Ronaldo Nazario 7. He ran for 1,616 yards with 15 touchdowns as a freshman in 1980, leading the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record and national championship. "When you're standing on the sideline, as a coach, you just feel his presence out there," Carr said. Not only did Page play in over 200 consecutive NFL games, but he is also one of the few defensive players to ever win a league MVP. He became among the first to bring a linebacker's speed to the defensive line, and pity the poor offensive tackles who tried to do something about him. Best College Football Players of All Time, Ranked But it was about more than stats for the 2014 Heisman winner. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1999); 1x OPoY; 5x First-Team All-Pro; 3x NFC OPoY; 6x Pro Bowl; ORoY. In Ham's three seasons on the varsity squad, Penn State went 29-3. His "Bo Over the Top" touchdown leap broke a nine-game losing streak in the Iron Bowl, Bear Bryant's last. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2010); 1x MVP; 1x Super Bowl MVP; ORoY; 4x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 8x Pro Bowl; multiple records (rushing yards, touchdowns, attempts. In 1973, Parker became the first full-time offensive lineman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jay Berwanger (RB, Chicago, 1933-35) Rushing yards: 1,839 | Total offense: 2,760 yards | Touchdowns: 22 White made 24 tackles behind the line of scrimmage as a senior when he won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. During his three seasons, the Buckeyes won 23 of 28 games, captured back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1954 and '55 and claimed the 1954 national championship. Sacks: 19 | Tackles for loss: 39 When Reed signed with The U in Feb. 1997, the Canes had just suffered their first losing season in 17 years. 58. He left Texas as the NCAA's all-time leading rusher with 6,279 yards and posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. There are some players on this ranking that are celebrated for their winning, career length, or accolades, Lambert is the rare case that checks off all three boxes. It is up for debate as to whether Marinaro is the last great running back produced by the Ivy League. Jake Rowe of 247 Sports recalls Tommie Frazier breaking several tackles on a play for Nebraska in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. "That had a tremendous impact on me," Page once said. Peterson brought size, speed and endurance to an Oklahoma offense then better known for putting up big passing numbers. "There's never been a better one," former Volunteers coach Johnny Majors said. Ronaldinho, Kaka, Xavi, Iniesta, and Roberto Carlos are among many of the 21st century footballing greats. Teams: Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2009); 2x DPoY; 8x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 11x Pro Bowl; 4x AFC DPoY. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1965); 3x NFL Champion; 4x AAFC Champion; 3x MVP; 2x AAFC MVP 4x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro 5x Pro Bowl; 3x First-Team All-AAFC. Anthony Munoz (OT, USC, 1976-79) 136. Receiving yards: 2,927 | TD receptions: 28 | Receptions: 178 25. 3. Rushing yards: 4,045 | Rushing TDs: 41 | 100-yard games: 22 Considered by many to be the greatest player to never compete in a Super Bowl, Barry Sanders is nonetheless still counted among the greatest running backs of all time. Four 1,000-yard seasons; one NCAA career rushing record; one national title. Passing yards: 5,747 | Total offense: 6,636 yards | Passing TDs: 49 23. 1 Draft Picks. As a senior, Garrett led the country with 1,440 rushing yards with 17 touchdowns (two on punt returns). The 50 greatest footballers of all time As a senior, Bertelli completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in the first six games, all of which Notre Dame won by at least 23 points. Passing yards: 8,411 | Total offense: 8,354 yards | Passing TDs: 93 Of course, his stats and records are nothing to sneeze at either: aside from a Super Bowl win and several deep playoff runs, he owns the all-time record for season passing yards crowns (7) and passing touchdowns (4). His career rushing total of 3,221 yards in three seasons broke a 15-year-old NCAA record. Achievements: Inducted into Pro Football HOF in 1988 in hometown of Canton, Ohio; played in 238 consecutive games, including postseason; NFL MVP for 1971 season; NFL defensive player of the year 1971, 1973; 23 fumble recoveries. Texas joins Top 25 And 1 after landing Abmas Those 20 victories came in 1955 and 1956, when Oklahoma finished No. 135. He set a school record by throwing 131 touchdown passes. He also established NCAA career records for carries (905), rushing yards (3,867), touchdowns (56) and points (336). In just two seasons at Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald made his mark as one of the greatest pass-catchers in FBS history. Lionel Messi has been named the greatest footballer of all time following his World Cup win. Layne led the Longhorns to within one point of a Southwest Conference title as a freshman and returned from the Merchant Marines the next season to win an SWC championship. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1977); 5x First-Team All-Pro; 4x Pro Bowl. Rushing yards: 4,303 | Rushing TDs: 43 | Yards per carry: 6.6 Check out the full list below: Well, he certainly wasn't short of plaudits after the World Cup final. As a senior, he waved off Florida's regular placekicker and booted a 40-yard field goal to beat Auburn 30-27. 44. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1963); 2x NFL Champion; 2x NFL PoY; 4x First-Team All-Pro; 4x Second-Team All-Pro; 6x Pro Bowl. He remains, 35 years later, the best player ever to put on a Hokies uniform. 149. He took home the 1978 Heisman Trophy during his junior season. In the 53 seasons since, the Boilermakers have returned to Pasadena once. The next season, Robinson had 28 tackles against Air Force. Former Pittsburgh coach Foge Fazio, one of Ditka's teammates with the Panthers, once compared him to a prizefighter: "He just couldn't wait for the bell to ring and get back out there." He became the first player in FBS history to run and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season. White's mental fortitude was on display in his final college game, the 1980 Rose Bowl, in which he carried the ball 39 times for 247 yards -- while battling the flu -- in a 17-16 victory over Ohio State. Teams: Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2016); 1x Super Bowl Champion; 3x MVP; 1x OPoY; 3x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 11x Pro Bowl. If you havent already noticed, one-team players, particularly one-team quarterbacks, are given special attention on this list. 67. In a league where everyone cheated, SMU flaunted its disregard for the NCAA manual. Archie Manning (QB, Ole Miss, 1968-70) 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard recalls his famous punt return vs. Ohio State and how the famous Heisman pose celebration was his backup. Archie Griffin recalls the second chance after his first fumble, Navy's classy gesture meant a lot to Dorsett, Barry Switzer recruits Billy Sims at halftime, Conducting Tennessee band a special memory for Manning, Rodgers perfectly remembers big punt return TD vs. Oklahoma, 1982 Sugar Bowl a great memory for Marino, Emmitt Smith on his first collegiate start, Frazier's spectacular Fiesta Bowl play a vivid memory for Rowe, Coach Gailey remembers Calvin Johnson's freshman year, The story behind Desmond Howard's Heisman pose, College football's top 11 players of all time (2:25), The 150 greatest players in college football's 150-year history, College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Huskers QB Thompson again in transfer portal, UVA players killed last fall honored at NFL draft. 5. Robinson started his college career as a wide receiver, but Bruins coach Dick Vermeil persuaded him to move to inside linebacker just before the Rose Bowl at the end of Robinson's freshman campaign. Perhaps perspective is best achieved at a distance. Walker was a three-time All-American for the Ponies. While the Hokies lost 46-29, Vick's 43-yard touchdown run and a performance in which two FSU defenders tore ACLs attempting to tackle him are the enduring memories of the game. David Beckham 19. 12 Stanford knocked off No. Tackles: 315 Completing the podium is Brazilian legend, Pele. Point of order: Sayers accolades, to the untrained eye, dont hold up to his contemporaries. Other teams shook up the top 10 with trades. No matter how you feel about him, Tom Brady has built a resume that is too good to ignore when ranking the best NFL players of all-time. Teams: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2019); 1x Super Bowl Champion; 1x DPoY; 5x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 9x Pro Bowl. In the Game of the Century that matched Notre Dame against Army at Yankee Stadium, Black Knights fullback Doc Blanchard broke into the open field and rumbled 22 yards down the left side. For all the wondrous feats that Lujack, the 1947 Heisman Trophy winner, achieved running the Irish offense in the greatest era of Notre Dame football -- his teams went 26-1-1 and won the national championship in each of his three seasons -- his most important single play came on the defensive side of the ball. In the middle of a run in which the Seminoles finished in the top five for 14 consecutive seasons, Dunn played enough as a freshman to gain 868 tandem yards and score 10 touchdowns, including the one that sealed Florida State's chance to play for the 1993 national title. Terrell Owens Lawrence Taylor (LB, North Carolina, 1977-80) Sacks: 21 | Tackles for loss: 33 | Tackles: 192 Oh, don't worry, Cassady eluded tacklers just fine, averaging 6 yards per carry on 349 rushes in his last three seasons in a Buckeyes uniform. The next year, he threw for 420 yards with three scores, including the game winner to Hunter Renfrow with one second left, to beat the Crimson Tide 35-31. CFB150 home. It remains one of the great what-ifs in Cardinal football: What if Elway had played for Bill Walsh, the head coach who lured him to the Farm? 11. Mostly remembered for his time on the Green Bay Packers, Favre made history on the back of a legendary decade in the 1990s. In his three seasons, Army went 27-0-1 and finished No. Alan Page (DE, Notre Dame, 1964-66) Dave Rimington (C, Nebraska, 1979-82) Claiborne had a hunch that White's strength and athleticism would blossom in the middle of the defensive line. He was a unanimous All-American in 1981 and '82 and set a school record with 63 tackles for loss in his career, to go with 229 tackles. He went to Auburn and had one of the greatest single seasons in the history of the game. Mike Rozier (RB, Nebraska, 1981-83) One to sit on, one to think with. Tackles: 374 | Interceptions: 19 Achievements: NFL Most Valuable Player (2012); NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012); 4-time First-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015); 3-time Second-team All-Pro (2007, 2010, 2013); seven pro bowls; NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007). Grantland Rice bestowed Grange with the nickname "the Galloping Ghost." 1. A bruising and powerful runner, Owens set what was then an NCAA record with 17 consecutive 100-yard rushing games. 62. The sack forced a fumble, gave Beuerlein a concussion and was memorialized by artist Daniel Moore in a painting. That's quite a career. Former Florida running back Emmitt Smith recalls rushing for 224 yards and two touchdowns vs. Alabama in his first career start for the Gators. If you can't get a scholarship offer, you may as well be the best walk-on ever to play the sport. Tom Brady can now rightfully claim his title as the GOAT as he rides into the sunset, for good this time. Then there's the like's of the best soccer players in the world today, a few of whom also might have claim to the title, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, and Karim Benzema. First, Steve Owen, the coach of the New York Giants in the 1940s, declared Davis "better than Red Grange. Vick's name is forever linked with the brutal dogfighting operation that earned him a 23-month prison sentence and derailed his NFL career. 47. Hart was the last lineman to win the Heisman Trophy in 1949, but his greatest legacy might be that the Fighting Irish never lost a game during his four-year career. What does that mean? set the NCAA record for rushing yards by a freshman with 1,932 in 1998 and finished his four-year career with 6,559, the most in Division I history. Nine of the top 10 and 19 of the top 25 are running backs. 7 position and jersey number is now often associated with him. Sanders stayed under the radar while in Stillwater, in part because the Cowboys also had a back named Thurman Thomas. On the centennial of black-college football in 1993, Jones was named to the All-Time HBCU team. Football is US: The College Player 1 twice and No. In his last two seasons, Ogden not only helped make a two-time 1,000-yard rusher out of Karim Abdul-Jabbar, he also allowed a total of only two sacks. 1 in his class at Yale. 87. 84. The two-time All-American broke five NCAA, 14 SEC and 28 Florida records, including career passing efficiency (170.8), completion percentage (67.1) and rushing yards by a quarterback (2,947). 2 Washington. 33. 95. Ted Hendricks (DL, Miami, 1966-68) Billy Ray Smith Sr. was a star tackle at Arkansas and spent 13 seasons in the NFL. Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1995; 1979 AP Defensive Player of the Year; 1st-team All-Pro (1979); six pro bowls. Campbell rushed for 2,046 yards in his first two seasons in Austin. Passing yards: 9,430 | Passing efficiency: 162.8 | Touchdown passes: 82 4 Oklahoma. He carried the Irish to a 9-0-1 record and took home the Heisman Trophy in 1953. Achievements: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1986; 1975 NFL MVP; 1st-team All-Pro (1975); nine pro bowls (1964-65, 1967-70, 1974-76). As a senior in 1970, Manning led the Rebels to a 5-1 start and a No. Heads you win, tails you lose." That's assuming anyone ever laid a pad on him. Munoz suffered a left knee injury in the 1979 season-opening 21-7 victory over Texas Tech and needed surgery. 26. 109. He's the only Big Ten player to win consecutive Rose Bowl MVP awards. He also played on Pitt's baseball and basketball teams and was an intramural wrestling champion. Joe Greene (DT, North Texas, 1966-68) It also overshadowed a short but game-changing college legacy. 92. Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (1980); 1x Super Bowl Champion; 7x First-Team All-Pro; 2x Second-Team All-Pro; 11x Pro Bowl. Ohio State head coach John Cooper gave George the ball 604 times for 3,369 yards over his last two seasons. Mean Joe Green was the definitive defensive (some say overall) NFL player of the 1970s, and was synonymous with the Steel Curtain Steelers. Thorpe did a lot on the field no one had ever seen before. Rushing yards: 4,589 | Touchdowns: 62 | Total offense: 5,595 yards 54. In conjunction with the NFLs 100th season celebration, 19 current and former reporters across the USA TODAY Sports Network were asked to compile a list ranking the 100 greatest players in pro football history. Billy Ray Smith Jr. made his own legacy at Arkansas, however, lettering four years at defensive end and serving as team captain in 1982. 1. Achievements: Inducted into Pro Football HOF 2004; 15,269 rushing yards, 3rd all-time; 10 pro bowls; 6-time All Pro; first player to rush for 1,000 yards in his first 10 seasons. Legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden called Marino "a pro quarterback in college, really," and Penn State's Joe Paterno said Marino was the best college quarterback he'd ever coached against. Vick became the first overall pick of the 2000 NFL draft. 1 overall. The next season, in 1999, Vick led the FBS in passing efficiency and tied Herschel Walker for the highest finish in Heisman voting (third) by a freshman, behind winner Ron Dayne and runner-up Joe Hamilton. Arrington was named a consensus first-team All-American and won the Butkus Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award. Woody Hayes recruited Tatum to Ohio State as a running back, but moved him to defensive back -- at the behest of assistant coach Lou Holtz -- shortly after he arrived. Marshall Faulk 20. Ed Reed (DB, Miami, 1998-2001) If youre looking for the progenitor of the modern, juggernaut Steelers, look no further. His game-ending Hail Mary pass to upset Miami on Thanksgiving Friday will be replayed for as long as fans watch highlights. 1 of 25 Damon Allen, Quarterback (1985-2007) David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images One of. 60. Mariota guided Oregon to the first CFP national title game, where the Ducks fell short against Ohio State. 145. Kinnick turned down a lucrative NFL contract to go to law school. Lee Roy Jordan (LB, Alabama, 1960-62) . 68. In his last two seasons there, Michigan State went 19-1-1 and gave up a total of 175 points, or 8.1 points per game. Rushing yards: 1,473 | Passing yards: 2.854 | TDs responsible for: 50 He also took home the Lombardi Award in 1982. His four 300-yard games in a season? The reigning holder of the NFLs single-season rushing record (2,105), Eric Dickerson amassed 13,000 career rushing yards and nearly broke the 2,000 rushing-yard benchmark his rookie year, despite playing only 14 games. Herschel Walker (RB, Georgia, 1980-82) Little, who majored in religion and history and returned to Syracuse to earn a master's degree while playing in the NFL, once said, "God gave you two ends. Otto Graham is one of the forgotten greats of the game if youre not a huge football fan, or a proper Cleveland Browns fan. Gale Sayers (RB, Kansas, 1962-64) A year earlier, he was the Rose Bowl MVP after running for 192 yards and four touchdowns while passing for 180 yards and another score in a 38-37 win over Michigan. As a senior, he made all-state. The 6-1, 186-pound Bailey remained on the field for an amazing 1,070 plays. A strong-armed and fleet-footed quarterback from tiny Mount Olive, Mississippi, Air McNair put Alcorn State, an HBCU with an enrollment of about 3,300 students, on the map during the early 1990s. Considered the first great quarterback by many, Unitas story a precursor to Tom Brady: drafted in the 9th round by Pittsburgh, only to be released before the season began, Unitas was asked at the last minute to join the Baltimore Colts. He also threw for 561 and accounted for 17 touchdowns. The Top 25 Fastest Players in NFL History - Bleacher Report The Panthers went 39-8-1 during Green's four seasons, when he started every contest but one. "No Sooner player cast a longer shadow over its rich tradition than Lee Roy," Switzer said after Selmon died of a stroke in 2012. The only thing Woodson didn't do on the football field? The performance, televised on ESPN, thrust Brown to the front of the Heisman Trophy race, and no one ever caught him. Achievements: Inducted into Pro Football HOF (2014); 4-time First-team All-Pro (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007); 2-time Second-team All-Pro (2006, 2008); nine pro bowls. Of very few players can we say, "He changed the game." Reed was named All-American in 2000 and 2001. 46. Passing yards: 10,163 | Completion percentage: 67.4 | Passing TDs: 90 NFL's best players ever at every offensive position - ESPN But give Switzer credit; he had a 6-foot-3, 248-pound player who had the speed, the moves and the hands to play tight end. Sayers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. As a senior in 1938, he was named a consensus All-American, finished third in Heisman voting and made the cover of Time magazine. Here are our Top 25 Steelers of all time. Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio make up the top 10. Who else makes the top 25? As a sophomore in 1962, Sayers immediately made his varsity presence known. Junior Seau (LB, USC, 1988-89) The Guardian picks the best prospect from each club born between 1 September 2000 and 31 August 2001, an age band known as first . 39. The 25 best players in Ohio State football history | Yardbarker He was a consensus All-American in 1963 and 1964. 30. Layne was so good as a freshman at Texas that another heralded recruit, future Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. He has become Exhibit A for anyone out to prove the outsized thumbprint of Notre Dame. During a 24-year military career, Dawkins rose to the rank of brigadier general and was honored with the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars for Valor, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Ranked! The 100 best football players of all time | FourFourTwo Notable accolades: Hall of Fame (2018); 2x Super Bowl Champion; 1x Super Bowl MVP; 2x DPoY; 7x First-Team All-Pro; 3x Second-Team All-Pro; 13x Pro Bowl. Every return, catch or run by Rocket Ismail brought a mix of anticipation and excitement. Jack Ham (LB, Penn State, 1968-70) Manning gained 540 yards of total offense, an SEC record that stood for more than three decades, in a 33-32 loss. Lott is the first of three 49ers from the teams iconic 80s run, and just like the other two of the trio, Lott is considered by many to be the greatest at his position. Newsome was so good that he made All-American even though he played wide receiver in a Wishbone offense, which is kind of like being a pianist in a string quartet. 123. Page was 8 years old when the U.S. Supreme Court ended school segregation with its landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. The 100 best football players of all time: 80-71 The 100 best football players of all time: 70-61 The 100 best football players of all time: 60-51 The 100 best football players of all time: 50-41 . Kickoff returns. Dan Marino 17. Randy White (DT, Maryland, 1972-74) Keith Jackson (TE, Oklahoma, 1984-87) Davis scored two touchdowns, intercepted a pass to set up the other one, and scored two 2-point conversions. Top-20 Greatest NFL Players Of All-Time | SportyTell