The top ten football players are the greatest players in their positions, and the greatest players in the game that ever played. People may have different opinions of who are the top ten football players but these are the top ten I think would fit perfectly in that category. http://www. biography. com/people/ jerry-rice-405 Jerry Rice, wide receiver by every qualification, Jerry Rice was the greatest wide receiver of all time. He had the best hands and ran the most precise routes, and starred as the premier game changer after the catch.
Rice, as the greatest blocking wide receiver of all time. http://www. biography. com/people/ jerry-rice-405 And as an NFL boots trapper, he serves as another monument to hard work. jerry Lee Rice was born October 13, 1962, in Starkville, Mississippi. One of eight children, he was the son of a hardworking bricklayer who employed Rice and his brothers as his assistants during the hot Southern summers. http://www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-4o5 It was grueling work, but Rice later came to be grateful for it. “It taught me the meaning of hard work,” he said. ttp:// www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 Early on, Rice proved himself to be a gifted runner, often cutting back and forth on the long dirt road that ran in front of his house. http:// www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 But it wasn’t until high school that Rice discovered football.
As the story goes, Rice had skipped classes one day and ran into an assistant principal. After sprinting away from him, Rice was eventually reprimanded. http://www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 But his quickness was soon brought to the attention of the chool’s football coach, who put him in pads and had him line up as a receiver. In all, Rice rewrote the NFL record books for 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 208 total touchdowns. Rice’s career and records are breathtaking, as he proved to be a lock for 80 catches, 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one Pro Bowl ticket to Hawaii for 13 seasons http:// www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 . He was a threat to score on every play His second year was his breakout season. Teamed with veteran quarterback Joe Montana, Rice snagged 86 catches, including 15 touchdowns, and 1,570 receiving yards.
Rice followed it up with an even better season in 1987, earning Player of the Year honors and setting a new league record with 23 touchdowns. http://www. biography. com/people/jerryrice-405 In the 1988 season, he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, where he caught 11 passes and was named the game’s MVP. Famous for his fitness level, Rice went on to play an unprecedented 20 NFL seasons, finally retiring in 2004. The majority of his career was played in a 49ers uniform, but he later caught passes for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. http://www. iography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 Without a doubt the most prolific receiver in the NFL history, Rice retired with 38 NFL records to his name, including most career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895) and touchdowns (197). Rice was named a member of the NFL’s AllDecade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s as well as the league’s 75th Anniversary Team. http://www. biography. com/people/ jerry-rice-405 “I’ve pushed my body for 20 years,” Rice said at the press conference announcing his retirement. “I was never a couch potato, I was always working out.
I had to prove myself every year. “In 2010, Rice, who won three Super Bowl rings with the 49ers, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame http:// www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 http://www. biography. com/people/jerry-rice-405 Jim Brown, running back is a record-holding, former NFL fullback who’s been elected to his sport’s Hall of Fame and who’s also worked as a model and film actor. In college, Brown dominated the competition, both on the football field and on the basketball court. He also ran track and was a talented lacrosse player. http://www. iography. com/people/jim-brown-9228484As a running back, Brown earned national attention for his strong, explosive play. In the final regular-season game of his senior year, Brown capped off his college career by rushing for 197 yards, scoring six touchdowns and kicking seven extra points.
Jim Brown dominated everybody. Over the course of his nine seasons, Brown ran over, though, and around people for 12,312 rushing yards and 106 touchdowns on the ground. At 29, he shocked the world and retired from the game of football in his prime. Brown simply had http://www. biography. om/people/ jim-brown-9228484nothing else left to prove, having already qualified as the record holder of every significant rushing mark in the books. Although Brown has since been surpassed by Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton in the record books, neither back can touch his remarkable 5. 2-yard-per-carry average. http:// www. biography. com/people/jim-brown-9228484 As the perfect complement of size and speed, Brown put up video-game-like numbers in the era of the phonograph and turntable. With the exception of 1962, Brown led the NFL in rushing every year between 1957 and 1965.
In 1963, he torched defenses for 1,863 rushing yards on only 291 carries, which translates into a 6. 4yard-per-carry average. http://www. biography. com/people/jimbrown-9228484 Joe Montana, quarterback can lay claim to four Lombardi trophies and three Super Bowl MVP awards. Professional football player Joe Montana led the 49ers to victories in four Super Bowls, including consecutive wins in 1989 and 1990. Known for his quiet confidence, Joe Cool pointed out John Candy in the Super Bowl XXIII stands while his teammates huddled up.
After breaking the ice, Montana had his 49ers on the march efore he flicked the game-winning toss to John Taylor on a slant route into the end zone. Football player Joseph Clifford Montana was born on June 11, 1956, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania. A talented multi-sport athlete at Ringgold High School, he was offered a scholarship to play basketball at North Carolina State University before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame to play football. . Out of Notre Dame, Montana’s draft stock plummeted — NFL scouts questioned his size, arm strength, and general toughness. Montana slid all the way down to the third round before Bill Walsh got his man with the 82nd overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft.
Montana, because of his ability to deliver the football with precision and touch, was a perfect fit for the precise timing of the West Coast offense. In the prolific West Coast offense, Montana could dump off short passes to the likes of Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig, and Tom Rachman, and let his receivers go to work with runs after the catch. http://www. biography. com/people/joemontana-9412332 Lawrence Taylor, linebacker was the maddest of all mad men. Because of his pure explosiveness, Taylor was the game’s foremost defensive weapon.
In the 3-4 scheme, Taylor lined up all over the field to sell out his body, force turnovers, and destroy careers. American football player Lawrence Taylor was a member of the New York Giants and is considered one of the best linebackers in the history of the game. http:// www. biography. com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 Taylor was too fast for plodding tackles and too powerful for blocking backs to contain coming off the edge at the line of scrimmage. Within two counts, the quarterback would get decked and stripped of the football in one fell swoop.
As a sack artist, Taylor compiled 132. quarterback sacks over his 13-year career, which is still good for tenth all-time. Taylor matched his on-the-field exploits with off-the-field problems. Cocaine and crack use led to a failed NFL drug test and, subsequently, a 30-day suspension from football. Trouble continued to plague Taylor following his retirement after the 1993 season. In 1996, South Carolina police arrested the retired star for buying crack. http:// www. biography. com/people/lawrence-taylor-38904 Despite getting off of drugs, Taylor continued to make headlines. In November 2009, Florida police charged Taylor with leaving the scene of an accident.
The following year, the retired linebacker was arrested in New York, and charged with third-degree rape and soliciting prostitution in a case involving a 16-year-old girl. in January 2011, Taylor pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors that required him to register as a sex offender. Taylor, who is the father of four children, resid http://www. biography. com/people/ lawrence-taylor-38904 Walter Payton, running back simply outworked everybody else. At 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Payton was neither a physically imposing, bruising back, nor was he blessed with track star speed.
On the playing field, the man they called Sweetness was known for his iron will to finish off runs in the image of his lunch-pail work ethic and madman fitness program. As a testament to his durability, Payton owned the rushing record books at the end of his 13-year career with the Chicago Bears. By retirement, he had racked up 16,726 rushing yards and 110 total touchdowns. As a true workhorse back, Payton led the NFL in carries for four consecutive seasons between 1976 and 1979. In 1977, Payton carried the football 339 times to run roughshod over the competition for 1,852 yards and a 5. yards per carry average. Payton continued to excel after joining the NFL’s Chicago Bears in 1975. Known for both his speed and power, he rushed for a single game-record 275 yards in 1977, finishing the year as the league MVP. Payton went on to earn nine Pro Bowl selections, his efforts annually propelling the Bears into playoff contention.
Nearing the end of his career, he finally earned a Super Bowl ring when Chicago knocked off the New England Patriots in January 1986. After retiring, Payton explored business opportunities in several fields, including real estate, restaurants and race cars. http://www. iography. com/people/ walter-payton-9435443Living up to his nickname, he spent much of his time working make life better for other people, primarily through the efforts of the Walter Payton Foundation. In early 1999, Payton revealed he had primary sclerosing cholangitis, a condition in which the bile ducts are blocked. He died on November 1 of that year of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer),but not before helping to raise awareness of the rare disease. http://www. biography. com/people/walterpayton-9435443The football great was survived by his wife, Connie, and two children, Jarrett and Brittney.
His charitable organization became the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation, with his wife taking over the foundation’s mission of helping children and veterans http://www. biography. com/people/ walter-payton-9435443 Johnny Unites, quarterback was as American as apple pie, with his first-generation heritage, crew-cut hairstyle, and black high-top shoes. At quarterback, Johnny U was credited for authoring the two-minute drill and fourth-quarter comeback. As a virtual coach on the field, Unitas called his own plays to pick apart defenses throughout his 18-year career. http:// www. biography. om/people/andrew-luck-20954039 Unitas, of course, will forever be immortalized as a Baltimore Colt, leading the NFL in passing on four separate occasions and winning the league MVP award three times. http://www. biography. com/ people/andrew-luck-20954039 Unitas was to finish his career with 40,239 passing yards, which is still good for 14th place on the all-time list.
Johnny U’s statistics are even more impressive when you consider the fact that he was a quarterback during the 1950s and ’60s, prior to the advent of five-wide sets, the shotgun spread, and all other pass-happy gimmicks. http:// www. biography. om/people/andrew-luck-20954039 Displaying a powerful arm and the poise of a veteran, Luck proved a worthy selection to take over as the team’s franchise quarterback. He set a rookie single-game record with 433 passing yards in November, and his season total of 4,374 yards also established a rookie mark. At the end of the season, he earned his first of multiple Pro Bowl selections. Although his passing numbers dipped as a sophomore, Luck was better at avoiding costly interceptions.
His biggest moment of the season came in the opening round of the playoffs, when he led the Colts back from a 28-point deficit to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. ttp://www. biography. com/people/andrewluck-20954039 Luck took another step forward in 2014, demonstrating that he deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as other elite quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and his predecessor, Manning. The Indy QB topped the NFL with 40 touchdown passes, and set a new personal mark with 4,761 yards through the air. Although the season ended with a blowout loss to Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, Luck’s rapid ascension to stardom had Colts fans feeling good about the future. ttp://www. biography. com/ people/andrew-luck-20954039 Dick Butkus, linebacker 51 jersey, garish shoulder pads, and blood-curdling shrieks, Dick Butkus was a feared tackler.
Butkus, at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, was the ringleader for the Monsters of the Midway and their black-and-blue style of punishment. Behind Butkus, Chicago Bears lore has remained steeped in the tradition of defense, with a fiery middle linebacker directing traffic as the ultimate focal point. http://www. biography. om/ people/dick-butkus-9233033 The unforgiving stare of Mike Singletary and pure athleticism of Brian Urlacher, however, can’t match the devastation that Butkus brought to the fore at Soldier Field. http://www. biography. com/people/dick-butkus-9233033 Don Hutson, wide receiver dominated in his position. At wide receiver for the 1935-1945 Green Bay Packers, Hutson helped introduce the game of football to slant, rub, deep out, and crossing routes, which first unlocked the timing complexities of the forward pass.
As the game’s first big-time wide receiver, several of Hutson’s records stood for decades before finally being broken by the likes of Steve Largent and Jerry Rice. Today, Hutson still holds the NFL record for the most seasons (nine) spent leading the league in touchdowns. On several occasions, Hutson’s production actually doubled the statistics of his nextbest competitor. In 1942, Hutson caught a league-leading 74 balls for 1,211 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. These numbers were unreal for Hutson’s era.
Tom Brady, quarterback has emerged as one of the greatest rags-to-riches stories of all time. After entering the NFL as a doughy sixth-round pick out of Michigan, Brady was to eventually transform into front-page fodder for both the sporting and celebrity gossip magazines alike. By 37, Brady has already taken home four Lombardi trophies and three Super Bowl MVP awards. http://www. biography. com/people/tombrady-259541 As an icon, he has combined Joe Montana’s winning gamesmanship alongside the playboy lifestyle of “Broadway” Joe Namath.
In addition to the comparisons to Montana’s legacy, any mention of Brady among the all-time greats is inevitably benchmarked against the here-and-now career of rival Peyton Manning. After the 2014 season, a new word entered the lexicon of Tom Brady lore: “Deflategate. ” http://www. biography. com/people/tom-brady-259541 After Brady’s Patriots trounced the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, it was discovered that several of the 12 game balls used by the Patriots were underinflated, one of them measuring 2 pounds per square inch below the minimum mark allowed by the NFL.
Accusations of cheating followed, with Brady saying, “I didn’t alter the balls in any way, [and] I would never have someone do something that was outside the rules. ” Making the accusations more notable than they otherwise might be, in 2007 Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for an incident in which the Patriots were caught videotaping the signals of an opposing coach, in direct violation of league rules http://www. biography. com/people/tombrady-259541.
Amid the media frenzy that accompanied the cheating accusations, Brady tried to stay focused on preparing to play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. En route to setting a Super Bowl record with 37 completions, Brady led his team back from a 10-point deficit to notch a thrilling 28-24 victory. http://www. biography. com/people/tom-brady-259541 With the win, he became the third quarterback to win four championships and the second to earn three Super Bowl MVP Awards, cementing his standing as one of the greatest ever to play his position.
The subject of Deflategate returned to the headlines in May 2015, when a report released by investigator Ted Wells revealed that Brady was “generally aware” that a locker room attendant had tampered with footballs prior to the AFC Championship game. http://www. biography. com/people/ tom-brady-259541 The quarterback was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, and Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the punishment in July following an appeal.
Brady and the NFL Players Association then filed a lawsuit to have the suspension overturned, their efforts proving successful in early September when a federal judge ruled in the quarterback’s favor, on the grounds that the suspension was premised upon legal deficiencies. http://www. biography. com/ people/tom-brady-259541 Reggie White, defensive end The Minister of Defense dominated the line of scrimmage throughout his 15-year career, playing well into his late 30s. At left defensive end, Reggie White terrorized opposing right tackles with his patented hump and club moves.
From a three-point stance, White would anticipate the snap count, explode upfield, and shrug his shoulders before tossing aside yet another 300-pound lineman and moving inside to take a shot at the quarterback. Against the running game,ttp://www. encyclopedia. com/people/sports-and-games/ sports-biographies/reggie-white White was a force who possessed both the strength to shed blockers at the point of attack and the speed to chase down ball carriers from the weak side to make plays.
Curiously enough, White’s singular gift for mayhem began and ended on the gridiron during his 15-year career with the NFL. The rest of his time was always been spent in pursuing humanitarian work inspired by his deep Christian faith. The citizens of Philadelphia soon discovered that they had won the services of more than just a star athletettp:// www. encyclopedia. com/people/sports-and-games/sportsbiographies/reggie-white. “I believe that I’ve been blessed with physical ability in order to gain a platform to preach the gospel,” White told Sports Illustrated. A lot of people look at athletes as role models, and to be successful as an athlete, I’ve got to do what I do, hard but fair…. I try to live a certain way, and maybe that’ll have some kind of effect. ttp://www. encyclopedia. com/ people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/reggie-whitel think God has allowed me to have an impact on a few people’s lives. ” White spent hours and hours of his spare time preaching on street corners in Philadelphia’s troubled inner-city neighborhoods. He gave money to dozens of Christian outreach organizations and spoke as a member of the Fellowship Christian Athletes.
And he led by example. In the rough-andtumble world of professional football, none of his opponents or teammates could ever recall hearing him curse or seeing him fight. White blossomed in 1986 with the arrival of Buddy Ryan as the Eagles’ head coach. ttp://www. encyclopedia. com/people/ sports-and-games/sports-biographies/reggie-white Ryan had made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator and had worked with some great lines, including the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.