Who is the most important player in NFL history?

Question

Who is the one player in the history of the NFL who had the greatest impact on how the game is played and its popularity? I'm not looking for who you think is the best, just who changed the game the most.

Answer 1

Harold "Red" Grange.

When he ran out of eligiblity at Illinois as a senior in 1925, he went pro the next week. George Halas signed him to the Bears, and the Bears went from averaging 15,000 fans on a good day to completely selling out Wrigley Field. Everywhere the Bears went, they sold out. Without the "Galloping Ghost", the NFL would have floundered for years and possibly folded. With "The Wheaton Iceman", the great college players started taking the NFL seriously and college coaches started thinking of the NFL as being a serious pursuit.

Red Grange, therefore, is the most important player in NFL history. Teams forced Halas to guarantee that Grange would play, because fans would demand refunds if Grange could not play - and on the tour that season Grange was injured, and several owners had to refund large numbers of tickets from their only sellout of the year.

Answer 2

I think it is Joe Namath. In 1968 the football was a different. There were two leagues the AFL and the NFL. Since 1965 the two leagues would play each other in a championship game called the Super Bowl. The NFL was a better league. Most people thought that the NFL were more skilled, talented, and just an all around better league. All the best players played in the NFL. It would be like today the National Football League playing against the Canadian Football league. In Super Bowl one and two the NFL teams won. But in 1968 Joe Namath the Jets quarterback lead his Jets (AFL) to beat the Colts (NFL). This shocked the world. This brought equality to both leagues the AFL. This was one of the reason why the AFL and NFL joined to make one league in 1970. If Namath would of never won the game there may not be a AFC conference in the NFL. Also because of the Jets win the NFL got more popular. More people went and watched the games. He helped make the NFL the most popular league in the USA. He also made the Super Bowl popular.

Answer 3

Well, Bill Walsh reinvented the game completely with the west coast offense that he approved on. Walsh's system of offense was so far advanced it was virtually unstoppable. With that,many of his pupils became successful coaches (Seifert,Shanahan,Holmgren and influenced Norm Chow, Andy Reid, and Brian Billick ). So hands down he's the "person" that had the greatest impact in the game. As far as player its so hard to pin out one person because football is not a sport where one person can totatlly dominate a game like basketball (Wilt Chamberlain/Michael Jordan) or baseball ( Nolan Ryan/ Babe Ruth). I'm a huge Joe Montana fan, but even I know that he didnt have as much influence on the game as Payton Manning will when things are all said and done. Players like Jonny U and Payton is a reason why offensive coordinators are an over rated job on the payroll. He's everything rolled into one. It couldnt be players like deion sanders cuz all you had to do was punt out of bounds, run the ball his way cuz he couldnt tackle, or not throw to his side. You can not take Manning out of a football game because he's too good of a defense reader and makes well adjustments. Payton is the guy that will break all of Marino's records and if you asked any defensive coordinator, they would rather go up against Vick than Manning any night. Peace I'm out this *****!

Answer 4

Johnny Unitas. He changed the way the game was played. Before Johnny, it was a game of runningbacks. Now, the game is about the quarterback. He revolutionized the passing game and made the NFL into a prime time league.

A close second would be Randall Cunningham, the first super-popular mobile quarterback. He was Vick before Vick, only he lived up to the hype despite injuries.

Overall, can't beat Johnny U.

Answer 5

I have to agree with blitzburgh.
Joe Namath validated the entire AFL with his Super Bowl victory, and with the brashness of predicting it ahead of time. It was a huge story at the time, bringing a lot of publicity to the game and to the leagues. It pointed out the disparities between the leagues and showed that the AFL was big time football.
Before the Jets Super Bowl victory, any thought of a merger would have been looked at like a merger with the USFL or XFL which were allowed to collapse under their own weight.

Answer 6

I wouldn't pick a player but I'd go with Pete Rozelle. The popularity of the game exploded with his wise moves.

"Rozelle's accomplishments are legendary, and the NFL’s many challenges during his tenure are well documented. Such things as blockbuster television contracts, the war with the competing American Football League and the resulting merger, the development of the Super Bowl into America’s premier sporting event, difficult player issues including strikes and threatened strikes, plus numerous court and legislative battles, all dominated headlines during his stewardship."

Answer 7

Man, that is a very good question. I mean, great question. Right now, I don't know if I could say a certain player. My best guess is that the players of the time seem to be just regular people. People that the fans can relate too.

Answer 8

In my opinion Joe Namath did he wasn't that great of a QB he didn't have the best number but what does everyone remember him for the guarantee he made to win the Super Bowl and he did just that he changed the way people saw football and it showed that the underdog can win in this sport of guts and determination.

Answer 9

I'm gonna have to say Emmitt Smith. The man revolutionized the running game and still to this day holds the NFL record for rushing yards. Yeah there was Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, The Fridge, and etc... but I honestly believe that Emmitt Smith is the one who truly changed the way people look at running backs and took some of the attention off of the quarterbacks.

Answer 10

I'd go with Joe Nammoth. He had the predicted Super Bowl victory which, I think, helped the sport gain popularity and he was the sports first diva. If there is anyone who has had a direct impact on how football players view themselves it is Joe. He was in commercials way back when for panty hose and wore fur coats on the sidelines. Nuf said.