The Greatest NFL Player of All-Time
According to 65% of readers who voted, it’s a running back, not Jerry Rice (which, from where I sit, is the correct answer). OK, folks, you’ve had your say; now, narrow the field to one choice. I’ve listed 7 on the sidebar in the form of a new poll; if you’re thinking of a running back whose name isn’t on the list, you’re wrong. This isn’t the time for sentimental favorites; yeah, I like Franco Harris as much as the next man, but sorry, he isn’t the greatest player of all time, nor is Jerome Bettis or Curtis Martin or John Riggins or Mercury Morris or Don Nottingham. It’s one of these seven guys, and we all know it. Now, if you voted for a quarterback, or for Jerry, sorry, we’re narrowing this down now to the greatest of all time, so if you voted for one of the other guys, you can either vote, or withhold your vote as a protest.
Like the fate of the world depends on this…
UPDATE: Sorry to be of offense in the poll…I should have said, “O.J. the Innocent”…
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
4 Responses to “The Greatest NFL Player of All-Time”
I am sorry that you and your readers are so narrow minded as to think it has to be a RB, WR or any other skilled player. As the line goes so goes the team…none of the skill players would be great without a great line.
I repeat for the record #92 of the Pack: Reggie White is the greatest impact player of my lifetime. He made offensive linemen look foolish for trying to block him and put more quarterbacks on their back in the fourth quarter when it counted than any other lineman of our era.
#92 Reggie White!!
Bill ~ Sep 14, 2005 at 1:31 am
I voted for Emmitt Smith for longevity, yardage and helping his team win three Super Bowls. I will admit that Walter Payton was a more exciting runner than Emmitt, but I think Emmitt has surpassed him in many ways. Also, not that this has anything to do with my choice, but I’m a graduate of the University of Florida like Emmitt, but truly, that hasn’t influenced my position on this at all.
I might have said Jim Brown but I am too young to remember him so that would just be on other people’s recommendations. But there is one running back not on the list who is head and shoulders above all the rest – the only reason he is not talked about as the greatest of all time is because injuries cut his career short. I think he was better than Emmitt, Payton and all the others. That’s Earl Campbell. He had the perfect combination of speed and power – I’ve never seen anyone better.
I’m still not sure that Rice isn’t the greatest of all time though, and I think you’ve got to throw Joe Montana into the mix also.
David Wayne ~ Sep 14, 2005 at 5:18 pm
Well, Bill, that’s my readers for you; glad you’re one, even with your minority opinion…
Emmitt? Sorry. For me, he ranks #4 on my personal list of top RB’s, not to mention all-around players. I don’t think he’d be in my own Top 10 of players all-time. And Montana, for me, isn’t a Top 5 QB, probably…well, maybe, I’d have to think about it. But isn’t that what makes this fun?
Earl would have probably been the next back to go on the list, I imagine…
Byron ~ Sep 14, 2005 at 8:10 pm