Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos. 10-1

A place to talk about sports, athletes and jock itch.

Moderator: Metal Sludge

Post Reply
User avatar
SkeletorsGhost
Headlining Clubs
Posts: 3552
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:36 pm
Location: usa

Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos. 10-1

Post by SkeletorsGhost »

Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos. 10-1

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/top ... s-10-1-nfl


Steve Young


AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi
QB | San Francisco 49ers | Super Bowls: XXIV, XXIX

Video: Why Young ranks No. 10

Who can forget the scene of Young, on the Niners' sideline late in their 49-26 blowout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, asking a teammate to remove the "imaginary" monkey off his back? And why not? Emerging from Joe Montana's shadow, Young's tour de force included a record six TD passes, no interceptions and 325 yards passing while completing 24 of 36 attempts against the Chargers. Yes, he was MVP of the game. -- Paul Gutierrez


Kurt Warner


STEVE SCHAEFER/AFP/Getty Images
QB | St. Louis Rams/Arizona Cardinals | Super Bowls: XXXIV, XXXVI, XLIII

Video: Why Warner ranks No. 9

A better bounce or two along the way, and one could make the case that Warner should be in the top three on this list. Alas, the Rams and Cardinals came up just shy of making Warner three-for-three in his Super Bowl appearances. But it speaks to his greatness on the biggest stage that he's in the top 10 here with just one Super Bowl victory on his résumé. In three cracks at the big game, Warner averaged 385.3 passing yards per game and was responsible for the three most prolific passing days in Super Bowl history. He's one of just three quarterbacks to lead multiple teams to the Super Bowl. -- Nick Wagoner


Eli Manning


Andy Lyons/Getty Images
QB | New York Giants | Super Bowls: XLII, XLVI

Video: Why Manning ranks No. 8

Manning is a combined 49-of-74 (66.2 percent) for 551 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in his two Super Bowls -- both victories over the Patriots. But those victories will be best remembered for two indelible throws: the one David Tyree caught on his helmet to keep a fourth-quarter drive alive against the unbeaten Patriots in XLII, and the brilliant, toe-tapping, sideline catch by Mario Manningham in the fourth quarter of XLVI. Manning's game-winning drive in XLII started with 2:39 left and the Giants down 14-10. His game-winning drive in XLVI began with 3:46 left and the Giants down 17-15. Even if he never plays in another Super Bowl, Eli Manning goes down as one of the most clutch quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. -- Dan Graziano


Terry Bradshaw


Focus on Sport/Getty Images
QB | Pittsburgh Steelers | Super Bowls: IX, X, XIII, XIV

Video: Why Bradshaw ranks No. 7

Bradshaw is easily one of the greatest big-game quarterbacks in the game's history. He was the first quarterback to win more than two Super Bowls. He was a two-time Super Bowl MVP. His 112.8 passer rating in four Super Bowl appearances is the third highest. He averaged 11 yards per completion on his way to 932 yards and nine touchdowns combined, including four on Dallas' vaunted defense in Super Bowl XIII. In his first two Super Bowl wins, Bradshaw set a turnover-free tone with zero interceptions. -- Jeremy Fowler


John Elway


TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
QB | Denver Broncos | Super Bowls: XXI, XXII, XXIV, XXXII, XXXIII

Video: Why Elway ranks No. 6

When it comes to Super Bowls, few players live with more disappointment from the title game than Elway. Yet, he kept committing himself to get back, always joking that it got to a point when his mom wasn't sure he should want to make it back to a Super Bowl. There were the 39-20, 42-10 and 55-10 losses in the title game with Elway before the Broncos were finally able to break through. Elway won back-to-back championships in his final two seasons -- 1997 and 1998 -- with his helicopter play against the Packers in XXXII being the signature effort for a Hall of Fame player who never quit trying to get over the last hurdle. -- Jeff Legwold


Emmitt Smith


George Rose/Getty Images
RB | Dallas Cowboys | Super Bowls: XXVII, XXVIII, XXX

Video: Why Smith ranks No. 5

Perhaps it's fitting the NFL's all-time leading rusher is the top back in Super Bowl history. Smith's five rushing touchdowns are a Super Bowl record, and he is second to Franco Harris in carries (70) and third in yards behind Harris and Larry Csonka (289). He was named MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII with 30 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. He also had two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXX against the Steelers. -- Todd Archer


Jerry Rice


Michael Zagaris/Getty Images
WR | San Francisco 49ers/Oakland Raiders | Super Bowls: XXIII, XXIV, XXIX, XXXVII

Video: Why Rice ranks No. 4

So, if conventional wisdom has it that Jerry Rice is the GOAT regardless of position or era, how in the world are three players ranked ahead of him? Montana fans wonder, as well, especially with their symbiotic relationship early on, along with Rice's combined 589 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 33 catches in four Super Bowls (three rings and MVP of Super Bowl XXIII). Twice he scored three TDs, and he scored in all four games. -- Paul Gutierrez


Joe Montana


Focus on Sport/Getty Images
QB | San Francisco 49ers | Super Bowls: XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV

Video: Why Montana ranks No. 3

Fans of Joe Cool demand a recount. Not a single one of his four rings is tarnished or accompanied by a scandal affixed with a "-gate." Montana was at his best on the biggest of stages, winning three Super Bowl MVPs. He threw for 11 touchdowns, 1,142 yards and completed 68 percent of his passes without getting picked off. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns and, oh yeah, never lost a Super Bowl game, unlike the guy ranked at the top, who already has dropped two. Recount? Yes, please. -- Paul Gutierrez


Troy Aikman


George Rose/Getty Images
QB | Dallas Cowboys | Super Bowls: XXVII, XXVIII, XXX

Video: Why Aikman ranks No. 2

Aikman finds himself in the Hall of Fame because of winning and accuracy. He won all three of his Super Bowl appearances and completed a Super Bowl-record 70 percent of his passes in those games. His best performance was his first, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions, in Super Bowl XXVII to beat the Bills. Only two quarterbacks had more touchdown passes in a Super Bowl than Aikman. -- Todd Archer


Tom Brady


Tom Pennington/Getty Images
QB | New England Patriots | Super Bowls: XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX

Video: Why Brady ranks No. 1

When asked which Super Bowl ring is his favorite, Tom Brady's response is always the same: "The next one." Brady's relentless pursuit of the "next one," which is a yearlong endeavor in which he shapes his eating habits and sleep patterns around being at his best on the football field, is as strong as ever at the age of 38. Brady is only the third quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to four Super Bowl wins, joining his boyhood idol Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, and he's a three-time Super Bowl MVP, which matches Montana for the most ever. Brady is also the all-time leader in Super Bowl passing yards (1,605), touchdown passes (13) and starts (six). What makes Brady rise up on the biggest stage of professional football? "I think his consistency," said Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has worked directly with Brady for nine seasons. "Even though these games have a finality to them that some games in the regular season or preseason don't have, he approaches it the same way." And there is no end in sight. Brady hopes to play well into his 40s and at this point hasn't shown much, if any, signs of decline. -- Mike Reis
User avatar
UtahRatt
Playing First Stage at SludgeFest
Posts: 26439
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by UtahRatt »

On the same subject and proof there's bias among voters.....

Gosselin: Why guys like Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders don't belong on Super Bowl 50 Golden Team..........

As a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee, I was asked to submit a ballot for this 50th anniversary team. There were quite a few differences between my team and the team announced by the NFL -- nine of them, to be exact. Our charge, according to the instructions, was to select "the best overall career performances in the Super Bowl."
Underscore the words "career" and "performances." Not career reputations -- but rather performances.

There were seven Steelers and six Cowboys -- a tribute to franchises that have won a combined 11 Super Bowls. The 49ers, Packers and Raiders all had three players apiece.

I agreed with most of the selections. I thought Joe Montana at quarterback, Franco Harris at halfback, the Raider tandem of Art Shell and Gene Upshaw on the left side of the offensive line, Joe Greene, Randy White and Charles Haley on the defensive line, Jacks Ham and Lambert at linebacker and Mel Blount at cornerback were obvious choices.

Center Mike Webster, guard Larry Allen, linebackers Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor, cornerback Deion Sanders and safety Ronnie Lott all belong in the Hall of Fame. But I didn't think they belonged on the all-time Super Bowl team. I disagreed at running back, tight end, offensive tackle, guard and center on offense and outside linebacker, middle linebacker, cornerback and safety on defense. Here are those positions with my reasoning:

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas- ... olden-team


Running Back
Super 50 Selection: Emmitt Smith.

My selection: Larry Csonka.

Reasoning: I went with a traditional halfback-fullback tandem. I chose the Super Bowl's all-time leading rusher Franco Harris as my halfback and Csonka as my fullback. Csonka played in three consecutive Super Bowls with the Dolphins and is the second all-time leading rusher in the game's history. Like Smith, Csonka was a Super Bowl MVP when he rushed 33 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the 1974 game.

--------^
Taken from below that adds to his Csonka over Smith and James over Lott.........

James Washington Safety collected a team-leading 11 tackles, intercepted a pass, broke up another, forced a fumble and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown in the 1994 game. Emmitt Smith was voted Super Bowl MVP that day, but there was as strong an argument to be made for Washington.
---------------------------------------------------

Safety
Super 50 selection: Ronnie Lott.

My selection: James Washington.

Reasoning: Lott earned four Super Bowl rings, collecting 12 tackles and breaking up three passes. But he only played safety in two of the games. In those two he had six tackles and broke up two passes.James Washington also played in two Super Bowls for the Cowboys in the 1990s. He made six tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up another in the 1993 game, then collected a team-leading 11 tackles, intercepted a pass, broke up another, forced a fumble and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown in the 1994 game. Emmitt Smith was voted Super Bowl MVP that day, but there was as strong an argument to be made for Washington.

Corner Back
Super 50 selection: Deion Sanders.

My selection: Herb Adderley.

Reasoning: In two Super Bowls, one with the Cowboys and the other with the 49ers, Sanders made four tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up three others. Adderley started in four Super Bowls, two with the Packers and two with the Cowboys, and won three of them. He collected 14 tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up six others. There has never been a shutout in Super Bowl history but the Cowboys came closest with a 24-3 victory over Miami in the 1972 game. Adderley had a team-runnerup six tackles that day.


Tight End
Super 50 selection: Jay Novacek.

My selection: Marv Fleming.

Reasoning: Novacek played on three Super Bowl champions, catching 17 career passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Fleming was an elite blocker during an era when tight ends were more than just pumped-up wideouts. Fleming played in five Super Bowls for a pair of run-centric franchises and won four rings. His blocking helped the Packers win consecutive Super Bowls in 1967-68 and the Dolphins win consecutively in 1973-74. In the four victories, his teams rushed for 130, 163 (both Green Bay), 184 and 196 yards (both Miami). He also caught seven passes for 83 yards.


Offensive tackle
Super 50 selection: Forrest Gregg.

My selection: Joe Jacoby.

Reasoning: Gregg is one of my all-time favorite players, called by Vince Lombardi the best player he ever coached. He won two Super Bowls with the Packers with his blocking paving the way for rushing games of 133 and 160 yards. But Jacoby won three Super Bowls with the Redskins and started in four. Washington rushed for 276, 280 and 125 yards in the victories.

Guard
Super 50 selection: Larry Allen.

My selection: Bob Kuechenberg.

Reasoning: This one puzzled me. Allen played in only one Super Bowl and the Cowboys had their worst rushing day of their three Super Bowls of the 1990s, gaining only 56 yards on 25 carries in the 1996 game against Pittsburgh. Kuechenberg played in three consecutive Super Bowls with the Dolphins and, along with Fleming, was a key blocking element on a run-fixated team that averaged 153 yards on the ground in those games. Miami won one of its Super Bowls throwing only seven passes.


Center
Super 50 selection: Mike Webster.

My selection: Kent Hull.

Reasoning: Webster only started two of Pittsburgh's four Super Bowls. The Steelers didn't rush for 100 yards in either game and quarterback Terry Bradshaw was sacked four times in one of the games. Hull started four consecutive Super Bowls for the Buffalo Bills, who rushed for 100 yards in two of them. If Scott Norwood makes the field goal against the Giants in the 1991 Super Bowl, Hull might already be in the Hall of Fame.


Outside linebacker
Super 50 selection: Lawrence Taylor.

My selection: Ken Norton.

Reasoning: Taylor was one of the game's great pass rushers. But in two Super Bowls he didn't collect a sack in 71 pass attempts and made only seven tackles. Norton is the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. In his Super Bowl debut in 1993, Norton collected a team-leading nine tackles, broke up a pass and returned a fumble nine yards for a touchdown. He collected a team runnerup eight tackles in his second Super Bowl in 1994 and a team runnerup seven tackles in his third Super Bowl, this one with the 49ers, in 1995.


Middle linebacker
Super 50 selection: Ray Lewis.

My selection: Lee Roy Jordan.

Reasoning: Lewis won two Super Bowls and was a great player in one, winning MVP honors in the 2001 rout of the Giants. But he was not a great player in the other as San Francisco rolled up 468 yards on the Ravens in the 2013 game. Jordan started in three Super Bowls for the Cowboys and played his best when his team needed him the most _ the two hard-fought, heart-breaking defeats to the Colts and Steelers. He made 11 tackles and broke up a pass in the 1971 game against the Colts and 14 tackles in the 1976 game against the Steelers. In his one Super Bowl victory in 1972, Jordan made six tackles and broke up a pass against Miami.
poizond13 wrote:I have been very bummed out, sad and shocked for most of the night
Artemis2085 wrote:so I blurt out "I love you Paul!
Atomicpunk18 wrote:You see Black Crowes music has gotten me laid multiple times.
User avatar
FullDJacket
MSX Tour Support Act
Posts: 4731
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:52 am

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by FullDJacket »

y not Joe Flacco :?:
Image
Luke 16:10 "and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much"
User avatar
UtahRatt
Playing First Stage at SludgeFest
Posts: 26439
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by UtahRatt »

FullDJacket wrote:y not Joe Flacco :?:
Y no Jackie Smith :?:
poizond13 wrote:I have been very bummed out, sad and shocked for most of the night
Artemis2085 wrote:so I blurt out "I love you Paul!
Atomicpunk18 wrote:You see Black Crowes music has gotten me laid multiple times.
User avatar
FullDJacket
MSX Tour Support Act
Posts: 4731
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:52 am

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by FullDJacket »

UtahRatt wrote:
FullDJacket wrote:y not Joe Flacco :?:
Y no Jackie Smith :?:
listen u mormon f

y are u bringing up a loser like that? u got a problem with italian-americans?
Image
Luke 16:10 "and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much"
User avatar
UtahRatt
Playing First Stage at SludgeFest
Posts: 26439
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by UtahRatt »

FullDJacket wrote:
UtahRatt wrote:
FullDJacket wrote:y not Joe Flacco :?:
Y no Jackie Smith :?:
listen u mormon f

y are u bringing up a loser like that? u got a problem with italian-americans?

Jackie was a key player for the Steelers win and should be thanked and recognized!

Isn't Flacco that kicker for the Giant's? Haven't seen him around for a few seasons.
poizond13 wrote:I have been very bummed out, sad and shocked for most of the night
Artemis2085 wrote:so I blurt out "I love you Paul!
Atomicpunk18 wrote:You see Black Crowes music has gotten me laid multiple times.
User avatar
lemmysmole
Cockblocked by Poison
Posts: 7902
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:13 am
Location: Parts Unknown

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by lemmysmole »

Brady should be MUCH lower, as he's a cheater.
Whoopie on Mojo "I do. If you dont like it , then take your cockeyed horseface to another post. :twisted:"
User avatar
Facedown
Playing a Package Tour in Arenas
Posts: 11988
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:23 am
Location: The land of meatless chicken wings

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by Facedown »

lemmysmole wrote:Brady should be MUCH lower, as he's a cheater.
Yeah, but he's not a cheater and he won't be lower so feel free to get over it.
bonedog wrote:I let Facedown get the better of me
bonedog wrote:My first kid will be born when I am 47.
bonedog wrote:I suck at sludging.
Image
User avatar
lemmysmole
Cockblocked by Poison
Posts: 7902
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:13 am
Location: Parts Unknown

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by lemmysmole »

Facedown wrote:
lemmysmole wrote:Brady should be MUCH lower, as he's a cheater.
Yeah, but he's not a cheater and he won't be lower so feel free to get over it.

Yes he is....twice. Yes he should be....
Whoopie on Mojo "I do. If you dont like it , then take your cockeyed horseface to another post. :twisted:"
User avatar
Facedown
Playing a Package Tour in Arenas
Posts: 11988
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:23 am
Location: The land of meatless chicken wings

Re: Ranking 50 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Nos.

Post by Facedown »

lemmysmole wrote:Yes he is....twice. Yes he should be....
He videotaped?
He put a needle in the ball?
Didn't think so.
bonedog wrote:I let Facedown get the better of me
bonedog wrote:My first kid will be born when I am 47.
bonedog wrote:I suck at sludging.
Image
Post Reply