Interesting question. A case can be made for Jerry Rice.
Begin with the fact that he is unequivocally peerless at his position.
Add the also peerless overall postseason performances, including the 215 yard Super Bowl MVP marvel.
But more than anything, it may be the cumalitive yards and touchdowns.
No one has punched it into the end zone more than Rice, it's not even close.
Similarly, no one has gained more yards from scrimmage.
22,895 career yards and 197 touchdowns. To put that in perspective, the next highest in both categories is Emmit Smith, with 18,355 and 164 TDs, a gap it would take 4 productive SEASONS to close. Incredible, especially when you consider that top backs typically amass more yards and touchdowns every season.
Lastly, Rice is just a great guy with a legendary work ethic. The consummate professional and someone who played for the team and gave 100 percent every play.
Last interesting fact, in the strike shortened 1987 season, Rice scored an impossible 22 TDS in ONLY 12 games!! Yes, had 1987 been a full season, Ladanian Tomlinson may have been gunning for Rice's season TD record this year. Unbelievable
2007-01-11 11:24:15 · 24 answers · asked by The Brain 3 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
I would say John Riggins is the best player ever.
You make a good arguement for Jerry Rice as best receiver but my favorite WR of all time is Steve Largent.
2007-01-11 12:10:42 · answer #1 · answered by hailtotheredskins1 5 · 1⤊ 4⤋
You have made your case, but I don't think you are right.
Jim Brown.
LT is compared to him. Many others have been compared to him. If you haven't played football in over 30 years, and people are still using you as a comparision for a great running back, hands down you have no peers in that class.
I won't say that Jerry Rice is a chump. That is clearly not the case. He is an obvious first ballot HOFer. However, with what Rice did versus what Brown did, not only in the world of football, Brown is a better athlete and better NFL player.
2007-01-11 12:05:16 · answer #2 · answered by Jam_Til_Impact 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hands down Jim Brown. The man caused chaos to defenses. He was like no other running back ever to this day.
It's not always about yards and td's, it's about the ability to put absolute fear in the opposing team before the game even starts. And nobody did that better than Jim Brown.
2007-01-11 12:18:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is no greatest, just a whole bunch of different bad mofo's from different eras. You can make an arguement for 50 different players fro greatest player from Montana to Elway to Unitas to OJ to Sweetness to Brown to Barry to LT to Marino to Rice to them older guys like Thorpe, Gale Sayers, and Crazy Legs but you'll never get a definate unamimous choice and there does'nt need to be one.
2007-01-11 12:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jim Brown. He is acclaimed as one of the best running backs of all time, and was named by The Sporting News as the greatest player ever in 2002.
2007-01-11 11:35:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
John Elway; hes my hero. Only quarterback to start in 5 Super Bowls and break tons of Broncos franchise records. He is undoubtedly the greatest quarterback of all time, and add to that his awesome personality and character, and yoiu got urself a recipe for the best nfl player of all time.
2007-01-11 11:31:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, Rice was great, but if Barry Sanders wouldnt have retired, he would have caught Emmitt and Rice in both catagories. Noone could stop that man when his line knew how to block, but then again, he didnt need blockers. Good points tho.
2007-01-11 11:30:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Most definitely Jim Brown. Had he not retired in the middle of his prime the records he set would be so far out of reach it would make L.T. blush. As a matter of fact i think jim brown does make L.T. blush... he is the greatest player of all time!
2007-01-11 12:31:59 · answer #8 · answered by Trevor Smith 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Awww, whassa matta? None of the answers from the last time you posted this question were good enough for ya? I think there's more than one best football player of all time as well, so don't be such a tightly wound a**hole about it. You don't like the fact that I can't choose ONLY ONE? DEAL WITH IT, a**hole.
I would say Jerry Rice, Vinny Testaverde, John Elway, Bill Romanowski, Neil O'Donnell, Sam Cunningham, Joe Montana.
2007-01-11 11:47:26 · answer #9 · answered by iwannarevolt 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Nothing unreasonable about nominating Rice.
Personally, I'll go Jim Brown on offense and Lawrence Taylor on defense.
2007-01-11 11:29:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋