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 60-51.
60. Jonathan Ogden
59. Junior Seau
58. Herb Adderley
57. Mike Webster
56. Rob Gronkowski
55. Lance Alworth
54. Chuck Bednarik
53. Gale Sayers
52. Jack Ham
51. LaDanian Tomlinson
I’ve always loved watching all of the great football players do their football stuff. There are some particular favorites in this group. Jonathan Ogden, Lance Alworth, Chuck Bednarik, Gale Sayers, and Jack Ham. Alworth and Sayers played during my lifetime but I was too young to know it. I was most definitely too young to appreciate them. I wish that I’d been able to witness Alworth and Sayers play football live. I did have the opportunity to witness the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. In my book, Jack Ham was the best football player on those great teams.
Nice Chargers representation. Junior Seau, Lance Alworth, and LaDanian Tomlinson are arguably the three greatest players in franchise history. Ron Mix and Kellen Winslow might have something to say about that.
Pre-Super Bowl Era Tracker:
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
Paul Warfield
Bobby Bell
Marion Motley
Joe Schmidt
Raymond Berry
Ray Nitschke
Bart Starr
Herb Adderley
Lance Alworth
Chuck Bednarik
The Athletic is doing a nice job of including the great players that played much, if not all, of their careers before the first Super Bowl. 24 of the first 50 players revealed played during that distant time. There are still many more that deserve inclusion among the best 100 players the league has ever seen. Most lists like this have such a recency bias that they’re meaningless.
A recap of the previously revealed players:
100-61:
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
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
80. Willie Lanier
79. Mike Haynes
78. Roger Staubach
77. Ted Hendricks
76. Art Shell
75. Paul Warfield
74. Bobby Bell
73. Marion Motley
72. Adrian Peterson
71. Mel Blount
70. Marshall Faulk
69. Terry Bradshaw
68. Charles Woodson
67. Gene Upshaw
66. Earl Campbell
65. Joe Schmidt
64. Walter Jones
63. Raymond Berry
62. Ray Nitshke
61. Bart Starr
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