Four Steelers in Top 20 of ESPN's NFL Any Era Poll
by Neal Coolong on Jan 27, 2012 12:53 PM EST
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PrintESPN.com launched a poll of NFL Hall of Fame players' votes on which 20 players currently in the game could play in any era.
It shouldn't come as a surprise the Steelers have four players among the top 20, the most of any team.
OLB James Harrison is No. 10, WR Hines Ward is No. 8, QB Ben Roethlisberger is 3 and SS Troy Polamalu is No. 2, before Ravens LB Ray Lewis, who was voted No. 1.
The fact Roethlisberger beat out every other quarterback (Peyton Manning, 20, Tim Tebow, 19 and Tom Brady, 11) and every other offensive player shows the level of support the gritty and fearless Roethlisberger gets from Hall of Fame members, such as Dolphins C Dwight Stephenson, who had this to say:
Love him or hate him, Big Ben is one of the toughest, gutsiest players in all of the NFL. Last year he breaks his nose and it is sitting under his left eye socket. The trainer bends it back straight, throws some tape on it, he plays a couple of plays with a mask on, doesn't like the mask, rips it off and goes back in and plays.
Polamalu, the highest rated defensive back on the list, drew praise from RB Marcus Allen:
Troy Polamalu has a unique tenacity that is timeless, that crosses football generations. He could play in a leather helmet.
Ward, the highest-rated receiver on the list, is described beautifully by former Vikings DT John Randle:
The thing about Hines is he would crack you in a second. You had to have your head on a swivel. You'd watch a game just to see who Hines would crack on. He'd try to line up at tight end, and you knew if there was going to be a crack, it was Hines crackin' somebody. And then afterward, he'd have that grin on his face. Because it was on you; he'd say, "Hey, stop me." That was his reputation for me. As a football player, I look at it like the Western days, being an outlaw and you'd go from town to town to defend your reputation. And they knew you were coming. For Hines, there was that smile on his face, and you'd see it on tape, "Hey, I got ya."
Harrison, strangely, checks in at No. 10, despite clearly being the defender who plays with the intensity and sheer brutality that is captured in all vintage NFL footage. It's not a question of ability, but rather, who personifies the players of the previous generations. With all due respect to Ray Lewis, there's no way he's more of a throwback player than Harrison. Better, yes, more of a 1960s "quarterbacks-aren't-protected" pass-rushing monster? No.
Jerry Rice agrees with me:
I picked James Harrison not because of all the fines, but because the guy is a bruiser on that defensive line and in that secondary. He's going to hit you no matter what the consequences are. He plays the game the way it should be played, and that's physically.
Lists like this aren't put together to hold any special meaning, and in many ways, No. 20 is right up there with No. 1 (except Manning, there's no way he's more old-school than Tebow. He was running the freakin option this year. You didn't see Len Dawson throwing high-to-low progressions with five receivers and an empty backfield, did you?).
It's good to see the legacy of the Steelers' Steel Curtain days being upheld, regardless of where they placed on the list.
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Rice regarding Harrison
He plays the game the way it should be played, and that’s physically.
I’m not surprised to see that quote from Jerry Rice. There’s a reason he’s the GOAT at WR, and that attitude is part of it.
Now he just needs to tell Goodell that.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Jan 27, 2012 1:20 PM EST reply actions
I usually take an interest in bizarre lists like this
But the premise of this just seems stupid. If you take any player from now and put him back then they’d do very well. The athleticism and bodies just weren’t the same back then.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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It true that the athleticism, size, speed and strength are greater these days
but I guarantee there are a lot of QBs today that wouldn’t make it back then. Probably some WRs too.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Jan 27, 2012 1:34 PM EST up reply actions
Sorry John. Which rules are you going to go with? Do you think Ward or Wallace or even Rice would get open getting bumped and manhandled all the way down field? And if they caught the ball and got hit like they hit then…They might never even find Welker after a couple of hits. Ask Hamm or Wagner or Shell.
Today with Goodell’s rules, the dresses aren’t limited to the QBs.
You can’t equate players from different eras because of rules.
Athletes are better conditioned today? Sure! But they have been corn fed to play to certain criteria. I would love to see how long Reed or Lewis would last playing both ways…or without helmets. Their careers would be dramatically shorter.
There needs to be a line of demarcation for different years of the game. Today’s game may be more finesse, but it’s quickly becoming college/flag football. Too many specialists.
Just a thought.
Yeah, that’s kind of a bunk argument. If you want to get into that argument (especially about Ward playing back in the day), all you need to do is compare his style with Swann and Stallworth. Could he have caught those kinds of passes? Could he have bumped those kinds of defenders? Absolutely yes.
The whole point of the article is to point out how the attitudes of certain players could transcend beyond the decades. Could the Big Ben today be the same player as 30+ years ago? Obviously not. But if that Big Ben had the same characteristics of today, he would have surpassed Bradshaw (IMO). And yes, you could obviously say that about most great players, past or present.
It’s an honor for these guys to be singled out though. That means that people who remember how the game used to be played think that these guys could have played the game just as well in any other era.
I don’t know where you issue lies with this.
So you agree players are bigger, faster, and stronger today. In other words, they hit a lot harder. Maybe there were more opportunities for them to make hits back then and certain areas were protected, but they didn’t hit as hard. Players like Ham were great in their era, but he weighed just 220lbs at 6’4. Compare that to Timmons who is 3 inches shorter but 15 lbs heavier or Ray Lewis who is Timmons height but 250lbs. And who knows what Ham’s 40 was? I doubt it was sub 4.5 though. Bigger bodies moving faster = more pain.
Anyway, someone like Wallace might not be able to always beat a bump off the line, but when he did you’d be screwed. Or, you could just set him in motion (something we did a lot this year with him) so the CB can’t set him at the line.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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by John Stephens on Jan 30, 2012 9:11 AM EST up reply actions
They're going off the spirit of the idea
Not the nuts and bolts literalism of it. It’s a fun list. Have fun with it.
Mountainbiking the Continental Divide in 2012 to raise awareness of human trafficking. more info: http://tr4f.wordpress.com
Agreed
Anyway we can level this argument by saying a guy from today playing in those days would have to do it without today"s awesome physical preparation and training.
Dick, what would Woody (Hayes) say to you now: "He'd say, 'LeBeau, get your hair cut.'"
I came into this comment thread to say the exat same thing
A guy like Steve mlendon, a 3rd stringer the past few years would have been a dominant d lineman in the 50s and 60s
This was maybe the dumbest poll/list ESPN has ever come up with.
It should have been top 20 players from the past that could play today. Any player basically from today’s game could play in the 70’s.
I heard today that the average OL/DL in the league in the 60’s and 70’s was 260 pounds. There were only 17 players in the NFL during that time that were 300 or more pounds. Now, we have over 500 players in the NFL who are over 300 pounds.
Stupid list.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
With your idea of then to now
Jim Brown is the first that comes to mind
"you will hardly know who I am or what I mean"-Walt Whitman
by Pittsblitz56 on Jan 27, 2012 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
There are a ton that could play today.
- Jim Brown
- Unitas
- Joe Greene would make a crazy 3-4DE
- Ditka
A bunch more
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Butkis
would fit in great with any physical D.
by Larrybob8187 on Jan 27, 2012 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
Lawrence. Taylor. Greatest that ever was, or will be…
by Neal Coolong on Jan 27, 2012 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Ehhh, I am talking more so about the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s which is also what the top 20 list was getting at as well.
Lawrence Taylor was definitely ahead of his time though when he played.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Bo Jackson
He’s still be fast, even in TODAY"S league.
Stay thirsty my friends.
by SteelerMessican on Jan 27, 2012 9:07 PM EST up reply actions
And that one Baltimore Raven DE from the '70's...what was his name...
Mountainbiking the Continental Divide in 2012 to raise awareness of human trafficking. more info: http://tr4f.wordpress.com
Sad, but true.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
LT
He was the best on the field in his era, and one of the best ever, but the fact he was on coke for most of those great years really puts a dent in his legacy IMO.
Dick, what would Woody (Hayes) say to you now: "He'd say, 'LeBeau, get your hair cut.'"
How does cocaine put a dent on your football legacy?
If anything it makes it better because the dude was high as a kite every game.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Jan 28, 2012 5:11 PM EST up reply actions
Cocaine, not weed
Cocaine is a major energy booster, in a sports context it’s a clear performance enhancer.
Dick, what would Woody (Hayes) say to you now: "He'd say, 'LeBeau, get your hair cut.'"
Swann could play today…with his athleticism, grace, body control and hands, I think he’d have put up WAYYYYY bigger numbers on a more pass-oriented team back then and could play today. However, athletes today are faster, bigger and train year round from about the age of 12 so it’s impossible to compare the two eras. Any list that puts Tebow ahead of Manning deserves to be taken out back and shot
Tebow in the two way era
probably could have played LB and TE.
anyone trying to contact me via my yahoo account should be aware it has been hacked
by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Jan 28, 2012 5:20 PM EST up reply actions
A Steeler I would like to add is Mel Blount. He was huge for a CB back then and had everything you looked for in a CB.
Proud fan of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams and the Pirates too.
by Black&GoldTrain on Jan 31, 2012 1:50 AM EST up reply actions
Actually, it's a perfectly named list for what it is.
Maybe you can write them with your brilliant idea….
Oh…yeah…that’s already been done and covered. Have fun with it and quit getting y our panties in a bunch, Mallory.
Mountainbiking the Continental Divide in 2012 to raise awareness of human trafficking. more info: http://tr4f.wordpress.com
Chill, and accept it for what it is, a fun fluff piece...
…In my opinion, a sad corollary to this article would be how some (many?) players from the 70’s and before would notbe able to play today, not because of physical changes in the athletes, but because the league itself and the owners have changed. I would cite Rocky Bleier as a prime example; can you imagine any owners of today, other than the Rooneys, who would have done what was done for Bleier, to give him time to try to make the team? Would a Snyder or a Jones keep such a player on his payroll these days?
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
by PaVaSteeler on Jan 28, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
What if for next season we could play a package of double TE with hines and miller. Is that something you guys see possible?
Everybody stutters one way or the other
So check out my message to you.
As a matter of fact don't let nothin' hold you back.
If the Scatman can do it brother so can you.
Yo I'm the Scatman.
Didn't you get the memo
BA is gone. No more wacky stupid formations.
Although I do think Hines would be useful in those scenarios, but I really think he’s not going to get past the #5 receiver spot barring injuries.
I have a hard time respecting a list that puts Brady on here at all, or Rodgers above Harrison. I’d have liked to see Ben at #2, but I do understand how defensive players will rank above offensive ones.
+1
The fact that Brady’s on the list shows what a farce this is.
Brady simply could not be a NFL QB in the 60ies or 70ies.
Without the “Mel Blount” & new roughing the passer (in Brady’s case, touching the passer) rules Brady wouldn’t just be ineffective, he’d be dead.
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
Agreed
I was surprised by his inclusion also, and almost equally surprised that it hadn’t been commented on yet. Brady is the guy who gets up and whines to the refs after anybody touches him, appears to touch him, or looks at him like they’re thinking about touching him. Brady is to quarterbacks what punters are to football players. I can’t imagine him lasting long in a league full of players like James Harrison. In fact, that is precisely why the league has gone to such great lengths to get rid of players like James Harrison!
and I think that it's a goddamn shame
that the game has been changed so much that now guys like Brady can thrive, and players like Butkus and Lambert couldn’t play because they’d probably be fined / suspended to death. Sad, really.
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
That was my biggest concern. I disagree with most of the statements on here about any of today’s athletes being able to play in the old days, because while today’s athletes are bigger, they are also a lot better protected. They also sit out when they get injuries that no one from those days would even think of sitting because of.
But to put Tom Brady on this list? Give me a break. He wouldn’t last 4 games. He’d think “what..they are actually allowed to hit me? I can’t take it…MOMMY!!!!!”
No way Brady could survive in any era besides the one that was basically created for him (this era)
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Interesting idea for a list
But as usual shitty ESPN handling and like always the knob slobbing of the ‘greats’ like Brady and Manning.
Brady always cries when he’s even slightly pushed, and Manning just has never been sacked hardly at all. When he does get sacked he melts down.
And for the record I don’t think this was to say they’d be great players in the past. Because obviously most players today are bigger and train harder and are well coached from day one of high school.
I looked at this as more of a ‘who has the old school mentality’ list. And in that sense its more logical, even if the picks are still stupid. Ray Lewis at #1 is a joke. I don’t recall too many LBs in the old days stabbin people and praising Jesus.
What does Ray's off the field trouble have to do with him as a football player?
Especially considering we have a QB that has a acumen for getting in trouble.
The dude deserves his spot.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Jan 28, 2012 5:14 PM EST up reply actions
agreed, if anything, Ray’s off field exploits probably wouldnt have even gotten reported thanks to there being no 24 hour news cycle
by NoVAPensFan on Jan 28, 2012 11:47 PM EST up reply actions
Lewis definitely should be on the list, I agree. As much as I don’t like the Ravens, okay I despise them, Lewis is one of the greatest LBs of all time.
Proud fan of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams and the Pirates too.
by Black&GoldTrain on Jan 31, 2012 1:52 AM EST up reply actions
This list reminds me of the NFL top 100 that ran last year… it boasted that it was a list voted on “by the players”… except that Woodley called them out and said “which players?” He didn’t get a ballot or even know a player who had voted.
Meh. Nice to see Steelers names on any list.
HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."
Actually
It looks to me like four Steelers in the top 10. That can’t signify anything other than the Steelers completely owning the “old school” image of the NFL. Proud to be a Steeler fan!
Top 20 ESPN
We can debate the “meaningfulness” of ANY “Top” List or Stat. The Thing IS, The Steeler’s Organization Products MAKE THEM ALL!!! Steeler Nation….. Let’s Contemplate on that….. and do what we can to support that. Thanks to the Rooney’s for giving us So Much all these years of Football Glory !
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