NFL's Top 100 Football Players Retrospective

I love top (fill in the number) lists. If you're a sports fan they are one of the greatest things to watch because they spark so much debate. It is a privilege to watch the epic nature of some of the dominant players of all time. More importantly the stories and the insights that the presenters give can often elevate admiration into reverence.
I want to commend the NFL network for putting together the top 100 list. The list was well researched, contained fantastic highlight footage, had some amazing anecdotes, and for the most part the presenters were intriguing to watch.
Some might say that my above comments are a prelude to a "sandwich." For those who aren't familiar with the "sandwich" it is a term often used in the business world where you provide someone with positive feedback, then a coaching opportunity, and then another positive comment to end with.
That is not going to happen with my assessment of the top 100 NFL players of all time.
There were so many examples of injustice on this list that it has me seething with what my wife would probably think is a disproportionate amount of righteous indignation. I'm sorry. I can't help it. I love football and more importantly I love the history of the game. I've decided to split this post up into four categories: who should not be on the list, who was left off the list (the most people of the four categories), who is not high enough, and who is too high. Let's begin the dissection.
WHO SHOULD NOT BE ON THE LIST
1. Joe Namath #100 This selection is the most egregious of the list. To be perfectly honest I don't think that Namath should even be on the top 10 of an all time QB list. Aside from being the first quarterback in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and winning Superbowl III, Namath's stats aren't just pedestrian they are down right atrocious. He has a completion percentage of only 50%, his TD to Int ratio is 173 to 220, and his QB career rating is 65.5. Seriously? This guy makes your top 100? Even at 100 it is laughable. Maybe the worst statistic of all is that he has a record as a starting quarter back of 62-63. Forget being on the NFL's top 100, Namath shouldn't even be in the Hall of Fame.
2. Michael Strahan #99 Look I'm not saying that Michael Strahan wasn't a great player. He was a seven time pro bowler, recorded 141.5 career sacks, and was the 2001 defensive player of the year. Michael Strahan belongs and will be in the NFL Hall of Fame. That does not mean that he belongs on the top 100 list. (Remember this is the top 100 FOOTBALL players of all time...not necessarily those who were the best at their position.) I never thought that he was particularly great at stopping the run and his 22.5 sacks in a single season is a joke. Anyone who goes back and watches the game where he got the record and "sacked" Brett Favre knows this is true. Brett Favre basically layed down on the ground and Strahan touched him. With all the other football players who were left off this list his selection is questionable at best.

WHO SHOULD BE ON THE LIST
1. Jerry Kramer
Jerry Kramer historically gets no love and I have no idea why. Maybe because it is so hard sometimes to quantify stats for offensive linemen, but there is no question that he should be on this list. From 1958 to 1968 he was one of the most dominant guards in the league for Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. In fact next to John Hannah and Larry Allen I'd put him up there as one of the best guards ever. Kramer was a 5 time 1st team All-Pro selection, a 5 time NFL champion, a member of the 1960s all decade team, and part of the NFL's 50th anniversary team. Kramer also made one of the most famous blocks of all-time in the 1967 Ice Bowl to give Bart Starr the winning touchdown and the Green Bay Packers their third straight NFL title. He absolutely belongs on this list. The only thing worse is that somehow he is still not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Marvin Harrison
Where is the rule that says you have to be flashy or talkative to be an all-time great player? Marvin Harrsion was neither of these things. Harrison was simply one of the best NFL players of all time. There are so many records to back this up it is ridiculous. Harrison holds the record for most receptions in a season with 143, and also has 1,102 receptions, 14,000+ rushing yards, and 128 tds for his career. He has the most consecutive years with at least 1,400 yards receiving with 4, the most consecutive seasons with 100+ catches with 4, 59 career 100 yard receiving games which is third all-time, the second most receiving yards in a decade with 10,439, and the list goes on. Put aside the fact that he was an 8 time pro bowler and a 6 time 1st team All-Pro, he was only six feet tall and played at a slim 178 pounds. If numbers like these don't warrant a spot on this list I don't know what does.
3. Thurman Thomas
Until LaDainian Tomlinson came along was there ever a better running back out of the backfield than Thurman Thomas? You'd be hard pressed to find one. He caught 472 receptions for 4,458 yards out of the backfield in his career. Doubly impressive when you consider that in college he was almost never a featured person on pass plays. Thurman was a five time pro-bowler, the 1991 NFL MVP, and rushed for over 12,000 yards in his career. Thomas went to the Superbowl four times, was a first team all pro three times, and is the all-time leading rusher in Bills history surpassing even the great OJ Simpson. The fact that he is probably the only person ever to keep Barry Sanders on the bench (in college) is amazing as well.
4. Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin is one of the toughest rushers I've ever seen. He came to play every Sunday and fought for every yard. His 3,518 rushing attempts are third all-time, his 17,430 yards from scrimmage are seventh all-time, and he's the oldest player ever to win a rushing title at 31 years old. Aside from Walter Payton, Emmit Smith, and Barry Sanders he is only the 4th person ever to surpass 14,000 rushing yards. Add to the fact that he was a class act on and off the field, was a five time pro-bowler, and the offensive rookie of the year in 1995 and you've got one of the all-time greats.
5. Jim Kelly
I'm telling you right now if Terry Bradshaw is on this list then Jim Kelly definitely belongs on this list. Aside from the fact that Kelly has no Superbowl rings his statistics are better than Bradshaw in virtually every category. If not for the fact that he played two years in the USFL (where he had 83 career td passes and 5,000+ yards passing) Kelly's stats could have been even greater. As it is he is the Buffalo Bills all-time leading passer with 35,467 yards and 237 touchdown passes. When you consider that he also played in a no-huddle offense where he could have easily called more passing plays the statistics become even more impressive. As a four time pro bowler and consummate professional, he was also a tough quarterback and the ultimate team player.
6. Will Shields
That Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields in not on this list boggles the mind. Along with Larry Allen, he was the most dominant guard of the 90s and 2000s. A twelve time pro-bowler Shields started 223 games for the Chiefs and was a nine time first team all-pro. He was also a great humanitarian winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2003. Add to the fact that those twelve pro-bowls were all consecutive, including the last year he played, I see no reason why he doesn't belong on this list.
7. Jim Marshall
This one just sticks in my craw. At 248 pounds Marshall was undersized at defensive end even for his time. A member of the Purple People Eater defense along with Alan Page in the 1960s and 70s, Marshall played for 19 seasons and never missed a game. His 282 consecutive starts are 2nd all time to Brett Favre. And considering the position he played that stat is even more impressive. He was a pro-bowler only twice in his career but you also have to consider the era in which he played where no sacks were recorded. His "wrong way" play is often what he is most remembered for but that shouldn't detract from how good this guy was. Again he's another guy like Jerry Kramer who belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and on this list.
8. Larry Wilson
Larry Wilson is maybe the most underrated safety that ever played professional football and it is probably because he played for the dismal Cardinals back in the 1960s. But his skills and toughness were unparalleled. In 13 NFL seasons he was an 8 time pro-bowler and an 8 time all-pro. Wilson had 52 career interceptions and was an infectious player who could galvanize a team with his excitement and hard hits. A member of the 1960s AND 1970s all decade teams, Wilson once played with casts on two broken wrists...and intercepted a pass. Now THAT is an all-time NFL player.

NOT HIGH ENOUGH

1. Brett Favre #20
That the quarterback who is the all time leader in every statistical passing category is not higher than #20 is a travesty. This guy at the least belongs in the top 10. Stats don't lie: 70,000+ yards passing, 500+ touchdown passes, 6000+ completions, and 10,000+ attempts--all records. In a twenty year career he has been a pro-bowler 11 times, a three time MVP, and a Superbowl champion. Favre has also started at quarterback 292 straight games and in my opinion, along with Johnny Unitas, is the toughest quarterback ever. Maybe the most telling statistic as well is the 183 regular season victories he has--also a record. Farve is WAY too low.
2. Johnny Unitas #6
Johnny Unitas belongs in the top three NFL players of all-time. End of discussion. That he is sixth behind Lawrence freakin' Taylor and Joe Montana is insulting. Forget about playing in "the greatest game ever played" the 1958 NFL championship game, he perfected the two minute drill and played in an era where the forward pass was a novel idea. A ten time pro-bowler and a three time NFL MVP, Unitas passed for over 40,000 yards in his career and 290 touchdowns in an era when "three yards and a cloud of dust" was the mantra of the NFL. His 47 straight games with a touchdown pass is a record that will maybe never be broken and is right on par with Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hit streak. This guy is the Godfather of the modern NFL and helped made the league into what it is today.
3. Bruce Smith #31
#31! #31 are you kidding me???? Tom Brady and Bronco Nagurski are ahead of Bruce Smith?? Not in my book. Never. This guy deserves to be in the top 15 at least and in my mind is a better player that Reggie White who was in the top ten. The only defensive end better than Bruce was Deacon Jones. And how is Reggie better than Bruce? Because he carpetbagged it to Green Bay and won a Superbowl? Don't make me laugh. A two time defensive player of the year Smith made 11 pro-bowls and recorded 200 sacks--an all time record. Not only was he great at rushing the quarterback he could stop the run with his tremendous quickness and agility. In 19 NFL seasons I never saw anyone able to stop his spin move. Smith was a dominant defensive end that could play in any era and the people who made this list ought to be ashamed of putting him at 31.

TOO HIGH

1. Jerry Rice at #1
Look Jerry Rice in my mind is the best receiver that ever played in the NFL. He was a perfect route runner who was able to elevate his game in big game situations. The fact that he holds almost every statistical record for a receiver is a testament to his work ethic and his ability. Overall I'd say he is #3. #1 I would still say is Jim Brown. The legacy of Jim Brown may never be surpassed: Nine pro-bowls in nine seasons, led the league in rushing eight times, eight time first team all-pro, and a three time MVP, one year he led the league in rushing with 1,863 yards...in a twelve game season! His average of 5.2 yards a carry and an average of over 100 yards a game for his career are still records. You could not bring Jim Brown down with just one man. Considering that he retired at the age of 29, it is terrifying to think what he could have done if he'd played another five years. In my opinion there is no question he is the greatest of all time.
2. Lawrence Taylor #3
Excuse my language but you've gotta be fucking kidding me! Yes Taylor belongs on this list and probably in the top twenty five, but #3? Not a chance. As an outside linebacker he was fantastic at rushing the passer and his 132.5 career sacks bare that out. But that was all he was good for. He could not pass cover to save his life and only had eleven career interceptions. Many of his former teammates and coaches also stated that a main reason he rushed the quarterback so much was that he was too stupid to understand the defense. In my mind Jack Ham of the Pittsburgh Steelers was a much more complete outside linebacker than Lawrence Taylor ever was. In 13 seasons he had 32 interceptions and 21 fumble recoveries. He played the run and the pass with equal efficiency and could cover almost everyone. This is the most ridiculous and unjustified ranking on the whole list hands down.
3. Terry Bradshaw #50
Look Terry Bradshaw definitely belongs on this list but probably at #75 not #50. He made big plays in big games and was a leader on the 70s Steelers but #50? I don't think so. He only made the pro-bowl three times and his quarterback rating is a pathetic 70.9. Bradshaw only has 2 more touchdown passes than interceptions (212-210) and doesn't even have 30,000 yards passing. Bart Starr at #51 should be livid. Granted Starr only had a 152 touchdown passes and less than 24,000 yards passing but he called a much better game than Bradshaw ever did and was a five time world champion. Additionally he also played on a team that was predicated on the run. No way Bradshaw belongs this high.

Well it is time for me to come down off my soapbox. I've exhausted my anger and I'm glad I got that off my chest. I know not everyone out there will not agree with me but I hope I've made a few compelling arguments. As much as this list infuriated me I can't wait for the next one. After all, in a season where my beloved Bills look like a Pop Warner team I don't have much to cling to.