And so very, very fast. The Downtown Athletic Club bestowed the Heisman name to the award after John Heisman died the following year. Joe Montana 9. 49. Earl Campbell (RB, Texas, 1974-77) His Super Bowl win wont be remembered outside of Green Bay, sandwiched as it was in the middle of the more famous Cowboys and Broncos dynasties, but Favres peak as the leagues resident gunslinger was as good as anyones. In three seasons at Florida, he set 58 school records and ran for 3,928 yards with 36 touchdowns. As a freshman, he split time with Turk Schonert in a 21-21 tie at No. Ameche was born Lino Dante Amici to Italian parents, but at the age of 16, he decided his name wasn't tough enough. He threw or rushed for 42 touchdowns, and more importantly, the 1965 All-American and 1966 Heisman runner-up led the Boilermakers to play to their potential. 3. 102. The 50 greatest footballers of all time A two-time All-American, he won the Heisman, Walter Camp Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award in 1997. Marinaro remains one of only nine rushers to lead the nation in rushing in consecutive seasons, joining such stars as O.J. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers. Passing yards: 14,496 | Passing TDs: 119 | Rushing yards: 2,327 In top-level association football competitions, 24 players have scored 500 or more goals over the course of their career in both club and international football, according to research by the IFFHS, first published in 2007. Rushing yards: 3,616 | Yards per rush: 8.4 | Touchdowns: 53 Desmond Howard (WR, Michigan, 1989-91) Fred Biletnikoff (WR, Florida State, 1962-64) Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1991; 1st-team All-Pro (1976, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 85); 9-time Pro Bowler. But as a senior in 1964, paired with his classmate, quarterback Steve Tensi, Biletnikoff caught 57 passes for 987 yards and 11 touchdowns to become Florida State's first consensus All-American. Jim Brown of Syracuse finished fifth in the vote to select the most outstanding player of 1956. He has won the Ballon D'Or, the annual award given to the best player in the world, 7 times, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and an Olympic gold medal winner in 2008. Tackles: 288 | Interceptions: 21 | Interception return yards: 389 Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1963; 2-time NFL champion (1937, 42); 1st-team All-Pro (1937, 40, 42, 43); 6-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2018; 2-time Super Bowl champion (2001, 2013); 2003 AP Defensive Player of the Year; 2000-01 Super Bowl MVP; ranks second in league history for solo tackles; 1st-team All-Pro (1999, 2000, 01, 03, 04, 08, 09); 13-time Pro Bowler, Teams: Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football HOF (2018); 4-time First-team All-Pro (1998, 2000, 2003, 2007); NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1998); 6-time Pro Bowler; Pro Bowl MVP (1999); Holds NFL record for most TD receptions in a season (23); Holds NFL record for most TD receptions in a rookie season (17); Only player to catch 90+ touchdown passes, return a punt for a touchdown, and throw 2 touchdown passes, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1963; 3-time NFL champion (1936, 39, 44); 2-time NFL MVP (1941, 42); 1st-team All-Pro (1938, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45); 4-time Pro Bowler, Teams: Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2016); Super Bowl champ; 3-time first-team All-Pro (1995-1997); 3-time second-team All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2007); 11-time Pro Bowler (1992, 1993, 1995-1997, 2001-2003, 2007-2009); 3-time AP NFL MVP; 2nd in the NFL in career passing yards (71,838); Has the most career starts of any NFL player (298, 322 including the post season); 1st player to 500 career TD passes; 1st NFL QB to defeat 32 franchises. 1 player at his position and in the state of California. Rushing yards: 3,768 | Rushing TDs: 44 | Receiving yards: 516 143. But this list also celebrates peaks, and Sayers at his peak was as good as any running back to ever play in the NFL. He had a Cinderella story of his own: The son of blind Mexican American parents, Plunkett became a great American success story. Nagurski pointed the way -- with his plow. Lee Roy Selmon (DL, Oklahoma, 1972-75) No one else has ever won two. Lott is the first of three 49ers from the teams iconic 80s run, and just like the other two of the trio, Lott is considered by many to be the greatest at his position. 107. Eric Dickerson (RB, SMU, 1979-82) Watch on ESPN+. 48. Ronaldo was, obviously, in 1st while Messi had to settle for 4th. Badgro played 5 seasons for the New York Giants from 1930-1935, before signing with Big Blue he was a baseball player having played for the New York Yankees. 65. In three seasons as a Sooner, Mayfield led his second school to three Big 12 championships and two playoff berths, and won the 2017 Heisman. He was named All-American and won the Butkus Award in 1988. The 134 tackles he made as a sophomore in 1973 remain an Alabama single-season record, and 44 years later, he has slipped from first to only fourth in career tackles (315). Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2000 Class); 4x Super Bowl Champion; 3x Super Bowl MVP; 2x MVP; 3x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl. Bruce Smith 15. Even if you don't believe the fabled details of Gipp's impassioned plea to legendary Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne from his deathbed in 1920, which Rockne shared with his team during his famous "Win one for the Gipper" speech eight years later, this much is undeniable: Gipp was Notre Dame's first All-American. Tackles: 107 | Tackles for loss: 33 Dick Butkus (LB, Illinois, 1962-64) As a senior in 1969, Owens carried the ball 358 times for 1,523 yards and 23 touchdowns. 10. George Gipp (B, Notre Dame, 1917-20) Former Oklahoma RB and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims recalls Barry Switzer recruiting him during halftime of an Oklahoma game. Pittsburgh coach Jackie Sherrill once said Green had only one speed: full speed. As the highest-ranking Buffalo Bill, Bills Mafia would riot if he slid any lower than that too. But the highest winning percentage of any quarterback in history and yards per pass attempt is nothing to sneeze at. During White's senior season in 1983, he had 100 tackles, 72 unassisted, and set a UT single-season record with 15 sacks. He became the first black quarterback chosen in the first round of the NFL draft when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him the 17th pick in 1978, and he became the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl when he led the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 decision over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. So dont blame him for his lack of a championship resume. In his only Iron Bowl, Newton led the Tigers from a 24-point deficit to win at Alabama, 28-27. Of very few players can we say, "He changed the game." 14. Those 20 victories came in 1955 and 1956, when Oklahoma finished No. 35. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1979 Class); 2x DPoY; 6x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl. 99. Manning gained 540 yards of total offense, an SEC record that stood for more than three decades, in a 33-32 loss. Top 25 all-time greatest high school football players He was also honored by the National Football Foundation as one of the country's top scholar athletes. With hands developed by catching bricks from his father as a boy, Rice caught more passes (102) than any other NCAA player in 1983 and more touchdowns (27) than anyone else in 1984. As a senior in 1938, he was named a consensus All-American, finished third in Heisman voting and made the cover of Time magazine. Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer thought so much of Sims that he called Sims at the Hooks, Texas, gas station where Sims worked to continue recruiting him. During his senior season in 1958, after leading his team to an unbeaten campaign, he won the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Trophy and was a unanimous All-American, a Rhodes Scholar, president of his senior class, and ranking cadet officer. 7. 74. Harmon's final college game was his masterpiece. 119. Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2021 Class); 2x Super Bowl Champion; 5x MVP; 2x OPoY; 1x MoY; 7x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 14x Pro Bowl; multiple records (career MVPs, Pro Bowls, 4,000-yard passing seasons, single-season passing yards (5,477), single-season passing TDs (55). That was never a problem for Ditka, who led Pitt in receptions for three straight years and was a menacing defensive lineman and punter. 141. He was named All-Southwest Conference three times and first-team All-American twice. Tommy Nobis (LB, Texas, 1963-65) Charlie Ward (QB, Florida State, 1989-93) Layne led the Longhorns to within one point of a Southwest Conference title as a freshman and returned from the Merchant Marines the next season to win an SWC championship. It created a record more than broke one; no one had ever done it more than once in a season. Simpson averaged 31 carries and 156 rushing yards per game. Brees was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football HOF (1990); 4-time Super Bowl champ; Super Bowl MVP; First-team All-Pro (1977); 2-time Second-team All-Pro (1972, 1975); NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1972); 9-time Pro Bowl selection; rushed for 1,000 or more yards in 8 seasons, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2006; 3-time Super Bowl champion (1992, 93, 95); 1992 Super Bowl MVP; 1997 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year; 1st-team All-Pro (1993); 6-time Pro Bowl selection, Contributing: Tess DeMeyer, Lila Bromberg,, Thomas Hindle, Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Reference, USA TODAY research. Then Moss went to FCS Marshall, near his West Virginia home, and he set four NCAA freshman records as the most dangerous player on a 15-0 national championship team. He won the Davey O'Brien Award in 2007 and the Maxwell Award in 2007 and '08. Hayes used to tell his players you either get better or you get worse. As a sophomore in 1962, Sayers immediately made his varsity presence known. What Newton's prolific numbers don't tell you is he carried Auburn to its second national title and won the Heisman Trophy in 2010, all while facing allegations that his father had tried to sell his son's talents to the highest bidder. Nostalgia makes it tempting to have Ray Lewis lower on this list. He paid his way by painting walls and washing dishes at a fraternity house. Legendary Nebraska coach Bob Devaney called Glover "the greatest defensive player I ever saw." Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football HOF (1984); 3-time Super Bowl champ; 2-time First-team All-Pro (1971, 1973); AFL champion (1967); 3-time First-team All-AFL (1964, 1968, 1969); 4-time Pro Bowl selection; held the Super Bowl record for longest interception (75 yards) until James Harrison broke it. Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84) He played violin, French horn and cornet, and he graduated early to join the navy during World War II. 20. (2:25). As a senior for the Gophers in 1929, Nagurski became the only player ever named All-American at two positions: tackle on defense and fullback on offense. 2. Greene went to North Texas State, as it was then known. His trash talking fit right in with the Hurricane greats too. Easily the second-greatest offensive lineman in NFL history (the greatest will make his appearance down this list), Hannah held the title himself, dubbed the lineman GOAT by Sports Illustrated in 1981. Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2013; 1995 Super Bowl Champion; 1st-team All-Pro (1996, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01); 11-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1989; 4-time Super Bowl champion (1974, 75, 78, 79) ; 1978 AP MVP; Super Bowl MVP (1978, 79); 1978 Bert Bell Award winner; 1st-team All-Pro (1978); 3-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1965; 1943 Joe F. Carr MVP Trophy winner; 4-time NFL Champion (1940, 41, 43, 46); 1st-team All-Pro (1941, 42, 43, 44. We have all top 25 action listed below, including links to live scores and stats, plus how to watch every game. Perhaps best known as a commentator on Monday Night Football and for his acting roles in the TV sitcom "Webster" and film "Blazing Saddles," Karras was a menacing tackle at Iowa and for the Detroit Lions. Billy Ray Smith Jr. (DE, Arkansas, 1979-82) In one of the great recruiting coups of all time, an Oklahoma State assistant got the only highlight tape of the Wichita, Kansas, prep star -- and kept it. Texas joins Top 25 And 1 after landing Abmas Receiving yards: 1,565 | Return yards: 1,607 | All-purpose yards: 4,187 John David Crow (RB, Texas A&M, 1955-57) His combination of size (6-1, 185), speed and power had never come along before, either. Page was 8 years old when the U.S. Supreme Court ended school segregation with its landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. In 1999, he became Wisconsin's second Heisman Trophy winner. 24. In his last two seasons there, Michigan State went 19-1-1 and gave up a total of 175 points, or 8.1 points per game. It is difficult to remember a time when Simpson wasn't a pariah, when he was celebrated for a stunning combination of size (6-2, 205) and moves and durability. 121. As Florida's quarterback, Spurrier was an All-American twice. Jay Berwanger (RB, Chicago, 1933-35) Rushing yards: 1,839 | Total offense: 2,760 yards | Touchdowns: 22 Until his family moved to Omaha when he was 8 years old, Sayers lived in a small town named Speed, Kansas. Former Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey reminisces about Calvin Johnson's immediate impact as a freshman standout receiver. View 25 photos 1-DT Joe Greene (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) 2-QB Ben Roethlisberger. White's mental fortitude was on display in his final college game, the 1980 Rose Bowl, in which he carried the ball 39 times for 247 yards -- while battling the flu -- in a 17-16 victory over Ohio State. Parker, a cat-quick guard and menacing blocker, was the measuring stick for any lineman under legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes. As a sophomore in 1978, Lott helped the Trojans go 12-1 and win a share of a national title. Sims didn't repeat as a Heisman winner -- he finished second -- because Charles White of USC beat him out; with 1,506 rushing yards, it's hard to say that Sims faltered. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro back until injuries took his career at the turn of the 70s, and he remains the youngest ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at 34. Receiving. He arrived at Maryland as a fullback, but at the end of his freshman year, new head coach Jerry Claiborne shifted him to the other side of the line. By the time he left Blacksburg four years later, the 6-4, 275-pound Smith had redefined the position of college defensive end. Ray Lewis 13. Considered by many to be the greatest player to never compete in a Super Bowl, Barry Sanders is nonetheless still counted among the greatest running backs of all time. 108. Paul Hornung (QB, Notre Dame, 1954-56) 123. Rushing yards: 2,341 | Passing yards: 1,769 | Touchdowns: 21 So, without further ado, let's jump right into the top-20 countdown. Reggie White (DE, Tennessee, 1980-83) A ferocious defender on the field and a gentle giant off it, Olsen was a two-time All-American at Utah State and won the Outland Trophy as the sport's best interior lineman as a senior in 1961. The Tar Heels finished 11-1 and claimed their last ACC title in 1980. Rimington was not only a two-time All-American, but also a two-time Academic All-American as well. He was a rare three-sport pro, playing football, basketball, and baseball, while also setting an Olympic record in the decathlon. He was a unanimous All-American in 1987 and '88 and won the Thorpe Award as the sport's best defensive back as a senior. After Manning arrived on the scene in Oxford by leading a 10-8 upset of Alabama in 1968, ABC Sports moved the Rebels' game at Alabama in 1969 to early-season prime time. Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1980; Super Bowl Champion (1972); 1st-team All-Pro (1964, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71); 11-time Pro Bowler, Teams: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football HOF (2019); Super Bowl Champion; 5-time First-team All-Pro (2004, 2006-2008, 2010); 3-time Second-team All-Pro (2003, 2009, 2011); 9-time Pro Bowler; NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2004); Tied for Most Career Playoff Interceptions (9); Longest Interception Return in NFL History (107 yards); Most Career Interception Return Yards (1,590); First player in NFL history to return an interception, punt, blocked punt and fumble for a TD; Holds the record for most multi-interception games in a career (12); Tied for most career blocked punts returned for TD (3), Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1974); 7-time first-team All-Pro (1956-1957, 1959-1963); 7 Pro Bowls; 4th most interceptions in NFL history (68); most interceptions in a season in NFL history (14), Teams: San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Achievements: Super Bowl XLIV champion; 2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011); First-team All-pro (2006); 12 pro bowls, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1972; 2-time NFL champion (1958, 59); 1st-team All-Pro (1957, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64); 11-time Pro Bowler, Teams: Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons. Total offense: 2,747 yards | Rushing yards: 1,051 | Passing yards: 1,696 L.T. Take Munoz, for example. Derrick Brooks (LB, Florida State, 1991-94) One of the hardest hitters in NFL history, Dick Butkus accolades dont necessarily measure up with his contemporaries this high on the list, but thats fine considering his relatively short career. Woodrow Lowe (LB, Alabama, 1972-75) Rushing yards: 5,598 | Rushing TDs: 46 | All-purpose yards: 6,545 Okay, lets talk about this. He had 216 rushing yards in an 18-12 loss to Tennessee in the 1966 Gator Bowl. He is one of only four men inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Walker ran for 150 yards with two touchdowns -- after separating his shoulder -- in a 17-10 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. His talent has scarce equal on this list, and as the second-greatest wide receiver in NFL history (youll meet number one a little later), he has the stats and records to make a case for its most talented. Passing yards: 10,163 | Completion percentage: 67.4 | Passing TDs: 90 Passing yards: 9,349 | TD passes: 77 | Pass efficiency rating: 139.3 Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2018); 2x Super Bowl Champion; 1x Super Bowl MVP; 2x DPoY; 7x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 13x Pro Bowl. He averaged 1.9 tackles for loss per game, which ranks second in FBS history, and finished second in UNC history with 30.5 career sacks and 53 tackles for loss. In 2009, Utah State announced that the field at Romney Stadium (now Maverik Stadium) would be named in Olsen's honor. Kylian Mbappe Lottin. But as 1987 began, second-year head coach Lou Holtz had begun to put his imprint on this team. He took college football seriously not for the millions it might (and did) afford him professionally, but because he loved it, loved the stories that dad Archie told him about playing at Ole Miss, and loved the stories he created at Tennessee. But Bowden is certain which Seminole was the best athlete he ever coached. His ranking here is still debatable and should be a credit to those ranked above him, rather than a knock on his legacy. You dont get their iconic defense and reputation without the most dominant defensive lineman to ever play. Tony Dorsett (RB, Pitt, 1973-76) After finishing high school, Bednarik enlisted in the Army Air Forces and flew 30 bombing missions over Germany as an aerial gunner during World War II. A statue of him stands outside Kenan Stadium. 11-100 in our list of the greatest NFL players of all time: Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football HOF (1987); 4-time Super Bowl champ; 5-time First-team All-Pro (1972-1974, 1977, 1979); 3-time Second-team All-Pro (1971, 1975, 1976); 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1972, 1974); NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1969); 10-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1979); 6-time first-team All-Pro (1965, 1967-1970, 1972); 2-time second-team All-Pro (1966, 1971); 8 Pro Bowls; 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970), Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2000; 4-time Super Bowl Champion (1982, 84, 88, 89); 1st-team All-Pro (81, 86, 87, 89, 90, 91); 10-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1998; 1st-team All-Pro (1981, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90); 11-time Pro Bowler; 1991 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, Teams: Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Achievements: Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1980); 5-time First-Team All-Pro (1965-1969); 3-time second-team All-Pro (1964, 1970, 1972); 8 Pro Bowls; 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, 1968); NFL didnt record sacks an as official stat until 1982, but it is said Jones had 194.5 during his career, Teams: Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2011; 2-time Super Bowl Champion (1995, 96); 1994 AP Defensive Player of the Year; 1st-team All-Pro (92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98); 8-time Pro Bowler, Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1965; 3-time NFL Champion (1950, 54, 55); 4-time AAFC champion (1946, 47, 48, 49); 3-time NFL UPI MVP (1951, 53, 55), 1st-team All-Pro (1947, 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 55); 5-time Pro Bowler. With the Seminoles clinging to a 27-21 lead in the fourth quarter at Florida, on third-and-10, Dunn took a swing pass from Charlie Ward and raced 79 yards for the clinching touchdown. Passing yards: 2,413 | Passing TDs: 20 Glenn Davis (RB, Army, 1943-46) Ward averaged 7.5 yards on each of the 707 plays that he ran or caught the ball. As a junior, Nobis made one of the most famous tackles in Orange Bowl history, stopping Alabama's Joe Namath at the goal line on fourth-and-inches to preserve UT's 21-17 decision. USC coach John Robinson thought Lott was the better tackler, so he ended up in the Trojans' secondary, where he became one of the most feared hitters in the sport's history. Graham arrived at Northwestern on a basketball scholarship but made his mark in football. From his name, to his looks, to his stats, to nearly everything else about him, Montana has been the modern prototype for every hopeful signal caller in the NFL, and for good reason. That may not sound amazing, except that Switzer called from a locker room pay phone at halftime of a Sooners game. Darrell Royal won a fierce recruiting battle for the Tyler (Texas) Rose, as Campbell would become known. Gary Beban (QB, UCLA, 1965-67) Peterson brought size, speed and endurance to an Oklahoma offense then better known for putting up big passing numbers. Who is the best soccer player in the world? List of top footballers in Whats even crazier is that if not for a long tour of Vietnam after college, he might have had five more cracks at the NFL chip. Coaches always maintain that the longer a game goes, the more that talent will reveal itself. 1 NFL draft picks were like as college football recruits: Only how many five-stars?! 138. Jack Tatum (DB, Ohio State, 1968-70) Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2010); 1x MVP; 1x Super Bowl MVP; ORoY; 4x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl; multiple records (rushing yards, touchdowns, attempts. As the starting running back for the most successful era of Americas team, Smith has an argument to be the greatest NFL running back of all time, and the stats back it up. Or maybe College Football 200. The two-time All-American broke five NCAA, 14 SEC and 28 Florida records, including career passing efficiency (170.8), completion percentage (67.1) and rushing yards by a quarterback (2,947). He also ran for 444 yards and eight scores. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1991); 1x OPoY; 10x All-Pro; 9x Pro Bowl. had to wait two years to show what he could do at TCU. Sayers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. Built like a tank (60, 205 lbs), Woodson was was a deceptively skilled ball hawk, nabbing 71 career interceptions (3rd all-time) and 32 career defensive fumble recoveries (1st all-time). That's assuming anyone ever laid a pad on him. Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford, 2009-11) He is the first quarterback to beat all 32 teams, and his three MVP years are the most times the award was consecutively received. 29. The Panthers went 42-6 in Marino's four seasons, finishing as the country's No. He finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior despite playing at the Division I-AA (FCS) level. Passing yards: 9,285 | Rushing yards: 2,947 | Total TDs: 145 (88 pass/57 rush) He finished his FSU career with 274 tackles, 8.5 sacks and five interceptions. Mariota left Oregon as the career leader in completions (779), passing yards (10,796), total offense (13,033) and total touchdowns (134). You dont get a nickname like the Golden Arm for nothing. Receptions: 62 | Receiving yards: 1,470 | Yards per catch: 23.7 Freshman? The Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young, the Alabama quarterback, at No. It seems almost criminal, therefore, to list him this low, but quarterbacks are generally more historically remembered, and the greatest running back in NFL history is more iconic and is statistically comparable (even better in some cases) on a per-game basis. Tatum was one of the most feared hitters and tacklers in the country as a safety. Don Hutson is from a bygone era of football. Against UTEP, he set an NCAA record with 406 yards on 43 carries with six touchdowns. On the centennial of black-college football in 1993, Jones was named to the All-Time HBCU team. Auburn retired No. Passing yards: 2,548 | Passing TDs: 28 | Interceptions by: 12 In a controversial 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game, he recorded 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles, including seven for loss. Electric. If youre looking for the man who brought pass catchers into vogue, you found him. 130. Top 25 Best Football Players of All Time - YouTube Bryant is ranked as the No. While not quite as impactful as the greatest defensive player of all time, Reggie White is a clear positional GOAT, and this is the lowest he can reasonably be slotted before we start to disrespect the defensive side of the game of football. The Trojans went 19-4-1, won back-to-back conference titles and played in two Rose Bowls in his two seasons. The 1961 Alabama team went undefeated and won a national title. 71. Slingin' Sammy not only could throw the ball, he could throw the ball downfield, something unheard of at the time. 16. Similarly to other players at this point of the list with their own teams, the Bears wouldnt be where they are without Butkus. Lee Roy Jordan (LB, Alabama, 1960-62) Luck went 31-7 as a starter in three seasons, his teams spent 22 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll, and he played in two New Year's Six bowl games. Because of academic restrictions, Seau played only two seasons for the Trojans, but he left an indelible mark. As a freshman with the Gators in 1987, he ran for 1,341 yards and finished ninth in Heisman voting. One of the first great mobile quarterbacks, Young was extremely efficient, and has the second-most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 43. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1977); 3x Super Bowl Champion; 5x NFL Champion; 7x First-Team All-Pro 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 9x Pro Bowl. set the NCAA record for rushing yards by a freshman with 1,932 in 1998 and finished his four-year career with 6,559, the most in Division I history. Mississippi Valley State coach Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley once said that Rice had the kind of hands that could "catch a BB in the dark." Crow was Bryant's only Heisman winner during his 36-year coaching career. 101. By the end of his freshman year, however, the quiet, hardworking Ham had established himself as the bell cow of the recruiting class. Before the left-handed Young won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers, he was a dangerous dual-threat quarterback at BYU. 9 and guard Danny Fortmann at No. Lionel Messi has been named the greatest footballer of all time following his World Cup win. Presumably, rushing for 1,000 yards in seven of his first eight NFL seasons answered any remaining questions. Rodgers is perhaps best remembered for his 72-yard punt return for a score in Nebraska's 35-31 decision over Oklahoma in the Game of the Century in 1971. Teams: Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2011); 2x Super Bowl Champion; DPoY; 6x First-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl.
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