Here’s 10 NFL performers who would be stars regardless of the times.
First things first. The list below numbers 10 but there are so many other great players that could suit up regardless of the times and be stars in the National Football League. In this instance, it’s arguably the best of the best and any numbers of factors were considered.
From just how dominant the performer was during his stay in the league as well as the physical nature of his personal game. The choices below include seven members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, two wide receivers who rarely dropped the ball (and one that dropped opponents) and a gifted tight end that recently came out of retirement and wound up with a new team.
10. T Anthony Munoz
The greatest offensive lineman in NFL history? That’s quite the accolade to place on any player but many have felt for years that Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz fits the bill (legendary New England Patriots’ guard John Hannah has also been mentioned with a similar distinction).
The third overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft enjoyed solid rookie season. And over the course of the next 11 years, he was a Pro Bowler each season and earned All-Pro honors nine times during his Hall of Fame career.
Munoz dominated opponents throughout his years in the NFL and was part of two Cincinnati Bengals’ Super Bowl teams and 1981 and 1988. To see him go against the likes of Deacon Jones, Doug Atkins and some of the other legendary pass rushers in football history would be a treat.
9. RB Lenny Moore
Versatility is something you hear a lot more now, especially with head coaches like New England’s Bill Belichick who are looking to get the most out of his players and have often used defensive performers on offense and vice versa. In the case of this multi-purposed Pro Football Hall of Famer, versatility has a bit of a different spin.
Lenny Moore spent 12 seasons with the then-Baltimore Colts and were part of two NFL title teams in 1958 and ‘59. You could find him in the backfield or out wide as a receiver. He never ran for more than 1,000 yards in any season and never totaled more than 50 receptions in any one year. But he would accumulate 11,213 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 63 scores and pulling down 48 touchdown passes.
Moore also scored one touchdown on a kickoff return and another via a fumble recovery. His 113 total TDs rank 16th in league history and he’s one of only 24 players in NFL annals to amass at least 100 career touchdowns.
The former Nittany Lion was the ninth overall pick in the 1956 draft, was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and earned All-Pro accolades five times. Moore’s big-play ability translates to any time.
8. QB Roger Staubach
He is synonymous with the nickname “Captain Comeback” and he had his share. Perhaps his most memorable was his throw in the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoffs at Metropolitan Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings that propelled the Dallas Cowboys to the conference title game and a berth in Super Bowl X in 1975.
If there was a thing as an official “Hail Mary,” in the NFL, it was Roger Staubach’s 50-yard downfield touchdown strike to clutch wide receiver Drew Pearson down the right sidelines as Tom Landry’s team upended the Minnesota Vikings, 17-14 (via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times).
Of course, three years earlier against the 49ers at San Francisco, Staubach rallied the club from a 28-13 deficit for a 30-28 win in the divisional round. The gritty field general displayed his prowess as a runner earlier his career and “Rodger the Dodger” became an even more dangerous passer as time wore on.
The 1963 Heisman Trophy winner from Navy came up big when it counted most. It’s interesting to note that his two biggest years in terms of touchdown passes came in 1978 and ‘79, the first two years of the league’s newest rules changes and the final two seasons of Staubach’s magnificent career.
7. OLB/DE Bobby Bell
Face it, great defense these days in the NFL doesn’t get this much acclaim as it used to. It is a supposedly quarterback-driven league but as has been well-documented, a team better learn to stop the other team if they intend on winning any kind of a championship.
Back in 1969, the Kansas City Chiefs were appearing in their second Super Bowl in four years and would dominate the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, in Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium at New Orleans. The defensive unit that trotted out on the field that day in the Big Easy for Hank Stram’s eventual champions featured six future Pro Football Hall of Famers. And in some ways, perhaps the most unsung of that half-dozen legends was versatile Bobby Bell.
Individual sacks would not become an official statistic in the league until 1982. But Bell could be found not only in opposing backfields but in coverage as well. His nose for the football led to 26 interceptions and nine fumbles recoveries in 12 seasons. The versatile defender returned eight of those takeaways for touchdowns.
Bell could literally line up anywhere on the front seven. And would be creating plenty of havoc today or any other time.
6. WR Larry Fitzgerald
Does he ever drop a pass?
Back in 2004, the Arizona Cardinals were in search of help at wide receiver. That year in the NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers opted for quarterback Eli Manning and the then-Oakland Raiders chose guard Robert Gallery.
The former eventually moved onto the New York Giants as his right were dealt for the rights to quarterback Philip Rivers. Gallery played seven seasons for the Silver and Black before concluding his career in Seattle in 2011.
Meanwhile, the franchise from the desert opted for University of Pittsburgh wideout Larry Fitzgerald. An impressive 16 seasons later, he’s still getting it done for the club and this year will team with three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins and catch passes from 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray.
This past season, he snared 75 passes for 804 yards and four scores and moved into second place on the NFL’s all-time list (via Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com) in terms of career receptions with 1,378 catches. Fitzgerald has played in a possible 250-of-256 regular-season contests and made 248 starts. The 11-time Pro Bowler also put together one of the great postseasons in 2008 during the Cardinals’ Super Bowl LIII run, totaling 30 grabs for 456 yards and seven touchdowns in four contests.
Durability and reliability. Again, does he ever drop a pass?
5. DB Ronnie Lott
Some might forget that the future Hall of Famer actually began his career as a cornerback. In 1981, Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers use the eighth overall pick in the draft to grab USC defensive back Ronnie Lott.
Lott would be part of an overhauled secondary that also included second-round cornerback Eric Wright and third-round safety Carlton Williamson. The team went from six wins in 1980 to 13-3 and a win in Super Bowl XVI. Those additions launched a dynasty and Lott and Wright were part of four NFL title teams.
Of course, Lott made a name for himself due to his incredible physical play. He would eventually transition to safety and in a total of 14 NFL seasons with the Niners, Raiders and Jets, the 10-time Pro Bowler picked off 63 passes and recovered 17 opponent’s fumbles. That nose for the football extended into the postseason as the hard-hitting defenders finished with nine interceptions and two more fumble recoveries.
Yes, Lott’s style may be frowned upon by some. But he was also a reliable tackler and that penchant for takeaways isn’t something you can easily teach. He would be a difference maker in a variety of ways and regardless of the era.
4. DL Reggie White
The “Minister of Defense” was simply an awesome force that spearheaded football revivals in both Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Reggie White could dominate from the outside and the inside. He finished his NFL career with a whopping 198 sacks. His final season came with the Panthers in 2000, this after retiring after the ‘98 season. His last year in the NFL saw him play all 16 games with Carolina and he totaled 5.5 QB traps.
But talk about a year of football (via JustSportsStats.com)! In 1985, White was in his second season with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats. He played in all 18 regular-season games and finished with 11.5 sacks. The Showboats would also play in two postseason games. White would then join the Eagles a few months later and finished the year with 100 tackles, 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 13 outings.
He was part of an amazing defensive front in the City of Brotherly Love that also featured end Clyde Simmons and a trio of defensive tackles and Jerome Brown, Mike Golic and Mike Pitts.
White made his move to Green Bay in free agency in 1993 and three years later, was part of the club’s Super Bowl XXXI title team and posted three sacks in the 35-21 win over the New England Patriots. He could line up anywhere on the defensive front and was just as adept against the run as he was corralling quarterbacks.
3. WR Hines Ward
He is one of only 14 players in NFL history to catch at least 1,000 passes. He is also considered one of the great overall performers at his position because of his versatility and his willingness to take on defenders in a big way.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Hines Ward didn’t make a lot of friends while he was on the field for the Black and Gold for 14 seasons from 1998-2011. A third-round pick from the University of Georgia, he became one of the league’s most consistent performers at his position and his willingness to sacrifice his body on offense was a vital part of his game.
Ward had a nose for the goal line and the first-down marker and made his share of vital receptions that not only put points on the board but also helped move the chains. His catch total was exactly 1,000 with the Steelers, good for 12,083 yards and 85 scores.
Ward was also part of eight teams that reached the playoffs and in 18 postseason contests, he rolled up 88 grabs for 1,181 yards and 10 touchdowns. Just as importantly, Ward’s signature smile was also complemented by his signature blocking, a huge part of his impressive career.
2. TE Rob Gronkowski
Think of a cross between Mark Bavaro and Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. That’s what you get in the physical specimen known as Rob Gronkowski. A second-round draft choice by the New England Patriots in 2010 from the University of Arizona would fit in well decades earlier with the likes of Mike Ditka and John Mackey, both enshrined in Canton.
“Gronk” spent nine seasons in Foxborough and the numbers are simply amazing. In 115 regular-season contests, there were 521 receptions, good for an impressive 7,861 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and 79 TD grabs. His postseason resumes was pretty impressive as well, with 81 catches for 1,163 yards and a dozen scores.
Of course, there was no football for the determined pro in 2019 as injuries took their toll over the years. But with veteran quarterback Tom Brady leaving Foxborough for Tampa Bay, Gronkowski suddenly had a change a heart, the Patriots (who still owned his right) dealt him to the Buccaneers (via Nick Shook of NFL.com) and now it will be interesting if reuniting feels so good.
Make no mistake. Gronkowski is a sure-handed pass-catcher, an impressive blocked and a player capable of taking over a game in many facets. There’s not a lot of players at his position you can say that about and he and Brady should make things interesting for the Bucs this season.
1. RB Walter Payton
He is the second-leading rusher in NFL history, trailing only fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer. He is also the Chicago Bears’ leading pass catcher for which 492 career receptions during the regular season.
In 1975, the franchise from the Windy City used the fourth overall pick on Jackson State running back Walter Payton. He would spend the majority of his rookie season returning kickoffs. But it wasn’t long before he found a permanent place in the backfield and his amazing career would unfold.
Besides the rushing yards and his prowess as a pass-catcher, “Sweetness” also had quite the touch when it came to throwing the ball as well. For example, when injuries ravaged the team’s quarterback depth chart in a 1984 tilt vs. the Packers, he filled in briefly behind center. He connected on just one of his four throws but that completion was for a touchdown in what wound up being a 20-14 home loss.
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In 190 regular-season outings with the Bears, Payton amassed 21,264 yards from scrimmage and 125 touchdowns. There were eight TD tosses, to go along with six interceptions. And he was one of the most physical players in league history, a description usually reserved for the defensive side of the football. What a gift he was to the game.