Posted on February 17, 2019
Top 10 Favorite NFL Players Of All Time
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presents a
Favorite
Players
Of All Time
Go Long!
“Are you ready for some football 
?!!!” Few things in the U.S.A. feel as innately popular as football. While baseball may have once been known as “America’s pastime”, the clash of helmets on the ole’ gridiron has replaced it in drawing power mainly due to an increased tempo that seems to better fit with the modern flow of entertainment. Just try to go anywhere in this country without someone talking pigskin whether it be a local high-school team, college or the pros… it’s everywhere so your much better off learning at least some of the ins and outs so that you can answer Hank Williams Jr. with an emphatic YES!
For starters, while there are many tiers of football with tons of fans dedicated to their teams no matter what level they’re playing at, the NFL (National Football League) is without question the top of the food chain in terms of leagues and is certainly where the best talents in the sport eventually end up. Every new season, the world’s greatest yard-grinding tough guys assemble for a marathon stretch of touchdowns and broken bones in order to reach the grandest stage perhaps in the history of all entertainment – The Super Bowl
. In this single epic contest that determines the champion for the year, legends are made both famous and infamous on both sides of the ball and the grand excitement of the spectacle at hand is sure to glue even a casual fan’s eyes to the screen until conclusion. Of course winning the “big game” is considered the ultimate zenith in a players career but just reaching this incredible event is a special enough experience in its own right and where the greatest stories in football lore are told. Even though there is history in the sport before the first ever Super Bowl (which took place in 1967 and marked the merger of the 2 largest leagues at the time – the NFL and AFL), most modern football enthusiasts use this point to begin chronicling and measuring the greatest achievements found in the NFL.
Another cool thing about professional football which helps entrench it into our countries cultural fabric is how perfectly the franchises represent their city or state which inspires incredible devotion from fans 
. No matter if you root for a big city juggernaut (like the New York Giants 
or San Francisco 49ers 
) or a small town feel-good team (like the Green Bay Packers 
or Buffalo Bills 
), fans of the NFL are never shy to fly their squad’s flag no matter the situation (… go COWBOYS 
!) which always makes for fun conversation no matter who you come across among this wild landscape of “Hail Mary” mayhem! I mean, just try not to go deaf from the raucous cackling of the “12th man” in Seattle 
or “Chiefs Kingdom” in Kansas City 
and you’ll get a semblance of the passion found in the sport. No doubt, football fans rule and they’re as much a star of the show as the players themselves with their funny signs 
and crazy outfits 
!
As far as the game itself goes, football is somewhat unique in that it requires so much more coordination and communication then other contests to achieve success marking it as “the ultimate team-sport”. The responsibility for team cohesion falls on every single player however no one carries the burden for this more than the head coach who has to strategize an efficient game plan for the upcoming opponent, direct his guys on their individual roles within that plan and then corral his players emotions like a schoolteacher simultaneously! It’s not dissimilar to playing chess as opposing coaches orchestrate a cat and mouse game of trying to outwit each other during competition for tactical advantage. Meanwhile, 11 players (on either side of the ball) have to comprehend, accept and execute their coach’s strategy all while working together in unison like a platoon in the military. It’s this level of across-the-board synchronization that I find truly staggering and what sets the game apart from its contemporaries.
Now for the players, there are many different positions and roles that can be filled on a team by a variety of athletes with different skill sets however in football it all starts and ends with the quarterback. Not only tasked with completing accurate throws to his teammates (which would be difficult enough in its own right), the quarterback also acts like an extension of the head coach as he delivers the current play call to his teammates in the huddle. Sometimes, he can change this decision to one of his own if he see’s fit to which is why it’s extremely important for quarterbacks to not only have a good arm for throwing (not to mention other athletic attributes) but a strong mental acumen as well while also helping to rally the team’s emotional vibe. It’s quite the task to undertake which is why the position is so revered in the landscape of sports however many have already shown that they’re more than up to the challenge. Dudes like Tom Brady 
, John Elway 
, Warren Moon 
, Joe Montana 
and Johnny Unitas 
have left an undeniable mark on the quarterback position (and the sport) showcasing all the tools necessary for one to reach the highest plateau in football.
Besides just the good ole’ shotgunners though, there are still several exciting role players all over the field who at any given moment can play a pivotal role for their squad. Running backs, for example, supply a change of pace to the offense by grinding the defense down with runs and taking pressure and aggro away from the quarterback which greatly increases his team’s chance of success. In many ways the engine that drives his whole squad, the running back’s importance simply cannot be understated as he combines speed, power and split-second decision making to achieve the simplest and most efficient route to advancing the ball forward. Not only that, they have to be tough as they’re pretty much in the middle of the dogpile on every play getting hit most times they have possession of the ball and even when they don’t since they can also be used to help block/decoy for their teammates. Once again, another scary task to associate yourself with however many greats like LaDainian Tomlinson 
, Walter Payton 
, Adrian Peterson 
, Jim Brown 
and Marshall Faulk 
have shown what it takes to persevere for the sake of their team’s agenda while sacrificing their own body in the process.
Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, defensive players are tasked with the unenviable job of using their bodies to stop these athletic ball-carriers by any means necessary. Since most traditional offenses utilize some combination of running and passing the ball to gain yards, most defenses are designed to stop either of these two things from happening with their player personnel and strategic formations. For instance, putting more defenders closer to the line of scrimmage will make it harder for the opposing team’s running back to find a hole to run through but may leave an opening in the passing game as their will be less defenders in the backfield to help with the wide receivers. While every role on this side of the ball carries an equal weight in terms of importance, some are more defined than others in terms of purpose (i.e. nose guards are mainly for stopping the run and cornerbacks are mainly for defending the pass) while others are more versatile (such as linebackers). Being a great defensive player in the NFL requires a ‘tudey approach as it’s every bit as much about mental acuity as it is physical prowess and guys like Michael Strahan 
, Dick Butkus 
, Reggie White 
, Ronnie Lott 
and J.J. Watt 
have shown the prerequisites needed to achieve legendary status as tackling tough-men worthy of the Hall of Fame.
Obviously it doesn’t just end there. Road-grading offensive linemen, track-star wide receivers and puny punters are just a small taste of some of the other player-types found in this full-contact smashfest. With so many different positions across 3 unique phases (offense, defense, special teams), football requires a very deep analysis to discover the best players in the game however luckily for me, I’m just trying to pinpoint who my favorites are which limits the debate to just myself 
! I’ll admit, this list feels slightly more daunting compared to others mainly because of the sheer amount of players that have made an impact on me but its a task that I am willing to take as I’ve been a fan of the NFL for most of my life and love the game as much as any other. So huddle up with The ‘Tude Dude as I categorize my favorite professional football players of all time and juke any potential mental obstacles out of their shoes on the way to the endzone 
!
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The following is a list of The ‘Tude Dude’s 10 favorite NFL players of all time.
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Arguably the most effective defensive leader in the history of the game, Ray Lewis was off-the-charts intense which both galvanized his teammates and intimidated his opponents as he anchored the vaunted Baltimore Raven defense during his entire career. A tackling dynamo, Lewis patrolled the middle of the field like Wyatt Earp and made sure to leave his mark on the offense both pre-snap and post with his power hits and ‘tudey mental approach which was always a blast to watch. A winner of 2 Super Bowls, Ray Lewis left it all on the field and commands respect as a true tough guy who played the game the right way. |
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which remains my happiest NFL memory to-date. Awesome player, awesome dude – Deion truly had it all and his marks left on the game will never be forgotten by me.|
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Tom Brady, Jason Witten, Randy Moss, Bruce Smith, John Lynch, Doug Flutie, Greg Lloyd, Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre, Joe Greene, Marshall Faulk, DeAndre Hopkins, Julius Peppers, Howie Long, Patrick Mahomes, Larry Allen, Gale Sayers, Aaron Rodgers, Ed Reed, John Randle, Eddie George, Micah Parsons, Tony Gonzalez, Warren Sapp, Joe Montana, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Greene, Bart Starr, Jeremy Shockey, Dan Marino, Junior Seau, Zach Martin, Richard Sherman, J.J. Watt, Steve Young, Julio Jones, Bill Romanowski, Deshaun Watson, Jim Brown, Troy Polamalu, Daryl Johnston, Shannon Sharpe, Antonio Brown, Kam Chancellor, Charles Haley, Derrick Brooks, Orlando Pace, Joe Namath, Darrell Green, Steve Smith Sr., John Elway, Brian Dawkins, Walter Payton, Rod Woodson, Chad Johnson, Roger Staubach, Jamal Anderson, Brian Urlacher, Herman Moore, Patrick Peterson, Mike Alstott, Tyron Smith, Johnny Unitas, Steve Atwater, Kordell Stewart, Derrick Thomas, Kurt Warner, Reggie White, Andre Rison, Deacon Jones, Earl Campbell, Randall Cunningham, A.J. Green, Cornelius Bennett, LaDainian Tomlinson, Rob Gronkowski, Dick Butkus, Drew Brees, Randy White, Jalen Ramsey, Tim Brown, Levon Kirkland, Antonio Gates, Sean Lee, Cris Carter, Bruce Matthews, Thurman Thomas, Joey Porter, Michael Vick, Ronnie Lott, Erick Dickerson, Leroy Butler, Nate Newton, Michael Strahan, Warren Moon, Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Zach Thomas, Charles Woodson, Eric Metcalf, Travis Frederick, Sammy Baugh, Jason Taylor, LeSean McCoy, Darren Sharper, Marvin Harrison, Khalil Mack, Edgerrin James, Terrell Suggs, Alvin Kamara, Hines Ward, Dan Fouts, Earl Thomas, Anthony Munoz, Jerome Bettis, Leighton Vander Esch, Kellen Winslow, Neil Smith, Philip Rivers, Mike Singletary, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tony Boselli, Calvin Johnson, Isaac Bruce, Jevon Kearse, Adam Thielen, Bo Jackson, Von Miller, Justin Tuck, Marshawn Lynch, Hardy Nickerson, Jared Allen, Donovan McNabb, Marcus Peters, Steve Hutchinson, Todd Gurley, Darrelle Revis, Steve McNair, Shaun Alexander, Champ Bailey, Arian Foster, Amari Cooper, Ty Law, Torry Holt, Bobby Wagner, Fran Tarkenton, Terrell Davis, Wes Welker, Haloti Ngata, Jeff George, Jack Youngblood, Dez Bryant, Luke Kuechly, Jim Kelly, Dante Hall, Travis Kelce, Jack Lambert, Lawyer Milloy, Jay Novacek, Josh Cribbs, Rich Gannon, Keenan Allen, Simeon Rice, Russell Wilson, Hugh Douglas, Julian Edelman, Marcus Allen, Aqib Talib, Ben Roethlisberger, Jaylon Smith, Richard Seymour, Priest Holmes, Clay Matthews, Phil Simms, Larry Brown, Lynn Swann, Joey Bosa, Jackie Slater, Don Meredith, Andre Reed, Osi Umenyiora, Matthew Stafford, Ray Buchanan, Chris Doleman, DeSean Jackson, Mark Stepnoski, Steve Largent, Aeneas Williams, Rodney Harrison and Tony “livin’ on a prayer” Romo |
.Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
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