The 100 Greatest Players in Professional Football History 50-41

Last week's ten is here.

Here's 100-51, my picks are first, the NFL Network picks are second.

100. Larry Allen (Joe Namath)
99. Tom Mack (Michael Strahan)
98. Ozzie Newsome (Lee Roy Selmon)
97. Steve Van Buren (Derrick Brooks)
96. Michael Strahan (Mel Hein)
95. Norm Van Brocklin (Larry Allen)
94. Donovan McNabb (Lenny Moore)
93. Lance Alworth (Sam Huff)
92. OJ Simpson (Michael Irvin)
91. Lou Groza (Fran Tarkenton)
90. Jack Youngblood (Kurt Warner)
89. Sam Huff (Ernie Nevers)
88. Paul Krause (Ed Reed)
87. Cris Carter (Crazylegs Hirsch)
86. Chris Doleman (Willie Davis)
85. Sammy Baugh (Marcus Allen)
84. Alex Karras (Joe Schmidt)
83. Tony Dorsett (Norm Van Brocklin)
82. Don Maynard (Ted Hendricks)
81. John Brodie (Steve Young)
80. Bobby Layne (Troy Aikman)
79. Gene Hickerson (Emlen Tunnell)
78. Chuck Howley (Bruce Matthews)
77. Michael Irvin (Tony Dorsett)
76. Too Tall Jones (Art Shell)
75. Roger Staubach (Darrell Green)
74. Willie Wood (Marion Motley)
73. Will Shields (Ozzie Newsome)
72. Carl Eller (Jonathan Ogden)
71. Ladainian Tomlinson (Paul Warfield)
70. Curtis Martin (Marshall Faulk)
69. Terrell Owens (Bobby Bell)
68. Len Dawson (Mike Webster)
67. Tom Brady (Kellen Winslow)
66. Mike Haynes (Willie Brown)
65. Ken Houston (Randy Moss)
64. Rickey Jackson (Herb Adderly)
63. Darrell Green (Jim Otto)
62. Mike Webster (Randy White)
61. Forrest Gregg (Ladainian Tomlinson)
60. Harold Jackson (Jack Ham)
59. Tim Brown (Mike Ditka)
58. Night Train Lane (Steve Van Buren)
57. Ken Anderson (Mike Singletary)
56. YA Tittle (Gene Upshaw)
55. Alan Page (Earl Campbell)
54. Thurman Thomas (Forrest Gregg)
53. Howie Long (Willie Lanier)
52. Jack Lambert (Eric Dickerson)
51. Randy Moss (Bart Starr)

Here's the next ten...

50.Joe Perry RB 48-63 Niners

-When you average 5 yards a carry over a fifteen year career, that's a top 50 all time player.  (NFL Net took Terry Bradshaw, not on my list)

49.Herb Adderly DB 61-72 Packers

-Top comp is Ronde Barber, among the most underrated players of recent vintage; the Barber brothers might be back to back in the top 150.  (Mike Haynes, already appeared on my list.)

48.James Lofton WR 78-93 Packers

-18+ yards per catch over 764 catches – Lofton’s career a good example of the “pre-steroid” era in the inflation of passing numbers; you could look at the mid 90s as the beginning of a very comparable offensive inflation in both football and baseball – the difference is the passing numbers in football, inflated by rule change, continue to increase.  (Red Grange - not on my list.)

47.Bruce Matthews OL 83-01  Oilers

-(NFL took Ray Nitschke, not on my list.)

46.Derrick Brooks LB 95-08 Bucs

-5 time first team All Pro.  (Roger Staubach - already appeared on my list.)

45.Tony Gonzalez TE 97-   Chiefs

-80+ tds and over a thousand catches, the greatest TE in NFL history. (Hah!  First time!  They picked Gonzalez as well.  Consensus!  Consensus!  My work here is done.)

44.Marshall Faulk RB 94-06 Colts/Rams

-4+ yards a carry, 9+ a catch, 136 career TD. (Mel Blount - still to come on my list.)

43.Steve Young QB 85-99 Niners

-a QB rating of 96+, 33000+ yards passing, a comp percentage of 64%+, 232 career passing touchdowns and 43 on the ground with an avg of almost 6 yards a carry.  6 TD passes, no picks in SB 29. (Alan Page, just appeared on my list a dozen spots back.)  

42.Marcus Allen RB 82-97 Raiders/Chiefs

4 yards+ a carry, 9yards+ a catch, nearly 150 TDs and spent a chunk of his career as a blocking back. (John Mackey - not on my list.)

41. Marvin Harrison WR 96-08  Colts

And you thought Juice would be the top ranked player ever to kill a guy.  Allegedly.  (Rod Woodson - still to come on my list.)


That's the Top 60 - mine and theirs; I'll get the jump again on the next ten of the list by posting first thing next Thursday.