The NFL 100: 90-81

The Athletic is counting down their 100 best players in the history of the National Football League. The NFL 100. Their most recent reveals are the players ranked 90-81.

  90. Willie Brown

  89. Bobby Layne

  88. Darrell Green

  87. Champ Bailey

  86. Buck Buchanan

  85. Bulldog Turner

  84. Mel Hein

  83. Leo Nomellini

  82. Kellen Winslow

  81. John Mackey

Two centers (Dermontti Dawson and Jim Otto) were included among the players ranked 100-91. Two more centers are among the players ranked 90-81. Bulldog Turner and Mel Hein played during an era when players didn’t leave the field. They were outstanding on offense. They were outstanding on defense. They made The NFL 100 for their incredible all-around talents. Hein was the league’s MVP in 1938. A center/linebacker was the league’s MVP. It was a different time. People/media looked at the whole field back then. Granted, nearly all of the action took place in a 15-yard radius from where the ball was snapped. It was easier to watch all 22 players. The manner in which players are recognized has changed with the game. A player that doesn’t carry the ball rarely gets an MVP vote these days. 

Dwight Stephenson and Mike Webster are a couple more centers that are sure to join Dawson, Otto, Turner, and Hein. That’s nice representation from the center position. 

When I saw Darrell Green and Champ Bailey together I felt that Green should be the higher ranked player.  That’s really just nitpicking. After his first season in the league, Randy Moss was asked to name the toughest corner that he faced. He said Darrell Green. Seeing as Green started his Hall of Fame career in 1983, it was remarkable that he was even playing in 1998. Hell, he was still playing four years later. After Moss spoke so highly of him, he moved a little higher on my mental cornerback list. And he was already pretty high.

Through the reveal of twenty players, 14 played some, if not all, of their career before the first Super Bowl. 

Steve Van Buren

Jim Otto

Mike Ditka

Fran Tarkenton

Elroy Hirsch

Lenny Moore

Willie Davis

Willie Brown

Bobby Layne

Buck Buchanan

Bulldog Turner

Mel Hein

Leo Nomellini

John Mackey

I’m impressed. So many lists like this have such a recency bias that it makes them meaningless. We’ll see how the remaining 80 players fall. There are a load of players from the pre-Super Bowl era that have yet to be named. Sammy Baugh, Don Hutson, Otto Graham, John Unitas, Jim Brown, Raymond Berry, Night Train Lane, Bronko Nagurski, Clarke Hinkle, Wilbur Henry, Cal Hubbard, Dutch Clark, Johnny Blood, Ernie Nevers, Gino Marchetti, Elroy Hirsch, Charley Trippi, Joe Perry, Deacon Jones, Lance Alworth, Joe Schmidt, Ray Nitschke, Emlen Tunnell, Ollie Matson, Sid Luckman, Jim Parker, Roosevelt Brown, Marion Motley, Bill Willis. Those are the players that immediately come to mind. There’s probably several more. That’s strong representation from the “older” players. 

A recap of the previously revealed players:

100-91:

100. Derrick Brooks

  99. Dermontti Dawson

  98. Steve Van Buren

  97. Jim Otto 

  96. Mike Ditka

  95. Fran Tarkenton

  94. Elroy Hirsch

  93. Mike Singletary

  92. Lenny Moore

  91. Willie Davis