Top 30 NFL players of the 1900s

Top 30 NFL Players of the 1900s

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Joe Montana #16 of the San Francisco 49ers passes during pregame warm up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on September 13, 1987 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the 49ers 30-17. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

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Cleveland Brown Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham on a carry in a 38-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams in a League Championship game on December 26, 1955 at Los Angeles Memorial Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vic Stein/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

14. Otto Graham

Even if Otto Graham was terrible, he would deserve to be on this list simply because he was a quarterback that wore No. 60. Even before the Browns joined the NFL, Graham led Cleveland to four consecutive AAFC Championships from 1946-1949, including an undefeated season in 1948.

Graham’s dominance didn’t dwindle after the Browns joined the NFL in 1950. He helped the Browns win three NFL Championships throughout the early 1950s. He was named to six All-Pro teams, and won the NFL MVP three times.

Graham, more than anything, was a pioneer to the game of professional football. He is credited with innovating the forward pass into pro football, and was one of the few great passers of that time. Along with that, Graham and the Browns ushered in what we now know as the play-action pass. The innovation and impact he had on the game is seen to this day.

Without him, and Paul Brown, the NFL may have remained a strictly run-based game for even longer than what it already had been. A combined seven championships in 10 seasons made Graham one of the great winners at the position, and a legend of the game.

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