince Lombardi, arrived in the tundra.  Many speculated that if he wasn’t good enough for Lombardi, he couldn’t possibly be good enough for Canton.  That is a very powerful argument.  While we acknowledge that fact, Howton helped lay the groundwork for today's modern Wide Receivers, and that also can't be dismissed. 

Although he became more known for the sexual assault case in 2014 (which alleged that he was a serial rapist), Darren Sharper was known mostly on the gridiron for his defensive skills and for leading the National Football League in Interception Return Yards three times.

Sharper would also lead the NFL in picks twice, return Touchdowns three times, and was a five-time Pro Bowler who helped the New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl. Does this eliminate any issues that he had in his personal life? We were curious to find out, but we think we know the answer.