3 legendary NFL defenders who played in the wrong era

NFL defenders who played in the wrong era: 2. Sam Huff, MLB

As the pioneer of the middle linebacker position and one of the greatest to ever play the role, it may be difficult to imagine Sam Huff succeeding even more in a later era. Playing from 1956 to 1969, Huff won an NFL Championship with the New York Giants during his rookie season. Additionally, Huff made the roster on five Pro Bowl, two first-team All-Pro and four second-team All-Pro teams. Named one of the NFL’s Top 100 Greatest Players in 2010 and one of the NFL 100 Greatest Game-Changers in 2019, Huff was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1982. Originally drafted to play as a lineman, Giants assistant coach Tom Landry positioned Huff as the middle linebacker in his revolutionary 4-3 defense. “It was such a beautiful thing for me,” Huff said of his position. “It was like I was born to play it.”

Huff became famous for battling legendary running backs such as Jim Brown, but in today’s NFL offense, Huff’s impressive count of 30 career interceptions would have been much higher in today’s game. Huff’s gift of adaptability would have made him an unparalleled asset today, even as the NFL shifts once again to increased nickel coverage. Middle linebackers such as Ray Lewis, Luke Kuechley and Bobby Wagner owe their position to Huff, who carved out a role in NFL defenses for the “quarterback of the defense”, and today, Huff likely would have garnered more credit for shaping the defense.

Whether or not Huff would have flourished more against pass-heavy offenses could be debated, but what is certain is that Huff would have likely enjoyed more leverage as a player in today’s NFL. Long before Odell Beckhjam Jr. became the face of the New York Giants, Sam Huff popularized the NFL in New York City. Huff was the first NFL player to be featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, and he was the first NFL player to ever be recorded wearing a microphone during play for “The Violent World of Sam Huff”, a 1960 CBS television special hosted by Walter Cronkite.

Huff was controversially traded from the Giants to Washington in 1964, although today, the league’s leading middle linebacker would presumably have a no-trade clause in place. Huff also would have had the benefit of being a free agent, but considering his professed loyalty to the Giants, it seems he probably would have made a strong case to stay there, one that today’s organization would be more compelled to respect.

While earlier NFL defenders benefitted from fewer restrictions on their style of play, they also experienced fewer freedoms and opportunities as athletes. Surprisingly, this managed to limit the possibility of another Hall of Fame player who knew how to promote his brand long before the social media era.