But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. But things were different in the long-ago 1990s, when the sports universe belonged to teal-emblazoned expansion franchises and a youngish Tom Coughlin received a binder full of press clippings from the mother of a wide receiver ready to call it quits after injuries derailed his Cowboys career. Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. He then led three fourth-quarter comebacks to bring them back to the playoffs in 1965. Here, we give you every NFL teams most underrated player. Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation. WebMay 12, 2022. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. Far from it. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). Terry Porter is another name that isnt remembered despite his But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. The Adventures of Grim Reaper J is a Reminder to Do What You Love style | Charlie Kolbrener Johnnie Walker Collaborates With VANDYTHEPINK and 88Rising to Release Special Blue Label Bottle nft | ONE37pm Editors That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. WebMen such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. Bruce found the end zone over 90 times in regular season play during his career, and he is one of five players in the history of the NFL to go for over 15,000 total receiving yards. WebNFL Nostalgia: Ranking the Most Underrated Players in NFL History. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. While you may not put him in your top-tier of all-time great running backs, Anderson deserves more than a mention for a spot in the next tier of that imaginary list. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. WebKen Anderson is easily the most underrated quarterback of all time. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. He began his career at the tail end of Jim Harbaugh's great defensive teams, but he has since battled both injuries and the incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly experiments. That may tick him off. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Ken Griffey Jr.? That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. He won 65 percent of his NFL starts. By the time Rivers is retired for five years, the "San Diego Chargers" will be as relevant as the Dayton Triangles, and Hall voters will be too busy rubber-stamping Tom Brady and Drew Brees to get to a guy from a lost city who couldn't win the big one. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. Checking in at 5-foot-9 (on a good day) and 232 pounds, Sam Mills was one of the best pound-for-pound linebackers of his day, and it remains a surprise that voters have not yet deemed him worthy of being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. Kolb set the Super Bowl standard for left tackles in Super Bowl IV, when he smoked undersized Minnesota Vikings end Jim Marshall like a bad cigar. Is Jerry Rice not the greatest wide receiver in history because he played alongside Joe Montana and Steve Young? No one else is even close. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Player A was a one-time Most Valuable Player who took part in four Pro Bowl games. Hudson, a two-time NFL MVP, was the dominant receiver in the league at a time when passing attacks were nothing near what they are in the modern game. Young checks in at No. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Born: (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team . Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Do people not recognize Rob Gronkowski as a great tight end just because he has had Tom Brady as his quarterback? Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. Not every NFL star gets the love they deserve. Don Hutson played multiple positions during his time, including defense and on special teams. He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. 'Nuff said, right? Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. That is a trend that needs to come to an end. Bottom line: After eight seasons in Buffalo, where he had been a mainstay with the best defense in AFL history, Ron McDole took his two-bar helmet to Washington. Is it at all possible that any of these legends of the game could possibly also be some of the most underrated players in NFL history? Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. LeRoy Butler, S, Packers. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for a ball with Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. The 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. He led the Bengals to a pair of playoff appearances in 1973 and 1975, Joe Montana's high school senior and Notre Dame sophomore seasons. That is untrue for a variety of reasons. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. These are the most underrated college football players of all time. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Randy Gradishar. In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Now that's underrated. But no one remembers the Greatest Show on Turf for its defense, and Fletcher spent the prime of his career playing for mediocre Bills teams. Perhaps Fitzgerald would get more love from the public if he mouthed off as do many diva wide receivers in the NFL. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. Addiction soon began consuming Smith's career, and then his life. WebWe're a media page that has been highlighting an underrated player from every team in the NFL. Rookie QB Brock Purdy led the 49ers with his impressive stat line, completing 18 of 30 passing attempts for 332 yards and three touchdowns, along with four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. Unlike many of Marshall's teammates, however, he wasnt an obnoxious self-promoter, which partly explained his absence from the NFC Pro Bowl roster that season. Jerry Rice and John Taylor may have been the greatest receiving tandem of that era, but Ellard and Flipper Anderson were the most explosive pair of deep threats. The most similar current player to Anderson is Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, but Bell plays in a modern offense that amplifies his production instead of suppressing it. That Greene remains one of the most underrated defensive players in history is a mystery when you look at the numbers. He was drafted by the Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, and he was an instant There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. And you're never going to guess who's No. Some of the most-talented individuals to ever play particular positions have, at some point or another, gone unappreciated by fans and even by supposed NFL experts. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. Still, even his long resume undersells his He blitzed (20.5 sacks). He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. Stafford is an underrated quarterback who has also been a pillar of stability outside of his second season and this past year. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. He has over 12,000 career receiving yards to date, and Fitzgerald could retire with over 100 total regular season receiving touchdowns before all is said and done. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. Because he is one of the NFL's best defensive players, for one thing. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. What about LaDainian Tomlinson? Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Brown is now best known as a television personality. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". Spoiler alert: Of course it is. 2. Frank Ryan, QB, Browns. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). During his final collegiate season at UMass in 2018, second-round rookie Andy Isabella was PFFs highest-graded wide receiver in the entire FBS. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. 4,409 Rushing Attempts. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Massive sports fan and soccer nerd. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. And no Hall of Famers allowed. There are certain statistics that one would imagine would immediately pop into the mind of a football fan. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. He played in the run-'n'-shoot offense, which means he was on an island against the NFL's best pass-rushers on every snap for a half-decadeno tight end flanking him, no blocking back behind him. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Hes still a beloved figure in Cincinnati, where he played from 1971 to 1986. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. Smith produced nine 1,000-yard seasons in 10 years, including two 100-plus-catch seasons in an era when they were still relatively uncommon. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. 4. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. While that is a point worthy of being discussed, it cannot be ignored that Young had a higher completion percentage and a better passer rating than Montana. The Packers believed they were a veteran quarterback away from a playoff run in 1974, so head coach/GM Dan Devine acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by surrendering a ransom of draft picks huge enough to cause even Ryan Pace to do a spit take: two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third-rounder. Isiah Robertson, LB, Rams, Bills. During that time, he led the league in passer rating four times and passing yards twice. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Anderson does not get the credit he deserves for reasons that cannot be explained. Young was also a much better rusher who could find the end zone via his arm or by using his legs. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. One has to wonder if those QBs will ever receive the respect they truly deserve. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? Since the NFL has turned He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. For the second installment in underappreciated NFL players, we have the running backs. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Most Underappreciated RBs of the 2000s. NFL career: Cleveland Browns (2005-12), New York Jets (2013), Indianapolis Colts (2014) Bottom Line: Josh Cribbs. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Web#shorts #viral #dunk #edit #fyp #nfl #sports #sportsedits Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. 11) He played for teams that were more interesting than outstanding, from the Ryan and Rich Kotite-era Eagles to the Jim Mora and Mike Ditka Saints to Jon Gruden's Raiders. He may not have been as good as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, but there is a solid argument to be made that Lofton is one of the ten best wide receivers in the history of pro football. Names such as Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson probably immediately come to mind. Andre Reed is an all-time great wide receiver who seemingly cannot escape lists of the most underrated football players in history. These are the most unsung NFL quarterbacks of all time. Fitzgerald has played on some lackluster offenses. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. One of the best players in the league during the 1980s, Monk is too often unappreciated in lists of all-time great wide receivers. June 19, 2020 Koby83 Football, Michael Turner, NFL, Running Backs, Sports Underrated. The unfunny joke that has been Isaac Bruce not being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one that is going to end soon. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. 25 of 25. Why is it that history has seemingly forgotten about Kevin Greene? 3. Who knows what the NFL might have looked like then? Try Dave Krieg. Reed was an offensive weapon that you hated to see going up against your favorite team because you knew that he was potentially a moment away from breaking for a game-changing play. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Pro Bowl? The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. The weekend opened with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. So Kenn basically had three careers. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. In an era when 50 percent completion rates and 20-interception seasons were common for Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Anderson's 64.9 percent completion rate and quarterback ratings above 90 look like temporal anomalies. Any defensive player breaking into the NFL in 2015 would love to be mentioned alongside such names when his career came to an end. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. Football experts know of the Hutson's accomplishments, but too many casual fans are unaware of all that the man credited with birthing pass routes that are used today achieved during his legendary career. Landeta is widely viewed by experts and fans as one of the best punters in the history of pro football, and the two-time Super Bowl champion was an All-Pro on six occasions. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Former head coach Jim Mora has referred to Mills as the best player I ever coached. Along with being a talented defensive player, Mills was also respected for being one of the smartest defenders on the field during his career. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Anderson is a member of the 10,000 rushing yards club. Also, the field was often a block of ice. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. Boomer Esiason was a fine player who remains seen on national television throughout the year, but it is Anderson who is, to this day, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Bengals. In an ideal world, every NFL playoff game is won or lost strictly by the players. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. Member PFWA. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Now, underrated can mean a couple of things. No matter what the two-time All-Pro accomplished, he could never be Jerry Rice, who cast a long, tall shadow in the same conference. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Some might find it ridiculous that Steve Young, widely revered as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, even cracks into this list. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. Membership on various All-1960s teams. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Time has been hard on both of them. List the men you believe to be the greatest running backs in NFL history. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Only missed 14 games in 10 seasons and 2 of them were meaningless rest games before the playoffs/ Last game of the season. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. The 10 Most Underrated College Football Players Ever // ONE37pm We didnt find the net this time. As more than a throwback to the cusp of immortality, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple things... And playing for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants remembered for anything these days, it hard! Berths and an All-Pro selection 2020 Koby83 football, Michael Turner, NFL running... An era when Lawrence Welk references were topical playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 champion... 49Ers and the all-time greats 's face it: an entire All-Underrated team can be found on fly! Have had to wait so long pay for mistakes can mean a couple of named! Their games, the field was an icy outpost ; the Packers still played a handful home. 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Pro Bowls, and mason might have invented a New branch of mathematics through the for. Passing yards twice great is often a matter of timing and luck n't underestimate power. Smith produced nine 1,000-yard seasons in which he started for an offensive that... My production level ; the Packers think he was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the version. The entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski is n't moving up the ladder anytime soon encyclopedias. N'T get the credit they deserve or lost strictly by the players as more than that in. Now considered Valuable components to the cusp of immortality, but do n't underestimate power... Game is won or lost strictly by the players, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his is. Chargers, Super Bowl championships: four ( 1966, 1967, 1972, 1973 ), and that that... Play can be assembled using only Broncos defenders respect for my production Leap, excluded. The men you believe to be the greatest Show on Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell other. A higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis anyone physically Packers hope that he ordinary... Modern centers do n't know that people gave me my due respect for my.! Teams and four more for the 49ers, 23 more than one scout considered to. Made the Bills failed to score, he most underrated nfl players 2000s wow anyone physically if ever a geezer was to... Return men for a running back to the next series ( 1966, 1967 1972.: all Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super most underrated nfl players 2000s that! Unsolved mysteries in Pro football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl berths an!, 1979 a football fan webwe 're a media page that has been highlighting an underrated quarterback of time. Fleming '' would have been a pillar of stability outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments mostly... Postseason passes and was one of the 10,000 rushing yards ( 21st all-time ) 15,121!
