My NFL Top 10

Last night the conclusion of the NFL Top 100 aired in which Jerry Rice was # 1.  It is kind of weird but it seems like there is a lot of backlash.  Jerry Rice is by no means a bad choice for # 1, its hard to argue that Jerry Rice was not at least the best wide receiver of all time.  It is based on people's opinion and the way the point system was set up im sure the difference between 1 and 10 is a couple of points.  So I figured I would throw in my opinion on the subject and list my top 10.  The only difference with my top 10 is that I will rank only guys that have seen play with my two eyes, not just through highlight reels.  What I will use as a reference point is the first super bowl I can remember watching, Super Bowl 27.  Just to refresh everyone's memories it was Dallas vs. Buffalo that year and the Cowboys beat them 52-17, that game was remembered for the Leon Lett fumbling right before scoring a TD.  So here are the greatest players I have ever seen play the game of football.

10. Rod Woodson---This one may shock some people but over his career Woodson was a beast.  There are two main reasons he is on my list, One; he excelled at two different positions safety and corner.  He also came back from a knee injury and played in the same season.  Rod is third all time on the INT list, and every team he played on the defense was elevated because of him.  I don't have to remind Baltimore about his contribution to the 2000 Ravens.

9. Jerry Rice---Number one on the NFL's list is number nine on mine.  Jerry Rice is the best receiver and to be honest it's not even close. If you don't believe me just look at his stats, over 1500 catches, 22000 yards and 197 receiving touchdowns.  The main reason I think Rice doesn't get as much fan fare he deserves is because it wasnt flashy.  Not that I think anything is wrong with not being flashy, I'll take consistent over flashy any day of the week.  No matter who was throwing the ball Rice caught it and he did it great.

8. Brett Favre---The last couple of years havent been very kind to Mr. Favre.  Whether it's the numerous retirements or the Jenn Sterger situation, Favre has been in the news for the wrong reasons.  Take that away Favre was incredible to watch.  Take away his numbers he played like he truly enjoyed every minute of it and for that people loved him.  His consecutive streak shows his love for the sport.  He owns just about every passing record known to man, even the bad ones.  Which is why he isn't higher on my list.

7. John Elway---Cleveland and Baltimore probably don't like this guys too much.  The Browns fell short of the Super Bowl because of Elway, and Elway would have rather played baseball than for the Colts.  Regardless Elway was an all time great and the king of the comeback.  His rifle arm was able to lead the Broncos to 5 Super Bowls, it took him to his last two to finally win but his success over his entire career speaks for itself.

6. Barry Sanders---I know Emmitt Smith has the rushing record but Barry Sanders is the best running back ive seen.  Whether it was flat-out speed or his ability to stop on a dime.  The great thing about Sanders was just when you think you have him bottled up he explodes for a huge gain.  Sanders called it a career too soon for many fans but that didn't mean he didn't leave us with some tremendous memories.

5. Deion Sanders---The phrase shutdown corner came about because of the play of Deion Sanders.  Deion was never really known for his tackling skills but when you covered receivers like he did, you didn't have to tackle.  He also did it with a style and flair that no one had ever seen before.  Even though he is number 5 on my list I believe he is the best overall athlete I have ever seen play.  Whether it was playing corner or running back kicks, you got your money's worth watching Prime Time.

4. Reggie White---The Minister of Defense was a force that nobody could stop.  Stats can sometimes be a little overrated, but Reggie's sack stats are absolutely incredible.  Reggie played in 232 games and tallied 198 sacks, and only three seasons did Reggie not have at least 10 sacks.  He could beat you in so many ways, either by power or speed.  Reggie made everybody around him better which is also the mark of a great player.

3. Ray Lewis---Since his debut in 1996 no player has been more dominating at any position than number 52.  And for a city that needed someone to latch onto, Lewis made it very easy for Baltimore fans.  His ability to run sideline to sideline is what set Ray apart from other linebackers.  It also says a lot about Ray that even after 15 years there a very few linebackers I would take over Lewis.  We may never see another linebacker like Ray Lewis.

2. Peyton Manning---The ultimate student of the game, Manning by the time he is done may be the very best to ever play football.  As much as I want to hate him (he's had the Ravens number for a while), you can't hate someone who plays that well.  Manning is also the staple of consistency not only has he started every single game, but the Colts have won at least 10 games every season except for two.  When his career is done he will be number one.

1. Dan Marino---I was a huge Dan Marino fan and since Baltimore didn't have a team until 1996 the Dolphins were kind of my team, Marino was the reason.  Marino had everything you would want a quarterback to have.  Strong arm, quick release and a killers instinct.  Marino only had one chance to win the Super Bowl, unfortunately for him he was facing a fellow future hall of famer, Joe Montana.  The fact that he didn't win "the big one" doesn't mean anything to me because without Marino the Dolphins would have been irrelevant.

So thats it, I would love for all of your opinions of the greatest you have ever seen play the game.