282. Seth Joyner
You name it, Seth Joyner could do it at Linebacker.
It took a while before Joyner proved his professional worth, as the 1986 208th Overall Pick was cut in his first training camp before he was resigned. Joyner started seven games as a rookie, then became a starter, where he put together an incredible body of work that allowed him to cover anyone on the field. He could attack the Quarterback, stuff the run, and block lanes with the best of them.
Joyner had his peak year in 1991, when he won his first Pro Bowl in a campaign in which he was fifth in MVP voting and second in Defensive Player of the Year Voting. It was a phenomenal campaign and one of the more incredible years that showed what an interior Linebacker could do. After another strong year, Joyner made his second Pro Bowl and signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Joyner had a good three-year run, adding his third Pro Bowl in 1994 and playing more at Strong Safety, showcasing his exceptional talents. In his last two seasons, Joyner was a hired gun of sorts, providing veteran leadership, first on a Green Bay team that lost in Super Bowl XXXII to Denver, and then on that same Denver team that repeated in Super Bowl XXXIII. That was his swansong as a player, and that is the best way to go out.
He retired as one of the few players in the 20 Sacks/20 Interceptions club.
156. Riley Matheson
Riley Matheson arrived in Cleveland with little (really no) fanfare to join the Rams in 1939 after going undrafted from Texas-El Paso. Playing at both Offensive Lineman, Matheson broke out in 1942, earning his first First Team All-Pro, while also capturing that honor in 1944 and 1945. Granted, this happened during World War II, when the league was depleted, but the NFL Champion in ’45 was out to prove he was there to stay.
The Rams relocated to Los Angeles, but he remained a First Team All-Pro, selected to his fourth and fifth in 1946 and 1947. He left the Rams to join the San Francisco 49ers of the then-AAFC and finished his career with two years in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders.
