We have already looked at postseason performance in single games and single seasons. Today, we’re finally having a go at full playoff careers. All of the metrics I am using today have been explained, in great detail, in the previous four posts, so I am not going to belabor the point here. I will, however, remind the reader that Total Adjusted Yards per Play, and its many variants, is just one approach to measuring quarterback performance. It doesn’t account for weather, and it is not adjusted for the strength of opposing defenses (not yet, at least). Moreover, these numbers are based on box score stats and do not include more granular information, like time on the clock, field position, and yards to go on a set of downs. A four yard pass on 1st and 10 is much less valuable than a four yard pass on 3rd and 3, but TAY/P treats them equally. This is by design, because the goal of this metric is to do the best possible job of comparing quarterbacks across eras. I can’t do that with DVOA or EPA/P, because the play by play data just don’t go back far enough. However, when I looked into the correlations of TAY/P with more granular metrics, the r value tended to land between .93 and .94 (even for ESPN’s QBR, with its often wacky use of win probability). This suggests, to me, that most of these issues smooth themselves over in the long run. [continue reading…]
Yesterday, we looked at playoff performance in individual playoff games, as measured by Total Adjusted Yards per Play (and its copious derivatives). Today, I’m taking the next logical step and looking at performance over a full postseason in any given year. In other words, instead of examining who produced the most in the Super Bowl last year, I am determining who produced the most over the entire 2020 playoffs. By that, I mean who produced the most as measured by this particular set of numbers. They happen to be my preferred numbers for comparing across eras, but your mileage may vary.
For the uninitiated, here is a brief rundown of the metrics used:
Total Adjusted Yards per Play is like ANY/A with rushing included. It is (pass yards -sack yards + rush yards + 20*pass TDs + 20*rush TDs – 45*interceptions – 25*fumbles) / (passes + sacks + rushes). This version of TAY/P doesn’t include first downs, since I only have reliable first down data back to 1991 and want to make the playing field as level as possible when comparing back to 1936. [continue reading…]
Before the 2021 season starts, I figured I would try to add a little more to the Total Adjusted Yardage information I have been posting. Today, I want to discuss the same stats as before, as well as a few additions, for every postseason game in which a quarterback had at least five action plays. Not all information is complete, as sacks are unavailable prior to 1948. However, I’m working with what I have and not looking back. [1]If you want to look at all the raw data, including quarterbacks with just one plays, you can check out this Google sheet. Because this is the postseason, it is inherently worth more with regard to both earning a championship and establishing one’s legacy. Therefore, I am going to include championship leverage in the discussion. I don’t have much to say, so let’s get to the numbers. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | If you want to look at all the raw data, including quarterbacks with just one plays, you can check out this Google sheet. |
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Yesterday, we looked at the best (and worst) regular season performances, as measured by Total Adjusted Yards per Play and its many derivatives. Today, it’s time to look into total career values. Keep in mind, these figures don’t include the postseason, where many legends cemented or defined their legacies. We will get to that later, I promise.
Because I apparently hate driving traffic to the site, I will not title this anything to do with the greatest or best quarterback. Instead, I want to be honest about the fact that the results below are simply one measurement of career performance and are not meant to be definitive. I do believe it is the best approach I have seen when it comes to using numbers to compare quarterbacks across eras, but it isn’t perfect. When you see “Johnny Unitas,” what you are really seeing is Unitas, throwing to Raymond Berry, John Mackey, Lenny Moore, Jim Mutscheller, and Jimmy Orr, handing off to Alan Ameche, and standing behind Jim Parker and Bob Vogel, while glancing over at Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula standing on the sidelines. When you see “John Elway,” what you are really seeing is Elway throwing to a ragtag group of receivers, playing behind a ho hum offensive line, and under the tutelage of an unimaginative head coach during his prime, before getting basically the opposite of that late in his career. The average reader at Football Perspective has a good grip on both history and stat and should have little trouble contextualizing the numbers presented today. [continue reading…]
It has been a while since I published anything specifically relating to my niche homebrewed metric, Total Adjusted Yards per Play (TAY/P). It has been longer, still, since Chase has posted his latest entry into the corpus of his legendary QBGOAT series. I figured I would kill one bird and dizzy another with one stone. This post is specifically about TAY/P and its derivatives. It is not a treatise on the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Instead, it is a look at how several quarterbacks have fared in a few different variations of a single measurement since 1932. If you want to view it as a GOAT list, you are free to do so, though I would not encourage it. I believe statistics should be used to support your argument rather than serve as the entirety of your argument.
I am not under the delusion that this is the premier metric to use when evaluating quarterbacks. I prefer a holistic approach that includes everything from simple box score stats to convoluted algorithms and subjective grades. I consider EPA/P, DVOA, and Total QBR to be superior measurements. [1]CPOE is a useful stat when trying to get a better idea, from the numbers, who was more or less accurate than their actual completion rate may have indicated. ANY/A is good but only looks at … Continue reading The only problem is that they don’t cover a large enough portion of NFL history to make comparisons. Thus, I continue to use TAY/P because it uses simple box score numbers to create a metric that can compare quarterbacks dating back as far as we have box scores. [2]With some caveats. We have full stats dating back to 1967. Prior to that, we don’t have full sack and sack yardage information for the AFL. We have data for sack yardage lost in the NFL dating … Continue reading [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | CPOE is a useful stat when trying to get a better idea, from the numbers, who was more or less accurate than their actual completion rate may have indicated. ANY/A is good but only looks at dropbacks. Success rate is usually instructive when looking at how a quarterback leads an offense, but it is defined differently by different entities and, thus, can be difficult to discuss without first defining the term. I prefer to count plays with positive EPA successful, rather than the 40/70/100 division or some variation thereof. |
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| ↑2 | With some caveats. We have full stats dating back to 1967. Prior to that, we don’t have full sack and sack yardage information for the AFL. We have data for sack yardage lost in the NFL dating back to 1947, but we don’t know the number of sacks themselves prior to 1963. We have precious little sack information for the AAFC. In the NFL, we don’t have fumble data earlier than 1945, and we don’t have fumbles or for the AAFC at all. Prior to 1936, NFL teams didn’t even play the same number of games, which makes serious analysis tricky. And before 1932, we only have touchdowns. This all ignores the fact that yards are awarded a whole numbers, even when only half yards are gained. A touchdown from the one inch line still counts as a one yard run, by rule. On one play, that is a small deal, but over the course of a long career, it can add up (or take away). Though it mostly evens out. |
Named in honor of Automatic Otto Graham, the Automatic Award goes to the most valuable player in the league each season. Given the value of passing for most of NFL (and AFL and AAFC) history, this award will almost always go to a quarterback. He touches the live ball more than any other player, has by far the largest impact on the outcome of his team’s success, and is arguably the most important position in team sports. [1]I don’t know much about other sports, but I have been told goalies play a pretty outsized role in winning hockey games. In basketball, I don’t know if there is necessarily a single … Continue reading By and large, I am going to give preference to players on successful teams, with the possibly flawed idea that a player may have been valuable on a bad team, but it’s hard to call him most valuable if he had a losing squad. I try my best to separate a player’s contributions from those of his teammates, but I still attempt to recognize historically dominant seasons that come on teams with other great players. After all, it is difficult to disentangle a quarterback from his receivers and protectors, a running back from his blockers, or any player from his coaches, and I don’t want to take away too much credit from a guy just because of his perceived advantages.
I have chosen most valuable players for every season back to 1920. However, given the paucity of recorded stats, as well as the nigh nonexistence of film to study, I decided to publish only the results dating back to 1946. At that point, we have nearly the same box score numbers that we have today, and there is enough game footage available to paint a fairly reliable picture of a player’s performance. Obviously, with less information the further back we go, I have less confidence in my selections with each additional year we travel into the past. At the same time, because I know it is more difficult to come to conclusions about those seasons, I’m less torn up about picking players in a tossup scenario. Today, with abundant information at my fingertips, I find myself going back and forth over two or three players almost every year, talking myself in and out of their respective qualifications to the point that words start to lose meaning and I shrink into myself like Demeter of myth.
[continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | I don’t know much about other sports, but I have been told goalies play a pretty outsized role in winning hockey games. In basketball, I don’t know if there is necessarily a single position that is the most important, but it definitely appears to be the team sport in which the best player can have the largest impact. |
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After about 215000 words and nearly 400 pages, the Grand List is finally over. [1]That’s 391 pages in Times New Roman, 12 font in Word. The list also contained at least six trillion typos, but hopefully no factual inaccuracies. Before I get to updating the list to include the 2020 season, I want to consolidate some of the information from the project.
By design, there were five special teamers and six return men on the team. After that, I went with the players I felt were the best, irrespective of position. Without separating premodern from modern players, and counting two way players by their offensive positions, here is a positional breakdown of the list:
- 90 quarterbacks
- 118 running backs
- 10 blocking fullbacks
- 122 wide receivers or ends
- 41 tight ends
- 77 offensive tackles
- 72 offensive guards
- 44 offensive centers
- 75 defensive ends
- 83 defensive tackles
- 111 linebackers
- 65 cornerbacks
- 62 safeties
- 10 kickers
- 9 punters
Given the number of players at each position that occupy the field at the same time, which has fluctuated as the league has evolved, I don’t think the numbers are too far off from whatever the ideal is. The relative lack of defensive players is explained by the fact that the premodern players played on both side of the ball. So when I count Baugh as a quarterback, I am ignoring his work at safety to avoid double counting, though he obviously played on defense for much of his career. In theory, there should be about the same number of tackles and guards, and that number should be about twice as high as centers. However, it looks like centers are a little high, so I may have been too generous there, or not generous enough with guards and tackles. When looking at the older players, I remember having the impression that, for one reason or another, centers tended to be better on defense. That may explain some of the high number. I think I am a little low on defensive backs, and I will try to further examine my own thoughts on that as I continue to update the list as I gather new information.
When I update the list to include the 2020 seasons, as well as additional study I have done on older players in the time since I began writing the list, I have considered removing special teams players and giving them their own special section. It always felt weird putting even the best kickers on par with a Hall of Fame level defensive end or wide receiver. Hekker and Tucker were right between Tingelhoff and Dorsett on the original list, and I still feel conflicted about that. I believe they are the best ever at their roles, but they barely step foot on the field. I would much rather create a separate section just for guys like them, Hester, and Tasker so I can make room on the top 1000 for players like Joel Bitonio, Joe Thuney, Tre’Davious White, or Tyrann Mathieu. I’d love to hear the opinion of the Football Perspective readership, whom I consider one of the smartest I’ve had the pleasure of encountering. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | That’s 391 pages in Times New Roman, 12 font in Word. The list also contained at least six trillion typos, but hopefully no factual inaccuracies. |
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We finally made it. This marks the last installment of the Grand List, a countdown of the top one thousand players in pro football history (who spent at least some time in the NFL). I began publishing this list in March 2020, right after the NFL’s centennial season, and had the aspirational goal of publishing the full list before the 2020 season started. By the beginning of the season, I had 399 players remaining. I focused on the 2020 season live rather than trying to work on the list while the season was still ongoing, and I picked back up in March 2021. In order to be fair to active players named in the first 600 players, I made the choice to ignore the 2020 season entirely when moving forward with the list. That means I had to pretend dominant performances from Mahomes, Rodgers and Donald didn’t happen, or that Brady didn’t win another title with a new team and scheme. When I am done with the list, I will make an update to include not only the new information form the 2020 season, but also more film study I hadn’t yet conducted for older seasons. [1]Players who had great 2020 seasons will see their status rise—sometimes significantly. There are some older players for whom I had only seen a handful of full games, and adding to the body of … Continue reading
My typical caveats apply here:
- These are based solely on my opinion. I’d like to think that it is a pretty well-reasoned and informed opinion, but it is an opinion nonetheless. As my late grandfather, who got me in to studying the game thirty years ago, used to say: “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one, and they all stink.” I haven’t sniffed everyone’s opinion, but I think it’s fair to say we all have one others would consider less than rosy. If you find mine appalling and would like to let me know, do so in the comments. Undue praise and deserved criticism are welcome. Please send personal attacks to DeleteSansReading@gmail.com.
- Ordinal rankings tend to imply a level of separation that is sometimes essentially nonexistent. I could see arguments for players 2-6 to be in any order. Ditto players 9-20. At some point, it comes down to preference and best-guessing.
- Building on that, rankings are somewhat fluid. Because of the amount of time I have spent studying and thinking about football, I can easily talk myself into and out of an argument for or against a player. With the exception of number one, my placement of most players moved around, sometimes significantly, while constructing the list. When I publish the update, many players will see large changes in rank.
- It’s just football. It probably seems silly to say something like this after writing 200,000+ words for a trivial list, but it’s just entertainment. This stuff doesn’t really matter to me beyond that.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
The Grand List, part 20: Includes players 249-200.
The Grand List, part 21: Includes players 199-150.
The Grand List, part 22: Includes players 149-101.
The Grand List, part 23: Includes players 100-51.
The Grand List, part 24: Includes players 50-21.
Let’s wrap it up.
References
| ↑1 | Players who had great 2020 seasons will see their status rise—sometimes significantly. There are some older players for whom I had only seen a handful of full games, and adding to the body of evidence actually decreased my opinion of them. A few players who weren’t on the original list at all will knock off some lower ranking players from the initial list. I am constantly updating my opinions based on new information; I reserve the right to get smarter. |
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This marks the penultimate section of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in pro football history (or something like that). Keep in mind, of course, that I have purposely excluded the 2020 season because I began publishing the list before the season started. It feels a little silly to write as though the past season didn’t happen, but I don’t think it would be fair to count a season for higher ranked players that I didn’t include for lower ranked players. Today’s section covers players 50 through 21, and the top 20 will follow when I get around to it. This range includes many players often considered the greatest of all time at their respective positions, a few modern players who are probably higher here than they appear on most lists, and the last of the premodern stars. I have little doubt everyone who reads will be in complete agreement with these choices.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
The Grand List, part 20: Includes players 249-200.
The Grand List, part 21: Includes players 199-150.
The Grand List, part 22: Includes players 149-101.
The Grand List, part 23: Includes players 100-51.
We’re almost there.
Adam Steele is back with a new entry into his Wisdom of Crowds series, and we thank him for it. Below are Adam’s thoughts.
We’re in the dog days of the offseason, so what better time for another Wisdom of the Crowds exercise? This time, Football Perspective readers will be voting on the greatest teams in NFL history. For the sake of accessibility, the rules will be even simpler than usual:
- List your top 25 team seasons of all time in numerical order (For example, the 2008 Lions)
- All teams from the NFL, AFL, and AAFC are eligible (Like the undefeated and untied 1948 Browns)
- Winning a championship is not required for inclusion (Hello, 2007 Patriots)
- Multiple seasons from the same dynasty are permitted (1975 and 1976 Steelers? Why not?)
Polls will be open for two weeks after this is posted. As always, comments and discussion are strongly encouraged. Let’s go!
Adam Steele is back to provide a recap for his Wisdom of Crowds project, and we thank him for it.
After two weeks of polling, we received 20 legal ballots and lots of great discussion. Thank you to everyone who participated! Let’s get straight to the results:
In this table you’ll see total points for each WR, average points per ballot, and the specific points distribution by each voter. I only ranked players who were listed on more than one ballot. Now you can compare your votes to others’ side by side!
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Jerry Rice is the runway winner for Greatest Wide Receiver of All-Time. He’s probably the only player in NFL history at any position that has no holes in his resume. Rice had a dominant peak, absurd longevity, holds every postseason record, and gave 100% effort at all times. He may very well be the greatest football player ever, period. [continue reading…]
Welcome to the antepenultimate section of the Grand List, in which I count down the top thousand players in pro football history (through 2019, when the countdown began). I have researched the game for decades, with thousands of hours of dedicated film study, obsessive attention to stats both common and obscure, and a frankly pathetic amount of literature consumed. So I would like to think my positions are well-grounded, having been based on thoughtful analysis and a great deal of attention to my own biases to try to account for my own blind spots. However, at the end of the day, I am still just one idiot on the internet making a list that I hope will engage people in friendly discussion about the game we love. All my time spent studying doesn’t make my opinion any more valid than the reader’s. Heck, I can think of a guy famed for his intellect who did plenty of studying at Harvard, and he’s a dunce.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
The Grand List, part 20: Includes players 249-200.
The Grand List, part 21: Includes players 199-150.
The Grand List, part 22: Includes players 149-101.
Onward we go.
It’s time for yet another entry in the Grand List, a countdown of the top 1000 players in pro football history, in one fool’s opinion. [1]Remember, this list stops after the first hundred years of the NFL. That means I didn’t consider 2020 in my rankings. When I finish the full list, I plan to re-post an update that includes the … Continue reading We’re getting to the part where more quarterbacks are showing up, which often means increased noise from those who disagree. [2]I kindly remind you to send all hate mail to deletesansreading@gmail.com. As a person who hates arguing but loves sharing ideas, I have only brought this nightmare on myself and accept my fate.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
The Grand List, part 20: Includes players 249-200.
The Grand List, part 21: Includes players 199-150.
Let’s get into it.
References
| ↑1 | Remember, this list stops after the first hundred years of the NFL. That means I didn’t consider 2020 in my rankings. When I finish the full list, I plan to re-post an update that includes the past season, new additions, risers, and fallers. So it’s pro football history, but with an asterisk in size four font. |
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| ↑2 | I kindly remind you to send all hate mail to deletesansreading@gmail.com. |
Adam Steele is back with a long-awaited wide receiver edition of his beloved Wisdom of Crowds exercise. We thank him for the beautiful discussion it will prompt.
It’s been a few years since FP has run a Wisdom of the Crowds exercise, and this time around we’re going to do wide receivers.
For anyone wanting to submit a ballot, there are a handful of simple rules:
- You have 200 points to distribute among your choices for the greatest wide receivers of all time. The criteria for greatness is entirely up to you, and explanations in the comments are encouraged. You can use half points (but nothing smaller than that).
- No WR may be assigned more than 15 points. This is done to prevent a few over-weighted ballots from skewing the results.
- The maximum number of WR’s you may list is 50, but it’s okay to list fewer than that as long as the points sum to 200.
- Players whose career began before 1935 are not eligible because the earliest days of the NFL were too different from the modern game to make fair comparisons.
- Please compose and submit your ballot before reading anyone else’s.
- Ballots will be accepted for two weeks after the day this is posted.
Strap in for part 21 of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in pro football history (who played enough time in the NFL to show they could succeed there). Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but I’ve never been much for marketing and SEO optimization. Today’s section has a little something for everyone, with a wide enough distribution of positions to fill a full offense and defense—with subs. There are underrated non-Hall of Famers and legends often cited as the best at their positions. We have ballers from 1925 to the present, with versatile Swiss Army Knife types and guys who happened to do one thing but did it at an all time great level. We’re not at the part yet where people start questioning my sanity or telling me to take a nap in traffic, but we’re getting close!
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
The Grand List, part 20: Includes players 249-200.
Words, words, words…
The old adage is that you build teams from the inside out. I don’t know if that is or ever has been true, but I know this: with 23 of the 50 players coming from the offensive of defensive line, part 20 of the Grand List is built from the inside out. At the same time, this is perhaps the most diverse section of the list, as it includes a player at every position, including the highest ranked kickers and punters in the series. There isn’t much controversy this time, with every player either a current or future Hall of Famer or a perennial all star. Enjoy.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
The Grand List, part 19: Includes players 299-250.
Here we go, then.
Warmest regards, friends of the program. Today marks the 19th installment of the Grand List, in which I rank the top one thousand professional football players in history (whose careers preceded or included a good chunk of time in the NFL). In this section, we’ll look at players 299-250. It’s a portion of the list that includes a few players you may expect to see rank much higher, as well as a few players who may have you wondering why they were included in the top 1000 at all. Opinions are all my own and are derived from far too much time studying a meaningless game over a period of about thirty years. If you disagree, that’s great. If all lists looked the same, what a boring life that would be.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
The Grand List, part 18: Includes players 349-300.
Let’s go, babies.
It’s time for part 18 of the Grand List, or: the top one thousand players in pro football history who played a significant amount of time in the NFL, or something like that. In today’s section of the list, we have likely-to-be-controversial quarterback rankings, a wide range of defensive linemen, a feast of interior blockers, some versatile backs (of both the running and defensive persuasion), several receivers underrated because of the modern passing explosion, and three very different linebackers. Only three active players are featured today, but I will repeat my caveat from last time: because most of this list was presented prior to the 2020 season, last year’s performances—good and bad—will have no bearing on a player’s ranking moving forward. I have every intention of posting the list, in full, with updates, provided Chase lets me publish such a long post. Maybe I’ll just post it as a list and only write about new additions, not to be mistaken for New Editions (so no Mike Bivins). Alas, I have rambled too long.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400.
The Grand List, part 17: Includes players 399-350.
Festina, folks.
Welcome to part 17 of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in history (in my opinion, as of the end of the 2019 season). The original plan for this series was to have it done by the start of the 2020 season. That didn’t happen. In order to keep every player on the same playing field, I’m going to continue the presenting the series without including the 2020 season (it hardly seems fair to exclude 2020 for Nuk Hopkins but include it for Julio). [1]Spoiler alert! Quintorris made the list. This portion of the list has something for everyone, unless you fancy yourself a special teams enthusiast. We have passers, pure runners, receiving backs with confusing legacies, antediluvian receivers, linemen and linebackers of all kinds, a cover corner, and some hard hitting safeties. It’s safe to think of everything from this point on as a list of players whose play merits strong Hall of Fame consideration. [2]Note, there are several players who would move up (or even onto) the list were I to include 2020. Off the top of my head, I can think of 18 players already on the list who would move up. I can think … Continue reading
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
The Grand List, part 16: Includes players 449-400
Away we go!
References
| ↑1 | Spoiler alert! Quintorris made the list. |
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| ↑2 | Note, there are several players who would move up (or even onto) the list were I to include 2020. Off the top of my head, I can think of 18 players already on the list who would move up. I can think of another 16 who would move onto the list, or at least come mighty close. At the conclusion of the series, I plan to discuss those players. Hold me to that. |
While most (all?) other organizations and publications reserve their all pro selections for the regular season alone, I like to include the playoffs when handing out my awards and honors. This means I publish them way after anyone else publishes theirs, and certainly well past the point people who aren’t die-hard NFL degenerates still care about such things. Writing about things no one cares about is my specialty, so I figured I’d break my long writing hiatus to present some useless information to the good readers of Football Perspective. [1]People have asked me about finishing the Grand List, as well as other topics. While the plan was to finish the top 1000 prior to the start of the 2020 season, new life realities made that more … Continue reading
While most all pro teams have preset slots to fill, mine are more amorphous. In a season with several standouts at a position and few at another, I may allow for more players at the deep position and fewer at the shallow. Last year, my offense featured two backs, three wide receivers, and two tight ends. This year, it didn’t make much sense to have more than one back or tight end. Question my rationale if you like, but it’s my team, and I’ll do as I please. (Also, unlike the AP/SN/PFWA teams, players don’t have bonuses tied to my squad, and this ultimately doesn’t really matter). Enough with the expository applesauce. On to the picks. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | People have asked me about finishing the Grand List, as well as other topics. While the plan was to finish the top 1000 prior to the start of the 2020 season, new life realities made that more arduous than I had expected. The plan, then, was to simply finish it during the season, when more fans are searching for information and landing on FP. Then my mother unexpectedly died at 58 in the beginning of the season, and I was tasked with settling her affairs from several hours away, during a pandemic. Frankly, writing about football has been far from my mind all season, and this interval of online silence has been necessary to avoid burnout. |
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I’ve written several histories of NFL career records, but the history of the career receiving touchdowns record is the most fascinating to me. Twelve men held the receptions title, and eleven held the receiving yards record. Seven different players held the record for rushing yards and for rushing touchdowns. Eleven quarterbacks held the passing yardage crown, while ten captured the touchdown title. This record is different. Thanks, primarily, to Don Hutson and Jerry Rice, only four players have held the record for receiving touchdowns since the NFL started keeping official statistics in 1932.
Receivers to Hold the Career Receiving Touchdowns Record
Johnny Blood (7 years as record-holder)
By the end of 1932, the first season in the official NFL record book, Blood had scored 25 receiving touchdowns. Most of those occurred in the “pre-stat” era, with 22 of his scores coming between 1926 and 1931. That includes a career high (by far) eleven touchdowns in 1931—he never had another season with more than five touchdowns. He played until 1938, slowly racking up touchdowns and retiring with 37 through the air.
Don Hutson (49 years, 3 months as record-holder)
Huston finished the 1939 season with 36 receiving touchdowns, just one shy of Blood’s record. To begin 1940, he tied the record in the third quarter of a blowout loss to the Bears, and he broke it in the opening quarter of a blowout win over the Cardinals. He got a fortunate break when WW2 took much of the talent from the NFL; during the war-depleted years, Hutson had by far his most productive touchdown seasons (1941-43 were his only three season with double-digit receiving scores). He ended his career with 99 receiving touchdowns, a number that wasn’t approached for decades.
Steve Largent (3 years as record-holder)
Largent was two touchdowns shy of the record coming into the 1989 season. Things looked dim for the receiver, who scored in week one but followed with ten straight weeks in which he failed to find the end zone. However, he was able to tie the record in game twelve and subsequently break it in week 14. The last touchdown of his storied Hall of Fame career was the one that gave him sole possession of the record. He didn’t hold the record for long, because the most prolific player of all time was already on his heels.
Jerry Rice (27 years, 10 months as record-holder, so far)
Through seven seasons (1985-91), Rice had already compiled 93 receiving touchdowns. [1]He did this despite a slow start, hauling in just three touchdown passes as a rookie. Rice then scored 15, 22, 9, 17, 13, and 14 receiving touchdowns, averaging a touchdown per game over that span. In week 12 of 1992, Rice tied Largent’s record in a victory over the Eagles. The following week, in a dominant win over the Dolphins, World gained sole possession of the record, becoming the first player in history to top the century mark. He added an incredible 96 touchdowns after that, walking away with 197 and a distant lead over anyone before or since. [2]The second and third place receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, were incredibly productive for several years. Moss finished with 156, and Owens finished with 153. The two of them have a sizable … Continue reading
Future of the Career Receiving Touchdowns Record
This record seems like it’s going to last for a pretty long time. As of today, the top ten active leaders in touchdowns are:
Larry Fitzgerald – 120
Rob Gronkowski – 79
Jimmy Graham – 75
Antonio Brown – 75
Jason Witten – 72
A.J. Green – 63
Demaryius Thomas – 63
Greg Olsen – 60
Julio Jones – 57
DeSean Jackson – 55
DeAndre Hopkins – 55
Fitzgerald is 37 and is still 77 touchdowns short of the record. Gronk needs 118 to tie, which would more than double his career output to date. Given his injury history, it’s a little outlandish to expect him to come anywhere close. Graham is 122 shy and is just not very good anymore, and he hasn’t been for some time now. Brown is also 122 away, and he is both 32 years old and out of the league for being a total head case.
Witten has looked and played like an old man since he entered the league. Green looks like he aged a decade overnight. Thomas can’t find a team, and Olsen looks his age. Jones famously doesn’t score touchdowns, while Jackson is 33 and not the threat he once was.
Looking for younger players on the right track, I don’t see anyone. But let’s discuss a few anyway. How about DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Davante Adams, and Travis Kelce.
Hopkins is 28 and has 55 touchdowns. His career high was 13 in 2017. For reference, Rice had eight seasons with at least that many touchdowns (and six with more). He’d have to replicate his best season eleven times to own the record!
Evans is just 27, and he has 50 scores. He has also only had two seasons in which he played the full 16 games. With 9 touchdowns per 16 games over his career, he’d have to reproduce his career average—without missing a game—for over 15 more years. Or average 14.7 touchdowns a year over the next decade.
Beckham started his career on fire, scoring 35 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He’s one of just six players in history to accomplish that. But from 2017 to present, he has played in just 34 games and scored a mere 14 touchdowns. That means after his tremendous start he is now 148 touchdowns short of the record with no signs of reclaiming past glory.
Adams is 28 and has 46 touchdowns. Most of that came from 2016-28, during which time he scored 35 times. He had a down year in 2019, scoring just five touchdowns. That might not seem like an issue, but things have to go perfectly to take the crown from the king. Rice started slow with three touchdowns, but after that, he didn’t have a season as low as five until he was 35 years old and played in just two games. During his “peakiest” peak, from ages 24-33, his touchdown output looked like something from a video game: 15, 22, 9 (his down year), 17, 13, 14, 10, 15, 13, and 15.
Kelce will be 31 in a few weeks. He’s a scoring machine for a tight end, but with 38 touchdowns he is still 159 shy of Rice. If he was guaranteed to match his career high every year until he broke the record, he’d have to play until he was 47.
Maybe Reek Hill is a sleeper. He is a big play threat and a favorite target of a guy who throws a lot of touchdown passes. I don’t think he stands a chance. At 26, he’s already older than he seems. And he has just 33 touchdowns. Rice had 49 by that age and added 97 over the following seven seasons. Then he threw in another 51 just for funsies.
What I’m saying is this: I don’t believe any active player will break Rice’s record, even with expanded schedules.
References
| ↑1 | He did this despite a slow start, hauling in just three touchdown passes as a rookie. Rice then scored 15, 22, 9, 17, 13, and 14 receiving touchdowns, averaging a touchdown per game over that span. |
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| ↑2 | The second and third place receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, were incredibly productive for several years. Moss finished with 156, and Owens finished with 153. The two of them have a sizable lead over fourth place Cris Carter (130), but neither is within 40 of Rice. |
This is an update and revision to a post I wrote after Peyton Manning’s retirement following the 2015 season. I originally penned it to celebrate Manning’s triumph over the record books and look back at the history of the record. Since then, Drew Brees and Tom Brady have broken that record, and both look to push it to new heights as they battle for the crown. Brees beat Brady to the mark and hasn’t looked back yet. The Saint has a history of beating the odds. He has been lauded by an adoring media and legions of fans, and deservedly so. However, with all the attention given to modern players, we often fail to properly remember former greats – legends of the game who paved the way for the sports celebrities of today.
More than relics from days past, these men were trailblazers who helped legitimize the sport we have grown to love. Unlike the iconic sports figures of today, many of these players were actual heroes, serving in the military and coming home to work full-time jobs to support their families. Before quarterbacks were millionaires, they were mostly indistinguishable from the everyman. Except on Sundays. On Sundays, they became giants. [continue reading…]
Get ready for part 16 in my neverending series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in history in the opinion of one guy on the internet. This is an offense-heavy section of the list, with 37 of the 50 players on that side of the ball. There are quarterbacks whose own fans didn’t seem to care for them, a stylistic variety of running backs, receivers spanning nearly the whole of the league’s history, a group of underrated tight ends, and something for everyone along the offensive line. While there aren’t many defenders, each main corps is represented. Maybe you’ll like it.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
Let us go then, you and I.
It’s time for the fifteenth installment of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in football history. Or something like that. This is an ideal post for long ball fetishists, nose tackle aficionados, and fans of linemen who were underrated because of the skill players for whom they blocked. Please send all hate mail to Chase. He loves reading that stuff.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
Enjoy.
It’s time for the fourteenth part in my series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro football players in history. [1]Who made their mark in the NFL or the pre-NFL pros. Anthony Calvillo will not be making an appearance. By the end of the article, we will finally be at the halfway mark. When I began this project, the plan was to fit the full thousand in thirteen posts, so you see how good I am at planning ahead. This section is heavy on offensive skill players (18) and trench players (19), so if you enjoy reading about those positions, you’re in luck. If not, there are a few other fellows in there too, so don’t feel left out. This is yet another post that includes Pro Football Hall of Fame members outside of the top 500. [2]I believe there are eight, but I don’t feel like counting. My hope is that, as the list unfolds, I will have adequately given my reasoning why such acclaimed individuals are so far out of line with the popular view.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
Let’s get down to business.
Strap in for the unlucky thirteenth installment of my endless summer series The Grand List, or: the best 1000 pro football players in (mostly) NFL history. There are a few Hall of Famers who probably seem way too low, along with some likely head scratchers who you will feel are too high. I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer on lists like these. We just use the evidence available to us to make the most informed decision we can, bringing our preferences and biases along for the ride. [1]I have spent years trying to understand my own biases and build safeguards into my work in order to catch them. I promise that I will still fail in that regard, like all other humans, but hopefully … Continue reading
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
In the immortal words of Al Bundy: let’s rock.
References
| ↑1 | I have spent years trying to understand my own biases and build safeguards into my work in order to catch them. I promise that I will still fail in that regard, like all other humans, but hopefully not miserably so. Completely unbiased opinions don’t exist, and I don’t trust those who claim otherwise. |
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It’s time for the dirty dozenth episode in my endless series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro players in history in one fool’s opinion. This section of the list is heavily populated with trench players, but it should have enough skill players to keep casual fans moderately interested (they told me I should sell myself, so I hope that worked). The writeups are probably going to be a little shorter from now on. What can I say? I’m tired.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
Let’s get into it, friendos.
Hello, friends and enemies, and welcome to the eleventh installment of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 robust gentlemen ever to participate in gridiron activities. It’s been a while. With everything going on in the country over the past month, I haven’t found any joy thinking about something as trivial as football. Many use sports as an escape from the slings and arrows of the world, but I’ve never been able to do that. For me, football has always been more of a mirror than a door. When I began this project, my goal was to finish this series by the beginning of the 2020 regular season, and I still plan to make it – even if my heart isn’t really in it. I hope you enjoy reading it more than I enjoy writing it. [1]I was kind of banking on a long season postponement to help me out. Aside from jobs affected by it, in a pure abstract sense, I think it would be neat to have a one year break in action after the … Continue reading
Question for those reading along: what is the ideal number of entries in a single article? I’ve done as few as ten and as many as fifty. A small number would theoretically result in more frequent posting, while larger articles take more time but give you more to chew on. I don’t plan to write more than a paragraph for any single player, because a thousand is a big number, and I’m a lazy guy (and how many different ways can you say a tackle blocked well or a corner covered well?).
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
Without further ado, let’s endeavor to find meaning in the meaningless. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | I was kind of banking on a long season postponement to help me out. Aside from jobs affected by it, in a pure abstract sense, I think it would be neat to have a one year break in action after the first hundred years of the league. |
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This is the tenth installment in my roughly one million part series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro football players ever, or something like that. Keep in mind I have forced myself to order these players, and that ordinal rankings naturally imply a bigger (or, sometimes, smaller) difference than really exists. While you’d be crazy to swap one of these guys with Tom Brady or Lawrence Taylor, at this point in the list, most players are interchangeable with one another and are often determined by preference. This isn’t the definitive list. It’s just a big list, [1]Based on a wealth of information and mine’s no better than yours.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
Let’s do this. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | Based on a wealth of information |
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It’s time for part nine of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players ever, or something. Today’s post has a little something for everyone: active players, champions, Super Bowl MVPs, should-be Super Bowl MVPs, huge receivers, diminutive running backs, cool nicknames, and probably some other nonsense. Part nine covers players 779-750.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
Let’s roll…
The List, Continued
779. Darnell Dockett (2004-2014)
Defensive Tackle
Arizona Cardinals
Dockett didn’t play the run. Maybe he couldn’t play the run. However, he was an excellent interior pass rusher who had the ability to change games. Given the difference in relative importance of stopping the run versus stopping the pass, Dockett’s pros more than cancelled out his cons. He wasn’t a liability – he was a visionary. A rollercoaster ride of a player, it is fair to label him inconsistent. But when he turned it on, he looked like he was bound for Canton (the one in Ohio). He didn’t produce one incredible game after another, like some of the defenders near the top of this list, but he was usually effective and good for a few performances per season that really blew your hair back. His most notable game came in defeat in Super Bowl XLIII when he sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times, tying Willie Davis and Reggie White for second most sacks in the game’s history. [1]Kony Ealy and Grady Jarrett since matched the feat. The record still belongs to L.C. Greenwood, who sacked Roger Staubach four times in Super Bowl X.
778. Manny Fernandez (1968-1975)
Defensive Line
Miami Dolphins [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | Kony Ealy and Grady Jarrett since matched the feat. The record still belongs to L.C. Greenwood, who sacked Roger Staubach four times in Super Bowl X. |
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