Offense
Quarterback
Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts
Fullback
Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns
Halfback
Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
Flanker
Elroy Hirsch, Chicago Rockets/Los Angeles Rams
Split End
Don Hutson, Green Bay Packers
Tight End
John Mackey, Baltimore Colts
Tackle
Cal Hubbard, New York Giants/Green Bay Packers/Pittsburgh Pirates
Guard
Jerry Kramer, Green Bay Packers
Center
Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles
Defense
End
Gino Marchetti, Baltimore Colts
Tackle
Leo Nomellini, San Francisco 49ers
Linebacker
Ray Nitschke, Green Bay Packers
Cornerback
Dick "Night Train" Lane, Los Angeles Rams/Chicago Cardinals/Detroit Lions
Safety
Emlen Tunnell, New York Giants/Green Bay Packers
Kicker
Lou Groza, Cleveland Browns
***
Runners-Up
Offense
Quarterbacks
Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins
Norm Van Brocklin, Los Angeles Rams/Philadelphia Eagles
Fullbacks
Bronco Nagurski, Chicago Bears
Joe Perry, San Francisco 49ers/Baltimore Colts
Halfbacks
Harold "Red" Grange, Chicago Bears/New York Yankees
Hugh McElhenny, 49ers/Vikings/Giants/Lions
Split Ends
Raymond Berry, Baltimore Colts
Dante Lavelli, Cleveland Browns
Flankers
Boyd Dowler, Green Bay Packers
Lenny Moore, Baltimore Colts
Tight Ends
Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles/Dallas Cowboys
Ron Kramer, Green Bay Packers/Detroit Lions
Tackles
Forrest Gregg, Green Bay Packers
Joe Stydahar, Chicago Bears
Guards
Dan Fortman, Chicago Bears
Jim Parker, Baltimore Colts
Center
Mel Hein, New York Giants
Alex Wojciechowicz, Detroit Lions/Philadelphia Eagles
Defense
Ends
Len Ford, Los Angeles Dons/Cleveland Browns/Green Bay Packers
Deacon Jones, Los Angeles Rams
Tackles
Art Donovan, New York Yanks/ Dallas Texans/Baltimore Colts
Ernie Stautner, Pittsburgh Steelers
Linebackers
Joe Schmidt, Detroit Lions
Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, Chicago Bears
Cornerbacks
Herb Adderley, Green Bay Packers
Jack Butler, Pittsburgh Steelers
Safeties
Jack Christiansen, Detroit Lions
Larry Wilson, St. Louis Cardinals
Kickers
Ernie Nevers, Duluth Eskimos/Chicago Cardinals
Ken Strong, Staten Island Stapletons/New York Giants/New York Yanks
***
It's great to see Jerry Kramer finally make the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. If for no other reason it was always a ridiculous look to have him on the first team of this team and not in the Hall of Fame.
Chuck Bednarik is a terrific football player and deserving of all honors that have come his way. I'm still surprised that he got the center nod over Mel Hein. There's only one offensive lineman ever named the league's MVP. That was Hein in 1938. That's one of the most amazing accomplishments in league history. Bednarik gets a lot of notoriety for being the last of the players to play both offense and defense. That was the norm in Hein's day.
Active players at the time of this team's announcement
John Unitas
Gale Sayers
John Mackey
Ray Nitschke
Boyd Dowler
Mike Ditka
Forrest Gregg
Deacon Jones
Herb Adderley
Larry Wilson
Ron Kramer is a very underrated football player.
I know that he played all over the offense for the Colts but I always pause a bit when I see Lenny Moore listed as a receiver. I've always thought of him as a back that split out often.
I'm surprised that Otto Graham didn't make this team over Norm Van Brocklin. NFL people were probably still bitter about the All-America Football Conference days and the way the Browns slapped around NFL teams once they joined the league. Graham, Johnny Unitas, and Sammy Baugh were the best quarterbacks of the first 50 years. All three should be in every argument for best quarterback of the first 100 years.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won so consistently over the last 50 years that it's hard to believe that they one of the league's worst teams during their first four decades. Those bad Steelers teams still put two players on this team. Ernie Stautner and Jack Butler.
Jim Parker was a runner-up at guard. He was probably in the conversation at tackle as well. He'd probably be my top tackle over the NFL's first 50 years. His was a ridiculous offensive line talent.
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