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Sports television series
The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players was a ten-part television series that set out to determine the top 100 greatest NFL players of all time. It was presented by the NFL Network in 2010. The series was based on a list of the top 100 National Football League players of all time, as compiled by a "blue-ribbon" panel assembled by the NFL Network. The members of the panel were current and former NFL coaches, players, executives, and members of the media. Each episode, broadcast each Thursday from September 3 to November 4, 2010, introduced a group of 10 players from the list, with each nominee player presented and advocated for by a separate noteworthy individual in the world of sports and entertainment. It started with the players ranked 100 through 91, and moving up the list each week.[ 1]
The final episode, premiering on November 4, 2010, introduced the top 10 players of all time according to the panel.[ 2] Jerry Rice was chosen as the top player of all time, with Jim Brown as the second choice.[ 3]
The list
Rank
Player
Position(s)
Team(s)†
Year inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame
1
Jerry Rice Balls
WR
San Francisco 49ers
2010
2
Jim Brown
FB
Cleveland Browns
1971
3
Lawrence Taylor
LB
New York Giants
1999
4
Joe Montana
QB
San Francisco 49ers
2000
5
Walter Payton
RB
Chicago Bears
1993
6
Johnny Unitas
QB
Baltimore Colts
1979
7
Reggie White
DE
Philadelphia Eagles , Green Bay Packers
2006
8
Peyton Manning
QB
Indianapolis Colts
2021
9
Don Hutson
E
Green Bay Packers
1963
10
Dick Butkus
LB
Chicago Bears
1979
11
Ronnie Lott
S , CB
San Francisco 49ers
2000
12
Anthony Muñoz
OT
Cincinnati Bengals
1998
13
Joe Greene
DT
Pittsburgh Steelers
1987
14
Sammy Baugh
QB , S , P
Washington Redskins
1963
15
Deacon Jones
DE
Los Angeles Rams
1980
16
Otto Graham
QB
Cleveland Browns
1965
17
Barry Sanders
RB
Detroit Lions
2004
18
Ray Lewis
LB
Baltimore Ravens
2018
19
Bronko Nagurski
FB , OT
Chicago Bears
1963
20
Brett Favre
QB
Green Bay Packers
2016
21
Tom Brady
New England Patriots
e-2028
22
Gale Sayers
HB , RS
Chicago Bears
1977
23
John Elway
QB
Denver Broncos
2004
24
John Hannah
G
New England Patriots
1991
25
Dan Marino
QB
Miami Dolphins
2005
26
Bob Lilly
DT
Dallas Cowboys
1980
27
Merlin Olsen
Los Angeles Rams
1982
28
Emmitt Smith
RB
Dallas Cowboys
2010
29
Jack Lambert
LB
Pittsburgh Steelers
1990
30
Night Train Lane
CB
Los Angeles Rams , Chicago Cardinals , Detroit Lions
1974
31
Bruce Smith
DE
Buffalo Bills
2009
32
Jim Parker
OT
Baltimore Colts
1973
33
Sid Luckman
QB
Chicago Bears
1965
34
Deion Sanders
CB , RS
Atlanta Falcons , Dallas Cowboys
2011
35
Chuck Bednarik
C , LB
Philadelphia Eagles
1967
36
Raymond Berry
SE
Baltimore Colts
1973
37
Jim Thorpe
HB
Canton Bulldogs
1963
38
Lance Alworth
WR
San Diego Chargers
1978
39
Gino Marchetti
DE
Baltimore Colts
1972
40
O. J. Simpson
RB
Buffalo Bills
1985
41
Rod Woodson
CB , S
Pittsburgh Steelers
2009
42
John Mackey
TE
Baltimore Colts
1992
43
Alan Page
DT
Minnesota Vikings
1988
44
Mel Blount
CB
Pittsburgh Steelers
1989
45
Tony Gonzalez
TE
Kansas City Chiefs
2019
46
Roger Staubach
QB
Dallas Cowboys
1985
47
Ray Nitschke
LB
Green Bay Packers
1978
48
Red Grange
HB
Chicago Bears
1963
49
Mike Haynes
CB
Oakland Raiders , New England Patriots
1997
50
Terry Bradshaw
QB
Pittsburgh Steelers
1989
51
Bart Starr
Green Bay Packers
1977
52
Eric Dickerson
RB
Los Angeles Rams
1999
53
Willie Lanier
LB
Kansas City Chiefs
1986
54
Forrest Gregg
OT
Green Bay Packers
1977
55
Earl Campbell
HB
Houston Oilers
1991
56
Gene Upshaw
G
Oakland Raiders
1987
57
Mike Singletary
LB
Chicago Bears
1998
58
Steve Van Buren
HB
Philadelphia Eagles
1965
59
Mike Ditka
TE
Chicago Bears
1988
60
Jack Ham
LB
Pittsburgh Steelers
1988
61
LaDainian Tomlinson
RB
San Diego Chargers
2017
62
Randy White
DT
Dallas Cowboys
1994
63
Jim Otto
C
Oakland Raiders
1980
64
Herb Adderley
CB
Green Bay Packers
1980
65
Randy Moss
WR
Minnesota Vikings
2018
66
Willie Brown
CB
Oakland Raiders
1984
67
Kellen Winslow
TE
San Diego Chargers
1995
68
Mike Webster
C
Pittsburgh Steelers
1997
69
Bobby Bell
LB
Kansas City Chiefs
1983
70
Marshall Faulk
RB
St. Louis Rams
2011
71
Paul Warfield
WR
Cleveland Browns ,Miami Dolphins
1983
72
Jonathan Ogden
OT
Baltimore Ravens
2013
73
Ozzie Newsome
TE
Cleveland Browns
1999
74
Marion Motley
HB , LB
1968
75
Darrell Green
CB
Washington Redskins
2008
76
Art Shell
OT
Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders
1989
77
Tony Dorsett
RB
Dallas Cowboys
1994
78
Bruce Matthews
OL ,LS
Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Titans
2007
79
Emlen Tunnell
S
New York Giants
1967
80
Troy Aikman
QB
Dallas Cowboys
2006
81
Steve Young
San Francisco 49ers
2005
82
Ted Hendricks
LB
Oakland Raiders
1990
83
Norm Van Brocklin
QB
Los Angeles Rams
1971
84
Joe Schmidt
LB
Detroit Lions
1973
85
Marcus Allen
RB
Oakland Raiders
2003
86
Willie Davis
DE
Green Bay Packers
1981
87
Elroy Hirsch
E , FL
Los Angeles Rams
1968
88
Ed Reed
S
Baltimore Ravens
2019
89
Ernie Nevers
FB
Chicago Cardinals
1963
90
Kurt Warner
QB
St. Louis Rams
2017
91
Fran Tarkenton
Minnesota Vikings
1986
92
Michael Irvin
WR
Dallas Cowboys
2007
93
Sam Huff
LB
New York Giants
1982
94
Lenny Moore
HB
Baltimore Colts
1975
95
Larry Allen
G
Dallas Cowboys
2013
96
Mel Hein
C
New York Giants
1963
97
Derrick Brooks
LB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2014
98
Lee Roy Selmon
DE
1995
99
Michael Strahan
New York Giants
2014
100
Joe Namath
QB
New York Jets
1985
† Only team(s) with major contribution.
See also
References
^ "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players to Debut Friday, Sept. 3 at 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network" . Archived from the original on 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2010-11-02 .
^ Nate Davis, "Who is NFL's greatest player ever? NFL Network reveals No. 1 Thursday night" Archived 2010-11-13 at the Wayback Machine , USA Today , November 4, 2010.
^ Andy Barall, "Jim Brown Should Be No. 1, but What About Most Underrated?" Archived 2019-09-30 at the Wayback Machine , New York Times , November 5, 2010.
External links