Greatest football player ever?go

[Schultzy]

Mine - Jerry Rice

[parabrave]

Roger Staubach/

[basedog]

Jim Brown, dude never missed a game and retired in his prime.

[Ari Gold]

Ray Guy... only player in the pro football hall of fame at his position .

[parabrave]

Jim Brown, dude never missed a game and retired in his prime.

Check your PM/

[Leroy Jenkins]

Favorite? Dan Marino. Now, athletically he's not in the top 1,000,000. I think I would go Bo Jackson, maybe Lawrence Taylor.

[William Tecumsah Sherman]

Jerry Rice Offense. LT Defense.

[BrunswickDawg]

Jim Brown, dude never missed a game and retired in his prime.

And was the greatest lacrosse player in ncaa history.

[basedog]

Check your PM/

Nothing there.

[Tater]

Greatest - Brady

There's no debate anymore with how much he's won.

Best is a different story and so difficult across positions. (I think Manning was the best QB ever). Gun to my head, I probably go with Rice.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Joe Montana QB
Walter Peyton/Jim Brown RB
Randy Miss / Jerry Rice WR

[Coach34]

Bo Jackson- offense
Reggie White- defense

[parabrave]

Nothing there.

Clear your inbox. Are you going to the games in Biloxi?

[HoopsDawg]

Starting 11 on D:

DE: Lawrence Taylor
DT: Reggie White
DT: Aaron Donald
DE: Derrick Thomas

LB: Ray Lewis
LB: Mike Singletary

CB: Darrell Green
CB: Deion Sanders

S: Ronnie Lott
S: Rod Woodson
S: Ed Reed

[basedog]

Clear your inbox. Are you going to the games in Biloxi?

Maybe, I will let u know.

[No BS Dawg]

Starting 11 on D:

DE: Lawrence Taylor
DT: Reggie White
DT: Aaron Donald
DE: Derrick Thomas

LB: Ray Lewis
LB: Mike Singletary

CB: Darrell Green
CB: Deion Sanders

S: Ronnie Lott
S: Rod Woodson
S: Ed Reed

That?s a strong 11 right there!

[Coach34]

Starting 11 on D:

DE: Lawrence Taylor
DT: Reggie White
DT: Aaron Donald
DE: Derrick Thomas

LB: Ray Lewis
LB: Mike Singletary

CB: Darrell Green
CB: Deion Sanders

S: Ronnie Lott
S: Rod Woodson
S: Ed Reed

Hard to argue that list.

[parabrave]

70's The Selmon brothers. Oline John Hannah. RB Earl Campbell. QB Bert Jones. WR Lynn Swann.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Randy Moss

[Goldendawg]

From a book that I read in the old HS library in the early '70's: Jim Thorpe.

[Coach34]

Jim Thorpe was the greatest all-around athlete pre-1950

Then we start adding guys like Jackie Robinson, Bo Jackson, Danny Ainge, Deion Sanders, and more.

[parabrave]

Jim Thorpe was the greatest all-around athlete pre-1950

Then we start adding guys like Jackie Robinson, Bo Jackson, Danny Ainge, Deion Sanders, and more.

Jackie was in the late 30s.

[Coach34]

Jackie was in the late 30s.

Jackie played from 1945-1956

[Leroy Jenkins]

If you are starting a NFL team, and you can draft anyone from any era; who is the first pick?

[Commercecomet24]

Greatest player-Brady,Jerry Rice.
Most talented-Jim Brown, Bo Jackson.

[Goldendawg]

As far as college football, my late, great, Superdawg Dad said that our own Jackie Parker was the best player he ever saw. Hail State!

[MoreCowbell]

Walter Payton

[dawgday166]

Offense - Montana
Defense - LT

If LT ain't playing in the '80s against Montana, Montana wins more SBs IMO. Back then nobody could block LT. Probably couldn't today either. That kinda athleticism combined with cocaine ... he was a crazed dog.

[Todd4State]

Offense - Montana
Defense - LT

If LT ain't playing in the '80s against Montana, Montana wins more SBs IMO. Back then nobody could block LT. Probably couldn't today either. That kinda athleticism combined with cocaine ... he was a crazed dog.

I'd love to see Montana in Leach's Air Raid.

Montana would have had more Super Bowls if he wasn't allowed to be tackled like the QB's are now. I think Walsh retiring cost the 49ers a three peat too. And maybe an undefeated season in 1989.

[Todd4State]

Best player- I'm going with Walter Payton. He could legitimately play RB or any of the receiver positions at a pro bowl level. Was a good passer too and a very good blocker. Just a complete player. Could return kicks and punts as well. I want to say he kicked some extra points also but I might be making that up.

[William Tecumsah Sherman]

I would have liked to see Marino, Elway, Montana with todays rules. No threat of getting crushed by DL and LB. The DBs can?t crunch WR on crossing routes.

[Saltydog]

Mine - Jerry Rice

Jim Brown......

[Coach34]

Montana and Brady are the same guy. Montana playing under todays rules would have had him with 6-7 SB’s. Montana’s precision is unequaled

[dawgday166]

I'd love to see Montana in Leach's Air Raid.

Montana would have had more Super Bowls if he wasn't allowed to be tackled like the QB's are now. I think Walsh retiring cost the 49ers a three peat too. And maybe an undefeated season in 1989.

I kinda disagree on Walsh retiring as far as 3-peat goes. Bill was kinda oppressive a good bit with Joe.

LT and Leonard Marshall beat Niners in NFC Title game and when Marshall had Montana on the ground he intentionally broke his hand. That game was a war.

[MaroonFlounder]

Jim Thorpe was the greatest all-around athlete pre-1950

Then we start adding guys like Jackie Robinson, Bo Jackson, Danny Ainge, Deion Sanders, and more.

Danny Ainge? Seems out of place when mentioned with those others.

He wasn’t even the best player on those Celtic teams at all.

[parabrave]

Jackie played from 1945-1956

Jackie Robinson was at UCLA from 39-41, playing Baseball and Football. Then Professional Baseball after WW2.

[parabrave]

Even though I hate stating it Bradshaw was the GOAT before Montana.

[BrunswickDawg]

Danny Ainge? Seems out of place when mentioned with those others.

He wasn’t even the best player on those Celtic teams at all.

Ainge was good enough to make it to MLB for 3 seasons while playing college basketball and winning the Wooden Award while playing for BYU. He quit playing for the Blue Jays when he was drafted by the Celtics. That is a damn good athlete.

[Coach34]

Even though I hate stating it Bradshaw was the GOAT before Montana.

No- Bradshaw played QB for the team that had the best defense for a chuck of time in history. Nobody thinks Pitt was any kind of offensive juggernaut under Bradshaw

[Coach34]

Ainge was good enough to make it to MLB for 3 seasons while playing college basketball and winning the Wooden Award while playing for BYU. He quit playing for the Blue Jays when he was drafted by the Celtics. That is a damn good athlete.

Thank you. Didnt realize people had no idea about how good Ainge was

[Commercecomet24]

Thank you. Didnt realize people had no idea about how good Ainge was

That's because there's a lot of young whippersnappers on here that don't remember these guys like we do.

[Todd4State]

Montana and Brady are the same guy. Montana playing under todays rules would have had him with 6-7 SB?s. Montana?s precision is unequaled


Montana was way more mobile than Brady. Brady has a stronger arm IMO.

[Todd4State]

I kinda disagree on Walsh retiring as far as 3-peat goes. Bill was kinda oppressive a good bit with Joe.

LT and Leonard Marshall beat Niners in NFC Title game and when Marshall had Montana on the ground he intentionally broke his hand. That game was a war.

Bill's biggest enemy was himself. He was VERY insecure. Ultimately that's why he retired. DeBartolo took away his GM responsibilities after they were upset by the Vikings in 87. Walsh constantly felt like he was a failure.

In the late 80's Walsh became enamored with Steve Young and his athleticism and what it could potentially bring for the 49ers. The problem was he simply wasn't ready at that time to take over. It actually ended up causing Montana to ratchet things up another level at that time and resulted in maybe the best QB play I have ever seen. It also caused a lot of problems in the locker room because a majority of the team and coaching staff felt like Montana should be the unquestioned starter. Walsh wanted to trade Montana and none of the other coaches or anyone in management wanted to do it and it pissed Bill off.

He had this thing for getting rid of players before they were at the end of their prime. There were no exceptions- including Montana.

However, his play calling was absolutely brilliant. Huge influence on the NFL and very analytical. Walsh is what Lane Kiffin pretends to be in that Walsh's play calls were actually based off of film and data. Whereas Kiffin just goes for it every fourth down and pretends like he is analytical.

I loved his pass to get ahead and run to stay there philosophy.

[starkvegasdawg]

Barry Sanders at least has to be in the discussion.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Barry Sanders at least has to be in the discussion.

I did love watching Barry run. Just incredible.

[William Tecumsah Sherman]

It?s a shame Barry Sanders never played for a stud team

[Saltydog]

It?s a shame Barry Sanders never played for a stud team

Imagine how many yards Barry Sanders would've rushed for had he played behind those Dallas OL's.

Sanders > Smith..........

[parabrave]

Dam has anyone ever heard of Gayle Sayers? Seriously this has to be broken down into decades. With all the rule changes you can't compare a Jack Tatum/Ronnie Lott to a DB the last 10 years.

[Commercecomet24]

Dam has anyone ever heard of Gayle Sayers? Seriously this has to be broken down into decades. With all the rule changes you can't compare a Jack Tatum/Ronnie Lott to a DB the last 10 years.

I definitely agree with this. Every era is different, rule changes on the field, free agency, salary caps, strength and conditioning. Hard to compare eras because they're all so different. Gale Sayers put up incredible numbers with truly awful teams and before the injuries took it's toll he was a bad man.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Dave Winfield deserves a mention. Dude got drafted into the NFL, NBA, MLB and was an all american Lacrosse player.

[was21]

Jim Thorpe

[Coach34]

Dam has anyone ever heard of Gayle Sayers? Seriously this has to be broken down into decades. With all the rule changes you can't compare a Jack Tatum/Ronnie Lott to a DB the last 10 years.

No doubt

Babe Ruth was the most dominant player of anybody in any era. But putting him in the 1990's would change things.

[Commercecomet24]

No doubt

Babe Ruth was the most dominant player of anybody in any era. But putting him in the 1990's would change things.

It may have made him better with the steroids and such, lol! Heck he may have hit twice as many home runs! Of course Babe wasn't into healthy living or training or anything like that!

[parabrave]

1960's. QB Bart Starr, HM Sonny Jurgenson; AFL. Lenny Dawson. HM George Blanda, R Jim Brown HM Leroy Kelly; AFL Mike Garrett HM Jim Nance. Fullback Jim Taylor HM Don Perkins, AFL, Emerson Boozer, WRs Jack Snow Charlie Taylor, HM Bobby Hayes; AFL Warren Wells Otis Taylor, HM Lance Alworth OL Tom Mack. Atl Gayle Sayers; AFL Gayle Garrison/

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

Too many great football players over the years to say who was the greatest ever.

Greatest, modern day, athlete is Bo Jackson. Not only was he an MLB All-Star but was a RB in the NFL that could have played LB, Safety and probably CB. Could have punted and given time maybe PK.

Winfield and Ainge were great athletes but not like Bo.

[MaroonFlounder]

Ainge was good enough to make it to MLB for 3 seasons while playing college basketball and winning the Wooden Award while playing for BYU. He quit playing for the Blue Jays when he was drafted by the Celtics. That is a damn good athlete.

Damn good, yes.

Among the greatest, debatable.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Dave Winfield deserves a mention. Dude got drafted into the NFL, NBA, MLB and was an all american Lacrosse player.

The question in the thread is "greatest football player ever". And you think Dave Winfield deserves to be mentioned. I'm honestly speechless that someone would consider Dave Winfield as possibly the greatest football player ever. He never played college or professional football to my knowledge.

[SPMT]

Bo Jackson

[Extendedcab]

Hershel Walker - dominant college athlete. I actually met him a couple of times and spent 10- 15 minutes with him! Nice guy!

[DownwardDawg]

Al Bundy. Greatest HS player of all time.

[parabrave]

Al Bundy. Greatest HS player of all time.

Winner

[parabrave]

The question in the thread is "greatest football player ever". And you think Dave Winfield deserves to be mentioned. I'm honestly speechless that someone would consider Dave Winfield as possibly the greatest football player ever. He never played college or professional football to my knowledge.

Now you have been here long enough to know these threads never stay true to the original question. Heck I'm surprised no one has brought up Covid Yet?????? ***

[Commercecomet24]

Al Bundy. Greatest HS player of all time.

He scored 4tds in a high school football game! Legend!

[parabrave]

He scored 4tds in a high school football game! Legend!

And that was when football was football. Wait I thought it was six for old Polk High. I'll never know how he did it with that Big redhead sapping his strength before each game.

[Commercecomet24]

And that was when football was football. Wait I thought it was six for old Polk High. I'll never know how he did it with that Big redhead sapping his strength before each game.

Lol, Yep!

[R2Dawg]

Al Bundy. Greatest HS player of all time.

Doug Heffernin (Hefferlegs) had game winning block in city championship game.

Too many great players to pick one but I'll throw Walter Payton in the mix. He held the ball like a tennis ball and floated and spun his way down the field.