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10 Pele

So, who's worn the number 10? Well, how 'bout a laundry
list of the greatest football/soccer players the world has
ever seen? From Maradona, to Zidane, to Puskas, to
Platini, to Ronaldinho, to Baggio, they all wore number 10.
Why? Because Pele did.

Pele is widely considered the greatest player of all time,
possibly in any sport. Like Babe Ruth, he's one of those
guys, guys who change the game, guys who affect the
way defense is played, the way offense is played, the way
the sport is watched by its' fans. Guys who cause the guys
who come after them to wear the same jersey number.
Oh, and he may be the only guy to ever stop a war...
both sides in Nigeria's civil war declared a 48 hour cease
fire to allow Pele to play an exhibition match there in 1967.

Pele began his professional career in Brazil at age 16 for the Santos Futebol Clube in 1956. From the jump he was a star, leading the league in scoring during his first season as starter (and before his 17th birthday). Just ten months after his debut, he was called up by the Brazilian national team. After a
glimpse of him at the 1962 World Cup, the big European clubs were keen to sign him, but the government of Brazil declared Pele an "Official National Treasure" to keep him in the country. So not only does the man stop wars, but he was named a national treasure at the ripe old age of 21. Did we really have much of a choice here? For 18 years he plied his trade with Santos until his retirement in 1974. He then signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League, where he was given a staggering $7,000,000 contract for three years. When he retired for good from club football, he would do so with 1281 goals under his belt, during which time he eclipsed the 30-goal-per-season mark eleven times. In the year 2000, he was named Footballer of the Century by FIFA.

Others considered:

Diego Maradona: Striker/Midfielder, Argentinian national team (1977-1994), and Argentine Primera Division, Argentinos Juniors (1976-1981), Boca Juniors (1981-1982 and 1995- 1997), Newell's Old Boys (1993), and Spanish La Liga, F.C. Barcelona (1982-1984), Sevilla F.C. (1992-1993).

Christy Ring: Right half-forward, Gaelic Athletic Association Hurling, Cork (1939- 1962).

Michel Platini: Midfielder, French national team (1976-1987), and French Ligue 1, AS Nancy (1972-1979), Saint Etienne (1979-1982), and Italian Serie A, Juventus (1982-1987).

Zinedine Zidane: Midfielder, French national team (1994-2006), and French Ligue 1, AS Cannes (1988-1992), Girordins de Bordeaux (1992-1996), and Italian Seria A, Juventus (1996-2001), and Spanish La Liga, Real Madrid (2001-2006).

Guy Lafleur: Right Wing, National Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens (1971-1985), New York Rangers (1988-1989), Quebec Nordiques (1989-1991).

Ferenc Puskas: Forward, Hungarian national team (1949-1956), and Spanish national team (1961-1962), and Hungarian League, Budapest Honved F.C. (1939-1956), and Spanish La Liga, RCD Espanyol (1956), Real Madrid (1956-1967).

Roberto Baggio: Forward, Italian national team (1988-2004), and Italian Serie A, Vicenza (1981-1985), Fiorentina (1985-1990), Juventus (1990-1995), A.C. Milan (1995-1997), Bologna (1997-1998), Internazionale (1998-2000), Brescia (2000-2004).

Fran Tarkenton: Quarterback, National Football League, Minnesota Vikings (1961-1966 and 1972-1978), New York Giants (1967-1971).

Ronaldo: Striker, Brazilian national team (1994-present), and Brazilian Serie A, Cruzeiro E.c. (1993-1994), and the Dutch Eredivisie, PSV Eindhoven (1994-1996), and Spanish La Liga, F.C. Barcelona (1996-1997), Real Madrid (2002-present), and Italian Serie A, Internazionale (1997-2002).

Ronaldinho: Midfielder, Brazilian national team (1999-present), and Brazilian Serie A, Gremio (1998-2001), and French Ligue 1, Paris St. Germain (2001-2003), and Spanish La Liga, F.C. Barcelona (2003-present).

11 Jonah Lomu

OK, before you say it, we expect this to be one of our
more controversial selections. Yes, we're aware that Isiah
Thomas, Elvin Hayes, Norm Van Brocklin, Mark Messier
and Romario all wore the number 11. And yes, we're
aware of the fact that Lomu's career was cut short by a
rare kidney ailment (which required a transplant, by the
way). But what we also know is that in the short time he
was able to play he became a legend, and were he not
sidetracked by the unfortunate condition, he could have
gone down as one of the greatest to play any sport, ever.

Now, for you fans of American football who think that NFL
players would dominate a game of rugby (and you know
who you are), that Lawrence Taylor would run circles
around the scrum-halfs and loosehead props that you see
late at night on Sky Sports or Setanta, we give you Jonah
Lomu. He stands 6'5" and weighs 273 pounds (19.5 stone)
and was once clocked at 10.8 seconds in the 100 meter
dash (that's a 40 split of 3.96). Physically, there has never
been an NFL player with those kind of numbers.

And as you might expect, he did dominate, like no one before him or since. He exploded onto the scene playing for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, during the 1995 World Cup (at the tender age of 19). He scored seven tries in five matches, including four in the match against England (where he did, in fact, run circles around the scrum-halfs and loosehead props on the English side). Prior to the game, England captain Will Carling downplayed the significance of containing Lomu, saying his legs were as thick as everyone else's. After the game, he sang a different tune; "he is a freak, and the sooner he goes away the better."

Regrettably, it would be sooner rather than later. He was diagnosed with the kidney disorder just prior to the 1995 World Cup, and admits to being at only 80% during his phenomenal run. He continued his run of dominance through the end of 1996, when his ailment was finally announced. He took time off for treatment but still managed to play when he could, though his form suffered because of it (he was still effective but was laboring, not the dynamo who the world had seen at the World Cup). But he returned to form in time for the 1999 World Cup, scoring eight tries in five games. For his career he scored 15 tries in World Cup games, a record that still stands. He would stay on form through 2003, when he was forced to go on dialysis three times weekly to treat his failing kidney. Eventually, he would have to have it replaced.

Others considered:

Isiah Thomas: Guard, National Basketball Association, Detroit Pistons (1981-1994).

Mark Messier: Center, National Hockey League, Edmonton Oilers (1979-1991), New York Rangers (1991-1997 and 2000-2004), and Vancouver Canucks (1997-2000).

Carl Hubbell: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, New York Giants (1928-1943).

Elvin Hayes: Forward, National Basketball Associaion, San Diego Rockets (1968-1972), Baltimore Bullets (1972-1983), Houston Rockets (1983-1984).

Norm Van Brocklin: Quarterback, National Football League, Los Angeles Rams (1949-1957), Philadelphia Eagles (1958-1960).

Romario: Forward, Brazilian national team (1987-2005), and Brazilian Serie A, Vasco da Gama (1985-1987 and 2000-2001 and 2005-2006), Flamengo (1998-1999), Fluminense F.C. (2001- 2002), and the Dutch Eredivisie, PSV Eindhoven (1988-1992), and Spanish La Liga, F.C. Barcelona (1992-1994), Valencia C.F. (1996-1998), and Qatar National First Division, Al- Sadd (2003), and United Soccer Leagues; First Division, Miami F.C. (2006), and Australian A- League, Adelaide United (2006).

Luis Aparicio: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Chicago White Sox (1956-1962 and 1968-1970), Baltimore Orioles (1963-1967), Boston Red Sox (1971-1973).

Phil Simms: Quarterback, National Football League, New York Giants (1979-1993).

Gilbert Perreault: Center, National Hockey League, Buffalo Sabres (1970-1987).

Paul Waner: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates (1926-1940), Boston Braves (1941-1942), Brooklyn Dodgers (1943-1944), New York Yankees (1945).

Yao Ming: Center, National Basketball Association, Houston Rockets (2002-present).

12 John Stockton

As much as this would seem like a tough decision, we were
actually in harmonious, unanimous agreement here. Were we so
inclined, we might have filled the office with high-fives and
applause, maybe offer each other tea or perhaps some chewing
gum. At the very least maybe we'd refrain from the petty name-
calling that has become a hallmark of the TrunkBunker staff.
Alas, we did not.

John Stockton was the quintessential point guard. He kept the
offense running smoothly. He got the ball to his teammates
where they could do something with it. He shot the ball well so
the defense couldn't sag off of him. And most importantly, he ran
the pick and roll to perfection. If it weren't for some guy named
Jordan, he would have run the Jazz straight into multiple
championships. For his career, he averaged a double-double
(13.1 points and 10.5 assists), he finished with 15,806 assists
(5,483 more than second place... for reference, only 33 players
in NBA history have more than 5,483 assists), he collected 3,265
steals (again, an NBA record), and he has five of the top six
assist seasons in NBA history. He is one of three players to record over 1,000 assists in a season, and he did it seven times. The other two men in the list only did it once apiece. He is the 30th best scorer in NBA history. In 19 seasons, he missed only 22 games. And, as the ultimate homage, legendary John Wooden once said that Stockton was the only player he'd pay to see play. Some career, huh?

While some of the players who have worn the number 12 are bigger names than Stockton... Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, etc... none of them can compare to him when you stack them side by side. That being said, Tom Brady, quarterback of the three-time-champion New England Patriots wears the number 12, and as long as he doesn't get hurt, it's hard to envision a scenario where he doesn't take over this spot. But for now, enjoy it while you can, Mr. Stockton.

Others considered:

Jim Kelly: Quarterback, National Football League, Buffalo Bills (1986-1996), and United States Football League, Houston Gamblers (1984-1985).

Tom Brady: Quarterback, National Football League, New England Patriots (2000-present).

Terry Bradshaw: Quarterback, National Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-1983).

Joe Namath: Quarterback, American Football League, New York Jets (1965-1969), and National Football League, New York Jets (1969-1976), Los Angeles Rams (1977).

Roger Staubach: Quarterback, National Football League, Dallas Cowboys (1969-1979).

13 Wilt Chamberlain

Athletes are a superstitious bunch. Whether it be jumping
over the foul line in baseball, or wearing a lucky shirt under
a jersey or taking precisely three dribbles of a basketball
before shooting free throws, they've got all kinds of strange
rituals and ideas on luck. That being said, it's not surprising
that there aren't a whole lot of athletes to wear the number
13. As a matter of fact, most of the players who chose the
unlucky number did so to prove that they could succeed
regardless of luck... which we think is a sort of superstition
itself, but we digress...

Wilt Chamberlain, on the other hand, did wear the number
because it was unlucky... for his opponents. Now, since
we've begun this project, we've heard a lot of reasons for
the selection of numbers... from birthdays to tribute to draft
order... and this is, far and away, the best.

And just how unlucky were his opponents? Well, in his very
first year, he averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per
game. These are, of course, ridiculous numbers. For his
career, he would go on to set almost 100 NBA records,
including most points in a game (100), most points in a
season (4,029, when 3,000 is rare), most rebounds in a game (55), highest rebounding average for a season (the aforementioned 27), highest scoring average for a season (50.4... he also holds the next two averages on the list at 44.8 and 38.4), most 60 point games (32, more than all other players combined), highest career rebounding average (22.9), and most 2,000 rebound seasons (2, and he's the only one to ever do it), just to name a few. He is also the only player in history to record a double-triple-double, with 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists against the Detroit Pistons in 1968, and he's the only player to record a quadruple double-double when he did so on January 21, 1960, again against the Pistons with 58 points and 42 rebounds... only to surpass it on December 8, 1961 against the Los Angeles Lakers when he scored 78 points and collected 43 rebounds. In 1962, the man averaged 48.5 minutes per game, meaning he played virtually every minute of every game including overtimes. He was a basketballing machine, and no one else could wear the number 13 on our list.

Others considered:

Dan Marino: Quarterback, National Football League, Miami Dolphins (1983-1999).

Steve Nash: Guard, National Basketball Association, Phoenix Suns (1996-1998 and 2004- present), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004).

Alex Rodriguez: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Seattle Mariners (1994-2000), Texas Rangers (2001-2003), New York Yankees (2004-present).

Don Maynard: Wide Receiver, National Football League, New York Giants (1958), New York Jets (1970-1972), St. Louis Cardinals (1973), and American Football League, New York Titans (1960-1962), New York Jets (1963-1969).

14 Johan Cruyff

For those unfamiliar with Johan Cruyff, we thought we'd
enlighten you with some quotes from his peers, as they say
more than we ever could. Why, none other than the legend
Franz Beckenbauer said "Pele was the best, but after him
comes Johan. He is the best player Europe ever produced."
The great Michel Platini said of Cruyff "(He) was my idol. He
is the best player I have seen in my lifetime." And English
television pundit Ron Atkinson calls him "the best player I
have ever seen."

So there's the whetting of the appetite. Now for the main dish,
Cruyff's accomplishments. In 1971, 1973 and 1974 he was
named European Footballer of the Year. He led Ajax
Amsterdam to three consecutive European Cups (today's
UEFA Champions League), allowing them to be one of three
teams to retire the trophy. In 1999, he was named European
Player of the Century.

More important than his actual accomplishments was his place
in a sea change that football/soccer would undergo in the
1970's. The Dutch developed a style they called "total
football," an inventive, creative style of play that moved football/soccer from a stodgy, defensive game to a free-flowing, silky, beautiful affair... and none of it would have been possible without Cruyff. He was known for his technical ability; his speed, his creativity with the ball, his dribbling, his ability to change direction, and his knack for knowing where everyone was on the pitch. He officially played center forward, but was free to roam to the sides or back with other Dutch players taking up the slack and moving into his place. This was the essence of Total Football, and it thrives to this day.

And on a more hilarious note, enjoy these quotes from the man himself; "Italians can't beat us, but we can certainly lose to them." "Before I make a mistake, I don't make that mistake." "Every disadvantage has its advantage." "I'm not religious. In Spain, all 22 players make the sign of the cross before the enter the pitch. If it worked, it would always be a draw." "Coincidence is logical." "Extemes, I don't like them. Every extreme is so extreme." "Often something in life is probably necessary." Genius? We think so.

Others considered:

Pete Rose: Infielder, Major League Baseball, Cincinnati Reds (1963-1978 and 1984-1986), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-1983), Montreal Expos (1984).

Oscar Robertson: Guard, National Basketball Association, Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974). He wore #1 with Milwaukee.

Otto Graham: Quarterback, National Football League, Cleveland Browns (1950-1955) and All-American Football Conference, Cleveland Browns (1946-1949).

David Campese: Wing/Fullback, Australian National Rugby Union Team (1982-1996).

Ernie Banks: Shortstop/First Baseman/Third Baseman/Outfielder, Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs (1953-1971).

Don Hutson: Wide Receiver/Safety, National Football League, Green Bay Packers (1935- 1945).

Y.A. Tittle: Quarterback, National Football League, San Francisco 49ers (1951-1960), New York Giants (1961-1964), and All-American Football Conference, Baltimore Colts (1948-1950).

Dan Fouts: Quarterback, National Football League, San Diego Chargers (1973-1987).

Bob Cousy: Guard, National Basketball Association, Boston Celtics (1951-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-1970).

Ken Anderson: Quarterback, National Football League, Cincinnati Bengals (1971-1986).

A.J. Foyt: Race Car Driver, USAC Championship Car Series Racing (1957-1992), NASCAR (1964-1994).

Thierry Henry: Striker, French national team (1997-present), and French Ligue 1, A.S. Monaco (1994-1998), and Italian Serie A, Juventus (1998-1999), and English Premier League, Arsenal (1999-present).

15 Bart Starr

If the measure of a leader is how often he steers his men to
victory, and if that measure is defined by an exponential
quotient that might or might not be greater than infinity, then
we have no choice but to give the number 15 slot to Bart
Starr. OK, so that's some seriously flawed logic we're
spewing, and in truth, somewhat made up. But one must
admit, it sounds not only passably believable, but totally
awesome.

Having led the Green Bay Packers to championships in 1961,
1962, 1965, 1966, and 1967, Starr measured at least
"exceptional" when it came to his skills as not only a captain,
but as a quarterback as well. He is the only player to ever
quarterback a team to five championships. He was also MVP
of the first two Super Bowls, a four time Pro Bowler, and a
member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quite the leader
indeed.

Starr narrowly nudged his opponents from the number 15
slot, as it was heavily contested and probably maybe
resulted in a bruised ego or face or two here at headquarters.
Earl "The Pearl" Monroe was one of the NBA's first artistic
improvisers, while Tommy Heinsohn was one of it's first gunners. Both were excellent offensive players, and both were champions. But they didn't play quarterback, and if there's any position in sports that's relied on more heavily, well, we don't know what it is. So Starr gets the nod.

Others considered:

Earl Monroe: Guard, National Basketball Association, Baltimore Bullets (1967-1970), New York Knicks (1971-1980).

Tommy Heinsohn: Forward, National Basketball Association, Boston Celtics (1956-1965).

Thurman Munson: Catcher, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees (1969-1979).

Steve Van Buren: Halfback/Safety, National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles (1944-1951).

16 Joe Montana

Was Joe Montana the greatest quarterback of all time? It's
debatable, but we think so. And as such, there wasn't much of a
decision to be made here... Joe Cool made it for us. When you're
a major player in "the catch" (the game-winning touchdown catch
against Dallas in the 1982 championship game) and "the drive,"
(the Super Bowl-winning 92 yard drive against Cincinnati in
Super Bowl XXIII), two of the more famous moments in NFL
history, well, that doesn't hurt either.

But there was so much more to the man with the stately name.
He was the first player in NFL history to win two MVP awards, and
he won them back-to-back, in 1989 and 1990. He led his team,
the San Francisco 49ers, to four Super Bowl titles, and in 1990
was named Sports Illustrated's Man of the Year. Three times he
was named Super Bowl MVP, and his passer rating of 92.3 is the
fourth highest all time. And in the big games he was even better,
with a passer rating of 127.8, a record 45 post-season touchdown
passes, and 5,772 yards passing, also a record. In his four Super
Bowl appearances, he threw 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions,
and he was named to eight Pro-Bowl squads.

Pretty numbers aside, what really made Joe Montana the only
man who could wear our number 16 jersey, what really made
him Joe Cool, was his clutchitude. If it was the fourth quarter,
and the 49ers were down by three touchdowns, the opposing
fans were nervous. If a team left two much time on the clock when they took the lead, they might as well not taken the lead at all. Such was the power of Montana. We've already mentioned "the drive," but truth be told, it's only "the drive" because it was in the biggest game a football player can play. That sort of thing was commonplace for Montana. Even "the catch" came at the end of an 11 play, 89 yard drive. He became the 49ers starting quarterback late in his second season and immediately began cementing his legacy. Against the New Orleans Saints in his second game as starter, he led San Francisco back from a 28 point halftime deficit to win 38-35 in overtime, still the largest comeback in a regular season game. In the 1983 NFC Championship game, he led his team back from a 21-0 fourth quarter deficit against the Washington Redskins to tie the game, only for Washington to win it with a field goal at the end of the game. Really, if we go on like this it will take up all of our server space, so you'll just have to trust us. When it comes to orders of clutchitude, Montana's in the top 1%.

Others considered:

Whitey Ford: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees (1950-1967).

Frank Gifford: Halfback/Flanker, National Football League, New York Giants (1952-1964).

Brett Hull: Right Wing, National Hockey League, St. Louis Blues (1987-1998), Calgary Flames (1985-1988), Dallas Stars (1998-2001), Detroit Red Wings (2001-2004), Phoenix Coyotes (2005-2006).

Dwight Gooden: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, New York Mets (1984-1994), New York Yankees (1996-1997 and 2000), Cleveland Indians (1998-1999), Houston Astros (2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000).

Marcel Dionne: Center, National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1971-1975), Los Angeles Kings (1975-1986), New York Rangers (1987-1989).

Len Dawson: Quarterback, National Football League, Kansas City Chiefs (1970-1975), Pittsburgh Steelers (1957-1959), Cleveland Browns (1960-1961) and American Football League, Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1969), Dallas Texans (1962).

Bob Lanier: Forward, National Basketball Association, Detroit Pistons (1970-1980), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-1984).

17 John Havlicek

Not much dispute here at TrunkBunker headquarters on this
one. The number 17, for some reason, is the forgotten jersey
number in the teens. It's the character actor that never
catches a break. The brilliant session musician behind the
below average pop star. The Netscape Navigator to
Microsoft's Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. Even unlucky
number 13 has more going for it than poor, old, forgotten
number 17.

Now, that being said, John Havlicek is no chump. He may not
have had a lot of competition, but he would have been in the
running for any number on this list. You don't believe us?
Just listen to some of these numbers. For his career, he
scored 26,395 points, 6th most all-time, and a per game
average of 20.8. That's over 16 years, don't forget. He
scored over 1,000 points in each of those 16 seasons, the
first player ever to do so, and he made the all-star game 13
times. Oh, we're just getting started.

In half of the seasons in which he played, he was an NBA
champion. HALF! He was named finals MVP in 1974, a year
that saw him set the record for most points in overtime of a
playoff game at nine. Renowned as a defensive stalwart, he made a play that some consider to be one of the single biggest defensive plays in the history of the game, when he stole the inbounds pass from the Philadelphia 76ers Hal Greer to end the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. A veteran official working the game called it one of the greatest plays he'd ever seen, and that's after 32 years of seeing things. That Hondo was a winner.

Others considered:

Jari Kurri: Right Wing, National Hockey League, Edmonton Oilers (1980-1990), Los Angeles Kings (1991-1996), New York Rangers (1996), Anaheim Mighty Ducks (1996-1997), Colorado Avalanche (1997-1998).

Dizzy Dean: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals (1930-1937), Chicago Cubs (1938-1941), St. Louis Browns (1947).

Harold Carmichael: Wide Receiver, National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles (1971- 1983), Dallas Cowboys (1984).

18 Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning, statistical phenomenon, prototypical
quarterback... champion? That's the question we had
to ask ourselves here at TrunkBunker HQ, and in all
honesty, it was a virtual split decision, only decided
when Phinnaes interjected, threw his lack of weight
around, and essentially forced a consensus on us.

See, there's this incredible former Australian Rules
Football player named Wayne Carey who also
donned the number 18 shirt, and he's widely
considered to be one of, if not the best of all time.
Manning might not be the best quarterback playing
right now. Of course, that's nothing to be ashamed of,
as when Tom Brady's through, he may go down as the greatest ever. But so could Manning, if he leads the Colts to a championship (remember, it took John Elway until the very end of his career before he finally won a title). In the end, we took Manning's statistical brilliance over Carey's drive, leadership and clutchitude, with the caveat that if Manning is unable to win a title, or if he struggles from here on out, we could revoke his title as the greatest to ever wear the number 18 and award it to someone more deserving.

As for that statistical brilliance, Manning holds the record for most touchdown passes in a season with 49. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing (6, from 1999 to 2004). He was co-MVP in 2003 (with Steve McNair), and the outright winner in 2004. In his career he has never missed a start... in fact, he's only missed one snap. He holds the record for passer rating in a season with a 121.1 mark in 2004-2005. He also holds the record for consecutive seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes, currently at eight and going strong. His rate of touchdowns, yards, and points per game are the all- time high for a quarterback. In tandem with Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison, the teammates hold records for most completions, yards, and touchdowns. He is, as we stated, a statistical monster.

Others considered:

Wayne Carey: Centre Half-Forward, Australian Rules Football, North Melbourne Kangaroos (1989-2001), Adelaide Crows (2003-2004).

Roman Gabriel: Quarterback, National Football League, Los Angeles Rams (1962-1972), Philadelphia Eagles (1973-1977).

Mel Harder: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, Cleveland Indians (1928-1947).

Dave Cowens: Center, National Basketball Association, Boston Celtics (1970-1980), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-1981).

19 Johnny Unitas

Back to back Colts quarterbacks. Has this
organization had some good fortune behind
center or what? Granted, this quarterback
played in a different city than the last one,
but it all looks the same in the record books
(just not in the hearts of the fans).

It's really a two-man race when it comes
down to answering the question "who was
the best quarterback to ever play the
game?" On the one hand, you've got the
aforementioned Joe Montana, calm, cool,
clutch. On the other, you've got our selection
for wearer of the number 19 shirt, Johnny
Unitas.

Johnny U was the National Football League's MVP in 1957, 1959, and 1964. He led the Colts to three NFL championships (including one Super Bowl victory) and holds the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, 47. He was the first quarterback to throw for 40,000 yards, and this was back when most seasons consisted of 12-14 games. When the NFL celebrated it's 50 year anniversary, Unitas was voted as the league's best ever player. He still holds the record for most Pro-Bowl appearances by a quarterback (10), and he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He still holds the Colts records for career passing yards and career passing touchdowns. Let's see if that other Colt on this list can break them.

The Unitas-led Colts first championship victory in 1958 is commonly known as the "Greatest Game Ever Played," though it's widely held that it was actually the "Most Important Game Ever Played." The Colts defeated the New York Giants in the first sudden death game in NFL history. It was also the first nationally televised game in the NFL's history, and has been credited with being the spark that led to the spread in popularity of the game.

Others considered:

Lance Alworth: Wide Receiver, American Football League, San Diego Chargers (1962- 1969) and National Football League, San Diego Chargers (1970), Dallas Cowboys (1971-1972).

Tony Gwynn: Outfielder, Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres (1982-2001).

Steve Yzerman: Center, National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1983-2006).

Bob Feller: Pitcher, Major League Baseball, Cleveland Indians (1936-1956).

Robin Yount: Shortstop, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers (1974-1994).