Football
Football
The respected website, Football Nation, referred to Dan Towler as the “greatest running back you don’t know”, and they may be on to something as despite winning an NFL Championship with the Los Angeles Rams in 1951 when he was their star rusher, he was overshadowed by more prominent names throughout his brief career in professional football.
The term “Mountain of a Man” is often misused, but for the 375-pound Ted Washington, that was accurate. “Mount Washington” was San Francisco’s late First Round Pick in 1991, and became their starting Nose Tackle in his second season. Traded to the Denver Broncos in 1994, Washington signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1995 where he had the best run…
A member of the Los Angeles Rams for his entire 11-year career, Larry Brooks started at Defensive Tackle for the first ten of his seasons. Brooks would settle in as an elite player going to five straight Pro Bowls (1976 & 1980) and was a First Team All-Pro in 1979. He was a large part of the Rams' success in…
Known as “The Hatchet” (which is reason enough to rank him on any football list), the small framed Cornerback was one of the most punishing tacklers of his day and a major cog in the wheel of those three NFL Championship Teams in the 1950’s. It is definitely worth noting that Jim David recorded an Interception in all three of…
From Howard Payne, Ken Gray is arguably the best NFL player to ever come out of that small institution. Gray played predominantly at Offensive Guard and was with the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals for 12 of his 13 seasons, where he was a 6th Round Pick in 1958. Gray was a six-time Pro Bowl Selection and was twice chosen to be…
Out of SMU, Kyle Rote was the first overall Draft Pick in 1951, and the New York Giants had a lot of hope for their new Back. Rote was off to a good start, but knee issues necessitated a change in position where he moved to End, and he would become the top Receiver for the Giants in the 1950s. …
A defensive superstar from the University of Wisconsin, the Miami Dolphins, drafted Troy Vincent 7th Overall in 1992. Vincent would immediately become the starting Left Cornerback and played well for Miami in the four seasons he was there. That was a good start, but it was later as a Philadelphia Eagle where he shined.
A member of the AFL All-Time Team, Jon Morris chose the Boston Patriots over Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers when both teams drafted him in 1964. This was a bold decision to eschew Lombardi, don't you think?
This is very tricky, or maybe it isn’t. It just depends on what type of football historian you are. A three-time All-American at Yale (1889-91), William Heffelfinger’s college squad only ever lost two games. Heffelfinger was considered the star of that team, but in the 1890s, and for many decades after that, you went on with your life and stopped…
Only Mike Kenn played more Games (251) than Jeff Van Note (246) did with the Atlanta Falcons, and for nine years, they would play on the Offensive Line together. Van Note played at Center after being drafted in the 11th Round of the 1969 Draft, and over his 18-year career (all with Atlanta), he would only miss four games due…
Fuzzy Thurston may never have made a Pro Bowl, but we have no problem ranking him high on this list.
NaVorro Bowman would prove to be a tackling machine during his time with the San Francisco 49ers and once he became a starter would help usher in a new wave of strong defense for the team. Bowman would be a First Team All Pro in 2011 (despite not making the Pro Bowl) and he finished second overall in Solo Tackles. …
A multi-faceted offensive player at Tennessee, Stanley Morgan was taken by the New England Patriots in the First Round of the 1977 Draft and was a prime offensive threat for the Pats for over a decade. Originally used more as a returner as a rookie, the “Stanley Steamer” emerged as one of the top deep threats in football by his…
Jessie Armstead played for the University of Miami, where the Linebacker was a key force in the Hurricanes NCAA Championship in 1989 and 1991. A torn ACL saw Armstead tumble in the 1993 Draft, but the New York Giants took him in the 8th Round, and a couple of years later, he was a starter for the G-Men.
Len Younce would miss 1942 and 1945 (as many would then), but the 1941 pick from Oregon State would be one of the most versatile players even for an era where that skill was widely coveted. Younce excelled as a Guard, Linebacker, and a Punter and was an unsung hero for the Giants, who was incredibly versatile even in an…
Dan Marino may have been one of the greatest Quarterbacks in National Football League History, but it sure helped that he had Mark Clayton lined up with to throw Touchdowns to.
A late First Round pick from Wisconsin, Travis Frederick was an immediate starter for the Dallas Cowboys when he arrived in 2013.
Vastly underappreciated throughout his 14-year career in the NFL, Henry Thomas is best known for the first half of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, the team that drafted him in 1987. Thomas was an All-Rookie at Defensive Tackle, and was equally adept at stopping the run as well as rushing the passer. Thomas was the league leader in Forced…
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We have to way back for this one as Al Nesser played in the NFL from 1920 to 1931, and predated that before the NFL formed with a decade in the long-defunct Ohio League. Nesser was one of six brothers who played pro football, and he was the last player in professional football not to wear a helmet. He was…
