Who was the greatest football player of all-time(the one who dominated their position the most)?

Question

I'll have to say Walter Payton......I think he's the greatest running back of all time and the best football player ever.

Answer 1

Jerry Rice

Answer 2

This question is so easy.

JERRY RICE!
No player in the history of any sport dominated like Jerry Rice (except Gretzky in hockey) Rice's records are so overwhelming there really isn't any question. Now the 2nd best player in NFL history could be debated with the likes of;

Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor etc.

Jerry Rice is, by far, the best

Answer 3

Due simpley to the sheer sepeation between this person being #1 and anyone else being #2: Jerry Rice.

There is always debate over QBs or RBs, and even dominating guys like Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor have compitition shortly behind.

But whether it's Tim Brown, Cris Carter, or WHOEVER you think the #2 WR is, it's consensus Jerry Rice is #1

Answer 4

You have to look at the two -way era first.
Don Hutson changed the game.
When he played from 1935-1945,most teams played three yards and a cloud of dust style offense.On Hutsons first NFL play he caught a 83 yard td.
From '35 to '45 Hutson led the NFL in receiving 8 times.He led the league in scoring 5 years straight .He is the only man to ever to led the league in receiving and interceptions in the same year.(He did it two years straight.) In 1945 Hutson scored 29 points in a game. He had 30 interceptions in his last six years. As a placekicker Hutson kicked 172 extra points and 7 field goals. Hutson retired with 18 NFL records. His record of 99 receiving tds stood for 44 years. He still holds the record highest career average td's per game.

Modern Game
From 1985-2004 Jerry Rice rewrote the record books.
1549 catches,22895 receiving yards,197 receiving tds,
10 rushing tds.Most people will say Rice had to play against much faster,more talented defenses.But he also had alot of advantages playing in the modern era.Weight training,better coaching ,use of video,but most of all after Rice scored he went rested on the bench,after Hutson scored he kicked the extra point.Then kicked off.Then played safety.Before he played WR again.

Answer 5

Walter Payton is the best I have ever seen too.
Barry Sanders wasn't bad.
My father, older brother, and step father swear that nobody could touch Jim Brown and they saw both. I have seen the film of him at the Hall of Fame, it is quite impressive. Based on seeing the film I would lean towards Jim Brown. It would have been great to see them as contemporaries.
Give LT a couple more years and ask this question again though.

Answer 6

Not that I can argue that Payton was the best but Jim Brown Truely DOMINATED like no one else ever did. Just watch some film and see how he makes linebackers look like 10 year old schoolboys trying to tackle him.

Answer 7

Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Nobody has ever dominated on the football field the way the Grange did.

Answer 8

jerry rice - walter payton doesn't even have the rushing yards record so he didn't dominate his position in my eyes. Jerry rice, however, owns almost every concievable recieving record.

Answer 9

Wow, not even a mention of Dan Marino. Stifle the statements about him never winning the Superbowl. Superbowls are won by teams, not individuals. Dan Marino, no one even comes close to his single season records/career numbers; and he did all that before the pass happy NFL rules of today.

Answer 10

Joe Montana....My reasons...One..jerry rice caught the balls that were thrown to him...two..His final two years in kansas city he almost got them to the super bowl (lost to the bills in championship game)..With no decent recievers..(look back to jerry rice comment)..Three..if he were to not have been traded from san fran...How many super bowls would he have won?...Four..four super bowls...five..3 mvp for super bowl...six...a class act....