certainly played at a very high level (as high as his 20s) for much his 30s. I believe in his last year, which was in his 40s, he was clocked running a faster 40 time than his rookie season. He was a marvel.
He doesn't pass the bar as being BETTER with the Giants than he was with St Louis, but his performance in Blue was certainly a great and welcomed surprise.
but redefined himself and resurrected his career in his 30s is Marcus Allen. He had some productive years for the Chiefs after being marginalized his last few with the Raiders.
Career highs in carries/yards/TDS in his age 31 season.
371 / 1697 / 12
And Justin Smith. Was a beast in his later years for 49ers - or was that just his rep catching up to his play?
I think he was always really good but maybe the switch from 4-3 DE to 3-4 DE joining SF in 2008 was critical, and then in 2011 he took on a whole new level, all pro at DT and DE.
certainly played at a very high level (as high as his 20s) for much his 30s. I believe in his last year, which was in his 40s, he was clocked running a faster 40 time than his rookie season. He was a marvel.
Don't know if he was better in his 30's or not, but he sure as hell was consistent. How many players, let alone offensive tackles, last 20 years in the NFL?
...in the last quarter of his career was damned impressive. 4 Pro Bowls from 1999-2002 at safety, including a 2nd team All-Pro in 2000 and a 1st Team All-Pro in 2002 at age 37... Wow!
Didn’t see him mentioned which is surprising. People thought he was overthe hill with the giants only to go to Arizona and dominate with fitz and bolden
Another name that comes to mind is Steve Smith from Carolina and then onto Baltimore. Amazing talent
answer on this question as a Giant. He was a good RB and after Coughlin took over he became great. He would probably be a HOFer if he stayed 1 more year. He may have been a superbowl champ too.
Boselli/Ogden/Pace/Jones were all drafted from '95-'97, it was a golden age for LTs to be drafted.
Boselli and Pace made 3 All Pros in their 20s. Ogden made 4 All Pros in his 20s. The three of them combined to make 0 All Pro teams in their 30s.
Walter Jones made 1 All Pro team in his 20s and 3 All Pro teams in his 30s.
The "Best LT in the game" convo didn't include Jones in the early 2000s. Pace was everybody's favorite college OT and probably the most physically dominant when he was on, Boselli was generally considered the best in the late 90s before he got hurt, and Ogden ended up being an "era defining" player and the prototype of what a modern LT should like.
Walter Jones was really good but he wasn't on that tier in his 20s. But by around 2004 as he turned 30, Jones took the mantle of best OT in the game. Boselli was forced to retire early, Pace was really declining, and Ogden was slowly declining. Jones was just dominant in Seattle and along with Hutchinson created probably the best left-side of an OL I've ever seen, leading the way for Shaun Alexander's monster seasons and Matt Hasselbeck to be considered a top QB for a brief period.
Now, you see a lot of people argue that Jones ended up as the best player out of all of those Left Tackles. He definitely passed Boselli due to injuries, and it feels like he is generally considered better than Pace by the majority today. Ogden still seems to get the edge over Jones but it's a discussion with plenty of those who consider Jones the better LT.
Did Jones actually get better in his 30s or was it a combination of his contemporaries declining faster plus him getting to play right next to an in-his-prime HOF LG in Hutchinson? I don't know, but I do know that legacy-wise this is a player who didn't become considered a legend until his 30s.
Phil Simms and Dave Krieg were better QB's in their 30's.
371 / 1697 / 12
371 / 1697 / 12
And Justin Smith. Was a beast in his later years for 49ers - or was that just his rep catching up to his play?
Also, Randy Moss had one of the best WR season in history as a 30-year old.
Quote:
Career highs in carries/yards/TDS in his age 31 season.
371 / 1697 / 12
And Justin Smith. Was a beast in his later years for 49ers - or was that just his rep catching up to his play?
I think he was always really good but maybe the switch from 4-3 DE to 3-4 DE joining SF in 2008 was critical, and then in 2011 he took on a whole new level, all pro at DT and DE.
Also, Randy Moss had one of the best WR season in history as a 30-year old.
Tom Brady, 2007 Patriots. After 2010 season, Moss was done as a true great WR.
Jerry Rice was probably at his prime ages 26-31, but at age 33 he had best ever receiving yards and yards per game at 1848 and 115.5.
Took a 27 year old Calvin Johnson to break that record.
Rice/Montana+Young (12 games) - 22TD, 41 TD - 53%
Moss/Brady (16 games) - 23 TD, 50 TD - 46%
Young turned 30 years old in October of his first season starting (1991).
Became an elite QB the next year.
Green was something else indeed.
Cameron Wake was another late bloomer.
And all kickers
Another name that comes to mind is Steve Smith from Carolina and then onto Baltimore. Amazing talent
Boselli and Pace made 3 All Pros in their 20s. Ogden made 4 All Pros in his 20s. The three of them combined to make 0 All Pro teams in their 30s.
Walter Jones made 1 All Pro team in his 20s and 3 All Pro teams in his 30s.
The "Best LT in the game" convo didn't include Jones in the early 2000s. Pace was everybody's favorite college OT and probably the most physically dominant when he was on, Boselli was generally considered the best in the late 90s before he got hurt, and Ogden ended up being an "era defining" player and the prototype of what a modern LT should like.
Walter Jones was really good but he wasn't on that tier in his 20s. But by around 2004 as he turned 30, Jones took the mantle of best OT in the game. Boselli was forced to retire early, Pace was really declining, and Ogden was slowly declining. Jones was just dominant in Seattle and along with Hutchinson created probably the best left-side of an OL I've ever seen, leading the way for Shaun Alexander's monster seasons and Matt Hasselbeck to be considered a top QB for a brief period.
Now, you see a lot of people argue that Jones ended up as the best player out of all of those Left Tackles. He definitely passed Boselli due to injuries, and it feels like he is generally considered better than Pace by the majority today. Ogden still seems to get the edge over Jones but it's a discussion with plenty of those who consider Jones the better LT.
Did Jones actually get better in his 30s or was it a combination of his contemporaries declining faster plus him getting to play right next to an in-his-prime HOF LG in Hutchinson? I don't know, but I do know that legacy-wise this is a player who didn't become considered a legend until his 30s.