My List -
1. Dick Butkus - Regularly ran over players 40-50 pounds heavier than him
2. Lawrence Taylor - Unmatched combination of athleticism and relentlessness
3. Jim Brown - The angriest super athlete in the history of the NFL
4. Tom Brady - Perfect combination of unflustered determination, intelligence, uncanny pocket sense and passing accuracy
5. Reggie White - The "Minister of Defense" was simply unstoppable
6. Tony Gonzalez - Unmatched combination of speed, size, brawn and athletic ability
7. Barry Sanders - The best pure athlete in the history of the NFL (some may claim Jim Thorpe was #1)
8. Randy Moss - Nobody could stop him, when he willed not to be stopped
9. Devin Hester - The opposition would do anything to keep the ball away from him.
10. John Elway - Just when you thought you had him cornered, he would do something spectacular.
Ronnie Lott
And I think we can add Patrick Mahomes. Three superbowls in six years as a starter is incredible.
The only question - Could he had achieved all he did on average to inferior teams ?
He was very special, but I don't remember other teams being terrified of this presence on the field (the way LT did, for example)
My brother in-law started in a high school All-star Southern California game (as a center). He shared with me that Lott, at about 180 pounds hit him on a special teams play and almost knocked him out.
In the NFL, I remember him clobbering people, one of the very best.
Randy Moss was f'n ridiculous as a Viking, and then again as a Patriot.
Miller/Ware from the OLB pass rush positions for Denver when they carried Peyton’s carcass to a ring was the best defensive position group I’ve seen.
The rest of the list seems kind of random. Sanders but not Dickerson or Simpson or Campbell. Moss but not Rice. Elway, as good as he was, might not make my list at all—depends on what you’re looking for. Lamar Jackson might be more dominant in the regular season.
The Steel Curtain defense seems underrepresented.
Megatron
Peyton (the other Manning)
Gronk
Urlacher
Amani Toomer spoke about this and said the he never heard a game plan before where the offense couldn’t use half of the field. He said the entire offense was incredulous at the idea of it.
I was defeated just seeing him dance out of the tunnel in SB 35
The only question - Could he had achieved all he did on average to inferior teams ?
He was very special, but I don't remember other teams being terrified of this presence on the field (the way LT did, for example)
JFC, Rice played in the NFL, not the Mountain West.
I mean, I can't even believe anyone could possibly wonder if Rice terrified other teams.
You can argue about everyone else but these two were the definition of dominant.
You beat me to it.
Tremendous player.
In a 10-year stretch, from 1986 to 1995, Rice had 133 receiving TDs.
If that isn't dominant, can you provide your definition of the word?
There was about a four year stretch where I thought Revis Island was dominant.
Brady threw 50 TDs in 1 season
LT
R.White
R.Moss
Barry Sanders
Deon Sanders
Randy Moss
Ray Lewis
QBs - probably to long of a list given how PI has changed, i think and "easier" game now given their protection from hits etc
OL - Certainly the Munoz's of the day
S/CBs - i think many from the past couldn't exist in today's NFL given the PI and hitting rules...
In a 10-year stretch, from 1986 to 1995, Rice had 133 receiving TDs.
If that isn't dominant, can you provide your definition of the word?
A thing to note about Rice, in 2002, he had over 90 catches and over 1000 yards, at 40!
Quote:
Never really what I would call dominant in the way many of the others (LT, Jim Brown) were.
Brady threw 50 TDs in 1 season
If Giants fans weren't terrified Brady was going to make something happen with the ball at the end of XLII I call BS.
2) Larry Allen
3) Barry Sanders
4) Randy Moss
5) Tom Brady
6) Aaron Donald
7) Reggie White
8) Patrick Mahomes
9) Jerry Rice
10) Ray Lewis
Honorable mention to Deion Sanders except you could run his way all day so he was “most half-dominant” in my book.