Best Players The Last 25 Years...

[Angry Pope]

TOP 25 OF THE USA TODAY ERA (1982-2007)

To commemorate USA TODAY's 25th anniversary, a panel of USA TODAY's NFL reporters and editors produced an anthology of the 25 best NFL players of the past 25 years.


Rank Player Story


1 Joe Montana

2 Jerry Rice

3 Walter Payton

4 Lawrence Taylor

5 Reggie White

6 John Elway

7 Emmitt Smith

8 Ronnie Lott

9 Tom Brady

10 Barry Sanders

11 Dan Marino

12 Peyton Manning

13 Anthony Munoz

14 Brett Favre

15 Bruce Smith

16 Deion Sanders

17 Mike Singletary

18 Ray Lewis

19 Marshall Faulk

20 Troy Aikman

21 LaDainian Tomlinson

22 Rod Woodson

23 Terry Bradshaw

24 Steve Young

25 Eric Dickerson

 

[Angry Pope]

No. 25: Dickerson blazed early path to NFL immortality

By Robert Deutsch

Eric Dickerson, shown in a 1985 game at Giants Stadium, set rookie records in yards rushing and touchdowns when he broke in with the Rams in 1983.


Running like no NFL rookie running back had ever before, Eric Dickerson immediately established himself as one of the league's foremost rushers after the Los Angeles Rams selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in 1983.

He set rookie records with 1,808 yards rushing and 18 rushing touchdowns one season before setting an NFL record (that still stands) for most rushing yards with 2,105. His early success set the stage for a sterling career that has earned him the 25th spot in USA TODAY's list.

MOST YARDS GAINED IN ONE SEASON

Player Yards Team Season

Eric Dickerson 2,105 L.A. Rams 1984

Jamal Lewis 2,066 Baltimore Ravens 2003

Barry Sanders 2,053 Detroit 1997


Tied with four other players for second place on the list of most seasons leading the league in rushing with four, Dickerson averaged 1,596 yards over his first five years. In 1984, he rushed for more than 100 yards in 12 games, which set a new NFL standard.

"I can't define a weakness in Eric Dickerson," former NFL coach Dick Vermeil said of Dickerson during the back's heyday with the Rams. "Although all great backs are multi-talented, most have one thing they do extremely well. But this guy can plow through a pile of bodies like (John) Riggins and then put on the moves like (Tony) Dorsett."

ABOUT ERIC DICKERSON

Born: Sept 2, 1960 in Sealy, Texas

College: Southern Methodist Drafted: No. 2 overall in 1983

Teams: L.A. Rams 1983-'87, Indianapolis Colts 1987-'91, L.A. Raiders 1992, Atlanta Falcons 1993

Pro Bowls: Six All-Pro teams: Five

Pro Football Hall of Fame: Class of 1999


Dickerson never appeared in a Super Bowl, but he did set a postseason record for most yards in a single game when he rushed for 248 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas in a 1985 divisional game.

A six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time member of the All-Pro squad, Dickerson was the first player in league history to hit the 1,000-yard plateau in his first seven seasons. A trade from the Rams to Indianapolis did not slow Dickerson's game as he led the league in rushing for the Colts with 1,659 yards in 1988.

MOST TIMES LEADING NFL IN RUSHING

since 1983

Player Seasons Teams Years

Eric Dickerson 4 L.A. Rams, Indianapolis 1983, '84, '86, '88

Barry Sanders 4 Detroit 1990, '94, '96, '97

Emmitt Smith 4 Dallas 1991, '92, '93, '95

Edgerrin James 2 Indianapolis 1999, 2000


In 1989, he became the fastest running back to reach the 10,000 yard plateau when he arrived there in his 91st career game. After 11 seasons, Dickerson retired as the league's second all-time rusher with 13,259 yards. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

 

[Angry Pope]

No. 22: Woodson set new standard in backfield

H. Darr Beiser

Rod Woodson intercepted 71 passes during his 17-year career. He ranks third on the NFL's all-time list.

Suffocating defense, adaptability and longevity. All three were hallmarks of Rod Woodson's NFL career, and all three contributed to his place as the No. 22player on USA TODAY's list.

Woodson, the 1993 Defensive Player of the Year, was the first person in league history to earn trips to the Pro Bowl at cornerback, safety and kick returner. The 17-year veteran ranks third on the all-time list with 71 interceptions achieved during stops in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore and Oakland.

Drafted No. 10 overall by Pittsburgh in 1987, Woodson excelled returning punts and kicks during the early part of his career. He led the NFL in average kick return yardage in 1989 (27.3) and led the AFC in punt return yardage in 1991 and 1992 (11.4 both years).

ALL-TIME INTERCEPTION LEADERS

Player Interceptions Seasons played

Paul Krause 81 16

Emlen Tunnell 79 14

Rod Woodson 71 17


It was as a defensive back that Woodson made his most lasting impact, however. The NFL record holder for interception return yardage (1,483) and for touchdowns off interceptions (12), Woodson was named to the 1990s All-Decade team and to the league's 75th anniversary team in 1994. After switching from cornerback to safety later in his career, he went on to lead the league in interceptions twice.

Woodson was the heart of the Steelers' defense during the mid-'90s. He made a remarkable recovery from a torn ACL sustained after one game in the 1995 season. Woodson nearly missed the entire year, but returned for the Steelers' trip to Super Bowl XXX, where they fell to the Cowboys 27-17.

Despite that injury, Woodson was exceptionally durable during most of his career, and missed more than two games in just three of his 17 seasons. "I've been fortunate at every level — playing well, not having a lot of major injuries, sticking around, being consistent throughout the years," he told USA TODAY in 2001.

ABOUT ROD WOODSON

Born: March 10, 1965, in Fort Wayne, Ind.

College: Purdue Drafted: No. 10 overall in 1987

Teams: Pittsburgh, 1987-1996; San Francisco, 1997; Baltimore 1998-2001; Oakland 2002-2003

Pro Bowls: 11

Defensive Player of the Year: 1993


"There's only a select few that get to (go as far as the NFL), and when I say I've been blessed, I can't emphasize that enough. I'm blessed to have enjoyed it and to have played well throughout my years."

Woodson, who won Super Bowl XXXV as a member of the Ravens and played in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Raiders, will be eligible for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame in 2009.

 

[Angry Pope]

No. 8: Lott made waves with hard-hitting style

Ronnie Lott played on four Super Bowl winners with the 49ers during his 14-year career.

Ronnie Lott, the defensive leader of the 49ers when the team won four Super Bowl titles during the 1980s, earns the eighth spot on USA TODAY's list as one of the most ferocious defenders ever to play in the NFL.

With as much intelligence as physical talent, Lott (who had five seasons with more than 100 tackles) seemed to have a knack for always being around the ball. Named to 10 Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro squads, he won the honors at three positions — cornerback, free safety and strong safety.

Lott earned his reputation with the passion he poured into the game and his ferocious tackling. The epitome of "old school," Lott once had a portion of his left pinky amputated in order to play during a 49ers playoff drive.

ALL-TIME INTERCEPTION LEADERS

Player Interceptions Seasons played

Paul Krause 81 16

Emlen Tunnell 79 14

Rod Woodson 71 17

Dick (Night Train) Lane 68 14

Ken Riley 65 15

Ronnie Lott 63 14


Asked one time what it would be like for an average person to be hit by Lott, he responded: "Grab a football, throw it in the air, and before you catch it, have your best friend belt you with a baseball bat. No shoulder pads. No helmet. Just you, your best friend and the biggest Louisville Slugger you can find."

Lott became a starting cornerback for the 49ers almost immediately when he joined the team as a first-round draft choice in 1981 and tied the NFL rookie record for interception returns for a touchdown with three. He was one of three rookies in the San Francisco secondary that season — Carlton Williamson and Eric Wright were the others — and they were a major factor in the 49ers' Super Bowl run that season.

Lott helped propel San Francisco to nine seasons of at least 10 wins in his 10 seasons there. He led the league in interceptions twice during his career, and is sixth on the league's all-time list with 63. The defender also thrived in the playoffs, tying the NFL postseason record of nine interceptions and scoring two touchdowns in 20 postseason contests.

ABOUT RONNIE LOTT

Born: May 8, 1959, in Albuquerque, N.M.

College: Southern California Drafted: Eighth overall by San Francisco in 1981

Teams: San Francisco, 1981-1990; L.A. Raiders 1991-1992; N.Y. Jets 1993-1994

Pro Bowls: 10 All-Pro teams: Eight

Member: All-Decade Team 1980s and 1990s; NFL 75th anniversary team in 1994

 

[Angry Pope]

No. 2: Rice ran away from the field with grace


Robert Hanashiro

Jerry Rice held 38 NFL records when he retired prior to the 2005 season.


Jerry Rice, the only player in NFL history to score 200 touchdowns and a man who raised the bar for many records to new heights, is No. 2 on USA TODAY's list.

Called "the greatest player to ever play the game" by his former San Francisco offensive coordinator and current Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, Rice left the NFL prior to the 2005 season with 38 records. During his 20-year career, Rice, who came to refer to himself as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and caught a pass in 274 consecutive games, a phenomenal streak that stretched from his rookie season in 1985 until early in his final campaign in 2004.

"He worked so hard to run the offense," his former teammate, quarterback Steve Young, said of playing with Rice. "It was built for guys like him. It was timing. It was artistry. It wasn't just 'Hey go out there and get open.' " Young and Rice connected for 85 touchdowns, which was an NFL record for a quarterback-receiver tandem before the Colts' Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison eclipsed the mark in 2005.

Rice didn't just break many of the records he now holds, he obliterated them. He passed Jim Brown's mark of 126 total touchdowns to become the all-time leader in 1994, then extended the mark by 81 scores over the next 11 seasons. His mark of 1,549 career receptions is 448 more than Cris Carter, who is second with 1,101.


LEAVING THE REST IN THE DUST

How far Jerry Rice stands ahead of his closes challenger in selected NFL records:

TOUCHDOWNS

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 208 No. 2 Emmitt Smith, 175

CAREER RECEPTIONS

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 1,549 No. 2 Cris Carter, 1,101

RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 197 No. 2 Cris Carter, 130

CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 274 No. 2 Art Monk, 183

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 22,895 No. 2 Tim Brown, 14,934

SEASONS WITH 1,000 YARDS RECEIVING

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 14 No. 2 Tim Brown and Jimmy Smith, 9

GAMES WITH 100 YARDS RECEIVING

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 76 No. 2 Marvin Harrison, 59

YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 23,540 No. 2 Emmitt Smith, 21,579

RECEIVING YARDS IN ONE SEASON

No. 1 Jerry Rice, 1,848 No. 2 Isaac Bruce, 1,781


Part of what elevated Rice to his superior level for such a long time was not just his great hands and football savvy, but also his superior conditioning. He had a rigorous offseason workout program that kept him in step with his younger competitors. A mark of his durability, Rice recovered from two torn knee ligaments in the 1997 opener to return for the season's final game when he taught a touchdown. Then, as late as 2002 at the age of 40, Rice caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards.

"Jerry always told me that he never played the perfect game," his former 49ers teammate, defensive back Ronnie Lott, said of Rice when the receiver retired. "In his mind, that's a lofty deal. A lot of people would take a few of his games as perfection."

His Super Bowl success was a hallmark of Rice's career. The MVP of San Francisco's 20-16 win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl XXIII, Rice caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards and one touchdown in the game. He was also an integral part of the 49ers' game-winning, 92-yard touchdown drive in the final minute.

Rice left the 49ers after the 2000 season and played parts of four seasons in Oakland, whom he helped lead to an AFC championship in 2002. By 2004 his role had diminished, and in October of that season the Raiders traded Rice to Seattle, for whom the legendary receiver played his final game. He attempted to join the Broncos for the 2005 season, but retired prior to the opener when Shanahan told him he wouldn't be more than a fourth option at receiver.

ABOUT JERRY RICE

Born: Oct. 13, 1962, in Crawford, Miss.

College: Mississippi Valley State Drafted: 16th overall by San Francisco in 1985

Teams: San Francisco, 1985-2000; Oakland, 2001-2004; Seattle, 2004

Pro Bowls: 13 Super Bowl MVP: XXIII

Member: All-Decade Team 1980s and 1990s; NFL's 75th anniversary team


Rice will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

[Jack's sore libido]

REordered for accuracy:

1. Jerry Rice
2. Reggie White
3. Joe Montana
4. Lawrence Taylor
5. Anthony Muñoz
6. Peyton Manning
7. Ronnie Lott
8. Barry Sanders
9. Rod Woodson
10. Deion Sanders
11. Brett Favre
12. Eric Dickerson
13. LaDainian Tomlinson
14. Marshall Faulk
15. Dan Marino
16. Bruce Smith
17. John Elway
18. Emmitt Smith
19. Ray Lewis
20. Mike Singletary
21. Steve Young
22. Marvin Harrison
23. Randy Moss
24. Michael Strahan
25. Junior Seau

 

[SoCalRaider]

I guess if PFT is going to do one of these.... then I might as well put in my 3 cents...... Just the top 10 for me.

1) Bo Jackson
2) Barry Sanders
3) Joe Montana
4) Jerry Rice
5) Lawrence Taylor
6) Dan Marino
7) Mike Singletary
8) Ronnie Lott
9) Reggie White
10) Deion Sanders

 

[BigTron]

TOP 25 OF THE USA TODAY ERA (1982-2007)

To commemorate USA TODAY's 25th anniversary, a panel of USA TODAY's NFL reporters and editors produced an anthology of the 25 best NFL players of the past 25 years.


Rank Player Story


1 Joe Montana

2 Jerry Rice

3 Walter Payton

4 Lawrence Taylor

5 Reggie White

6 John Elway

7 Emmitt Smith

8 Ronnie Lott

9 Tom Brady

10 Barry Sanders

11 Dan Marino

12 Peyton Manning

13 Anthony Munoz

14 Brett Favre

15 Bruce Smith

16 Deion Sanders

17 Mike Singletary

18 Ray Lewis

19 Marshall Faulk

20 Troy Aikman

21 LaDainian Tomlinson

22 Rod Woodson

23 Terry Bradshaw

24 Steve Young

25 Eric Dickerson

Am i just really stoned or is Tim Brown missing from that list?

 

[R4Life]

Am i just really stoned or is Tim Brown missing from that list?

Yes, you are really stoned.
And Terry Bradshaw Played in 10 games in the last 25 years, thus making him relevant enough to put him there (and he sucked - 53.226 rating in those games going 132 for 248 for 1845 yards and 19 TD and 11 INT's). These guys aren't worth the weed I'd have to smoke to read their pap.

 

[Angry Pope]

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame: NFL legend making trip home

Kyle Veazey

To thousands of Mississippians and millions of football fans worldwide - Jerry Rice is known simply as the greatest wide receiver ever to play football.

Zeb Rice of Starkville just knows him as his brother, and that's all the connection he needs.

Take when his son, now 12 years old, had surgery for asthma. He wanted to see his Uncle Jerry and started crying when the San Francisco 49ers legend entered the hospital room.

Jerry asked what he wanted, and there was a laugh when Zeb Jr. replied that he wanted an Xbox 360.

"And you know what happened?" Zeb Rice said. "He went up right there and got one the same day.

"He's always helping. He doesn't know how to stop helping. It's hard for him to say no. He knew what we came from."

His brother, the one with the kind heart, lightning-fast legs and amazing hands, headlines the five-person class that will be honored Friday in Jackson during the 45th induction ceremony for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Rice will not be able to attend Saturday's events at the Hall of Fame; a prior commitment has him occupied that day. But he's bringing his entire family from the San Francisco area with him for Friday's ceremony, even if it is for one day.

"This is really big because I'm a Mississippian," Rice said Monday in a phone interview. "For me to be inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Fame, it's going to be a great night for me. I'm bringing my kids along for me."

As a pro football player, his accomplishments were un-matched. He rewrote the record books and won three Super Bowls. At Mississippi Valley State, Rice was an All-American, and the Delta Devils became famous in the early 1980s for the Willie Totten-to-Rice connection.

Almost two years since he retired from the game of football for good, Rice keeps busy.

In the past month, he playfully interviewed baseball's best as a TV reporter at the All-Star Game then served as the grand marshal for a NASCAR race.

And, really, who can forget Dancing With The Stars?

His celebrity status is three decades - and hundreds of miles - removed from the small house he shared with his parents and six siblings near the tiny town of Crawford on the Oktibbeha-Lowndes county line some 15 miles from Starkville.

Say "Jerry Rice" to any sports-loving kid in this state, and the kid knows what it means.

"The way people look at me, I'm just amazed," he said. "They feel like I'm this big-time celebrity. But I have never looked at myself this way. I've looked at myself as a Mississippi boy that had an opportunity, did something with that and did not let Mississippi down."

There's not much to Crawford, population 636. City Hall and the volunteer fire department share a metal building, and a pair of stores hold up the only occupied spots in a row of aging, brick storefronts along a liberally speed-bumped main street.

The grain bins are on the east side of town, by the railroad tracks. Back on the west side, it's a few miles' drive to East Oktibbeha High School, which was named B.L. Moor High School when Rice starred on its gridiron almost 30 years ago.

Now, a large picture of Rice greets students and visitors when they walk in the front door.

"(The students) think it's an honor to attend the same school as Jerry Rice," said Andrea Pastchal-Temple, the school's interim principal. "They're fascinated with him."

She said the school has offered an invitation to Rice to drop in.

Rice's mother, Eddie, who will turn 70 in October, lives in Starkville, making the town a frequent place to spot the surefire Pro Football Hall of Famer.

And if you can't spot him, you can spot his nephews. Zeb Rice said all three idolize their uncle, and they've got more jerseys than they know what to do with.

"They've got 49ers, they've got Raiders, they've got Seattle," he said, laughing. "Wherever he went."

Zeb Rice works at a factory that makes motor parts in Starkville. His co-workers all know of his brother's fame, and they all love to tease him.

"The main question they normally come up with is 'Why you keep workin'?' " Zeb Rice said, laughing. "And I come back with the answer, 'Why not work?' "

Back when they were both in Crawford, Zeb knew his brother was fast and was good - but nothing like the icon status he eventually attained.

Neither, really, did Jerry.

He knows now that all the running he did growing up was merely training, and he said he still has to pinch himself when he remembers his humble upbringing.

"I think I have represented Mississippi the right way," he said. "When I was drafted, I wanted to go and make a statement. I wanted to prove to people that, hey, you can come from Mississippi and be successful."