70
Rayfield Wright
Here's a man, 6'6" tall, 260 pounds, and he couldn't make his
high school football team. Basketball, well basketball came easy
for the big fella... but he couldn't make his high school football
team. So when it came time to go to college, he weighed his
options: join the Air Force, or go to Loyola University and play
basketball. Tough choice, but hardly a path that would lead him
to the NFL Hall of Fame. Ah, but then fate has a funny way of
working things out, and Rayfield Wright would neither join the
Air Force or hoop at Loyola. Instead, the newly hired football
coach at Fort Valley (GA) State decided to take it upon himself
to get Wright enrolled. He got him an athletic scholarship, but
only if he also went out for the football team. He did. And while
he averaged 20 points and 21 rebounds for the basketball team
(and was even offered a tryout by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals),
he was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. He decided to go to
Cowboys camp and give it a shot (he was a seventh round pick,
so he still had to make the team), and if it didn't work out, go to
the NBA. Well, it worked out.
Rayfield Wright created the modern standard for an offensive
tackle. Big, strong, and most importantly, athletic. And it
almost didn't happen. The Cowboys originally made him a tight end, but in a pinch they put him at offensive tackle.
His first game was against fellow Hall of Famer (and all-around bad dude) Deacon Jones, and when he held his own
against him, well they figured he could hold his own against anyone. They were right, as he would go on to appear
in the Pro Bowl six times and play in five Super Bowls. He was also a four time All-NFL honoree, and he helped the
Cowboys lead the league in total offense for five years (sixth best of all-time at the time of his retirement).
And in case all of that stuff doesn't impress you, there's also this high praise from the men he squared off against,
like fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood: "He was truly outstanding," or maybe even further extrapolation from the
legendary Carl Eller: "An all-day fight with Rayfield Wright definitely is not my idea of a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
I think he is pretty much of a composite of an all-pro tackle. He has size, strength, and quickness. The big thing
in Rayfield's favor is that he has a lot of range. He moves faster than most tackles. He's just difficult to play
against." Fate, it seemed, wanted Rayfield to revolutionize the offensive tackle position. Oh, and the number 70.
Others considered:
Sam Huff: Linebacker, National Football League, New York Giants (1956-1963), Washington Redskins (1964-1967
and 1969).
Ernie Stautner: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963).
71
Walter Jones
When it comes to current players, the best barometer to gauge
ability is easy... the player's rating on Madden NFL. Well, in the
2007 version, Walter Jones is one of four players to have a
perfect 99 rating. So now that we've hooked the younger
generation (what is it, Generation Z now?), we're going to pile
on, for you older folks (Generations V, W, X and Y). The Sporting
News, in 2006, rated the NFL's 101 best players. Guess who was
number one? You got it, Walter Jones.
And why not? All big Walt-uh has done is make it to six Pro
Bowls, and, in the abscence of the post-career accolades that
are sure to come his way when he retires, well, we figured we'd
go with some testimonials, like this one, from fellow Left Tackle
L.J. Shelton: "He was born to play left tackle. There are things
he can do physically I just can't do. There are things he does
linebackers probably can't do. He's in a class all his own." Or
maybe this one, from All-Star defensive end Mike Rucker: "He
needs just a split second to get his hands on you, and then it's
over." And Seahawks offensive line coach Gil Haskell, who
coached such line greats as Jackie Slater and Anthony Munoz
(who many consider to be the best left tackle ever) says that
Jones is bigger than both, as quick as Munoz, and recalls that the Seahawks ran 27 of 28 goal-line carries
behind Jones in 2005 (the year, of course, that Shaun Alexander, Seattle's fine running back, set the NFL record
for touchdowns in a season before it was broken by LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006). And All-Star defensive end Alex
Brown simply says "He's the best, bar none." We'll take that.
And on a more humorous note, Jones seems to be from the George Foreman school of child-naming, as he has two
children; a son Walterius and a daughter Waleria. Classic, classic stuff.
Others considered:
Alex Karras: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Detroit Lions (1958-1970).
Tony Boselli: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2001), Houston Texans
(2002).
Ed Budde: Offensive Lineman, American Football League, Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1969) and National Football
League (1970-1976).
Charles Mann: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Washington Redskins (1983-1993), San Francisco
49ers (1994).
72
Ed "Too Tall" Jones
OK, this was a tough one. On the one hand, you've got Major
League Baseball Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, on the other hand
you've got NFL Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf, and on still a third,
entirely unnecessary hand (maybe coming out of our backs),
you've got Ed "Too Tall" Jones. All three excellent players, all
three acceptable choices for this number 72 spot. But we're
here to make tough decisions, so let us walk you through the
process.
See Fisk, during his halcyon days with the Boston Red Sox,
actually wore the number 27. It wasn't until he joined the
Chicago White Sox and the number 27 was taken that he
switched to number 72. Now, granted, he played more years
with Sox that were white than the ones that were red, but even
he would tell you that the red ones were more his thing, as he
went into the Hall of Fame in their uniform. So we love ya
Carlton, but we gotta cut ya. Now onto Dierdorf, and this is
where it gets tricky. See, we loves us some offensive linemen,
and Dierdorf was one of the best, so normally we'd fall on his
side. But there's something about Too Tall. First, he's underrated
like an offensive linemen. Ridiculously underrated. Like an O-Lineman, his effect on the game can't necessarily
be quantified. Second, he was really the first of his kind. A 6'9" defensive lineman? As a matter of fact, there's
never been anyone else like him. There's been tall defensive linemen since, but not 6'9". He revolutionized the
game without necessarily getting to the quarterback... with the batted pass. He realized that just because he
wasn't going to get a sack he could still have a major effect on the play. Just by getting in the QB's face. Today,
of course, this is taught to every defensive lineman beginning at the high school level, but Jones was the first to
popularize it. And as a result, not only have defensive linemen gotten progressively taller, so have quarterbacks.
But he was more than a pass-batting-machine. Three times he made the Pro Bowl and twice he was All-Pro. He was
named to the All-Rookie team in 1974, and in 1982 won the NFL Defensive MVP. Why, we ask, isn't this guy in the Hall
of Fame?
Oh, and just to scare the (insert dirty word here) out of the offense a little more, he happened to take the 1979
season off to become a professional boxer. Of course, he went undefeated before he returned to the gridiron for the
1980 season.
Others considered:
Dan Dierdorf: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1983).
Carlton Fisk: Catcher, Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox (1969-1980), Chicago White Sox (1981-1993).
Dexter Manley: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Washington Redskins (1981-1989), Phoenix Cardinals
(1990), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1991).
73
Larry Allen
OK look, nobody has more love for John Hannah than us here
at TrunkBunker. His replica jersey hangs in the rafters at
headquarters. Chad in accounting named his first born John
and his second born Hannah (and his third born Bruschi, but
that's a story for a different list). And Monique up front has a
homemade Hannah bobblehead doll that she consults for big
decisions. Creepy? Sure, but who are we to judge? And yet,
even we can't deny the utter dominance of Larry Allen.
You've all been in those arguments about the greatest running
backs of all-time when someone inevitably breaks out the "yeah,
but Emmitt got to run behind that great offensive line. If
________ (Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk, Walter
Payton, etc...) got to run behind that line, they'd have the
record for rushing yards." While we necessarily agree, who do
you think was the main cog on that offensive line, hmmmm?
We'll wait while you figure it out. OK, that's too long. It's Larry
Allen. Could we have made it any easier. See the big picture to
the right? Sheez. In case you didn't know, Allen is widely
considered to be the strongest man to ever play in the NFL,
bench pressing 700 pounds and squatting 900. Eight times the
man was All-Pro and ten times he was a Pro-Bowler. And of course, he won the one Super Bowl ring.
But really, if you want to understand just how dominant Allen was during his prime, you have to talk to the guys
that played with/against him. That's right, we're doing that thing we love to do... the quotes. Like this one, from
future Hall of Famer Deion Sanders: "No doubt, Larry is the most dominating guy in the league. It may not even be
close." Or this nugget from another future Hall of Famer, Michael Strahan: "He doesn't just block people, he hurts
people. He is such a force that you really don't see anywhere else. He's probably the only guy who you watch on
film who makes you cringe. He does something every week where you actually feel bad for the people who are playing
him." Oh, and Strahan also calls Allen "the best blocker I've ever seen." Or this, from legendary 49er offensive
lineman Randy Cross (in the midst of Allen's playing career): "Larry Allen has the potential to embarrass more
players than anybody else in the league on any given week. Marshall Faulk can put a move on a couple guys in a game
and make them look bad. Kurt Warner can beat a corner or safety on a deep pass for a touchdown and make that guy
look bad. But Larry has the force to humiliate groups of people and he does it on a regular basis." How about a
little more from Strahan: "The saddest thing is how many players will watch him on film during the week and then,
as the game gets closer, they pull up with some mysterious injury or flu or something. We call that catching
'Allen-itis.'" And we could go on. Allen surely wins the award peer praise, and definitely the award for best player
to ever wear the number 73.
Others considered:
John Hannah: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, New England Patriots (1973-1985).
Ron Yary: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Minnesota Vikings (1968-1981), Los Angeles Rams (1982).
Leo Nomellini: Defensive Lineman/Offensive Lineman, National Football League, San Francisco 49ers
(1950-1963).
Joe Klecko: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, New York Jets (1977-1987), Indianapolis Colts (1988).
74
Bob Lilly
That's right. It's our third straight Dallas Cowboy (and fourth out
of five). What of it? We can't help it if the Cowboys had some
great players that wore unpopular numbers. Rest assured, had
"Too Tall" Jones worn the number 23, he wouldn't be on this list
(well, he would have been considered, but not for long). And
we're not Cowboy fans by any means. We don't have a Troy
Aikman replica jersey hanging from the rafters at headquarters.
Chad from accounting did not name his first born Bob and his
second born Lilly (or his third born Dorsett, but that's a complaint
for an entirely different list). Monique up front might have had a
homemade Tom Landry bobblehead doll on her desk that she
consulted for big decisions, but she's since scrapped it for an
updated, stylish John Hannah model. And while on a typical day
roughly 2/3 of the staff can be found wearing fedoras, they're
usually brightly colored and outlandish, not drab and colorless
like the legendary coach. So there you have it, proof positive.
Not Cowboys fans.
Now, we don't claim to be geniuses (well, Phinnaes does, but he can back it up), but we're figuring if you start a
franchise from scratch, your best bet is to draft a Hall of Famer with your first ever draft choice. That might be
just us, we don't know, but it seems like a pretty good plan. And that's just what the Cowboys did with Bob Lilly.
Contrast that with the, oh, we don't know, how about the second coming of the Cleveland Browns who drafted a
now-out-of-the-league Tim Couch in 1999, a shoo-in to not make the Hall of Fame. It might just be us (again), but
one seems better than the other.
So what did the first ever draft choice for the Cowboys accomplish? Let's take a gander. First, the man played in 11
Pro Bowls. 11! Seven times he was named All-Pro, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980. The Sporting
News has bestowed a couple more honors him, naming him the "greatest defensive tackle in NFL history" when they
put him on the NFL All-Century team, and placing him 10th on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Future
expansion teams, take note.
Others considered:
Merlin Olsen: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Los Angeles Rams (1962-1976).
Bruce Matthews: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Houston Oilers (1983-1996), Tennessee Oilers
(1997-1998), Tennessee Titans (1999-2001).
Ron Mix: Offensive Tackle, American Football League, Los Angeles Chargers (1960), San Diego Chargers
(1961-1969) and National Football League, Oakland Raiders (1971).
75
Deacon Jones
Here at TrunkBunker, we like inventors. Edison, Altschul,
Bessemer... oh, and Art Fry. Who could forget Art Fry and
his Post-It notes? And then there's Deacon Jones. Yup.
Deacon was the Thomas Edison of the defensive line. An
innovator. A genius. At times, an artist.
Of course the most famous invention we have from Deacon
Jones was so devastating it had to be banned... the "head
slap." Basically, it is what it sounds like, a slap to the head
of the offensive lineman assigned to him, knocking him at
worst woozy and at least off balance. Now, it should be said
that, like Edison, Jones had improved on an idea that had
already been around (the "head slap" had been used in
some form before Jones, as the light bulb had been around
before Edison improved on it), but like Edison, Jones so
perfected it that he is generally given credit for creating it.
The other invention we have from Jones is the sack. Now,
he wasn't the first to tackle a quarterback behind the line
of scrimmage, but once again, he perfected it... he made it
an art. And, he did create the name for it. Before Jones,
sacks just went down as tackles. After Jones, sack became
part of the vernacular, and soon became an official statistic... "you know, like you sack a city... you devastate
it."
Of course Jones himself never had the luxury of the statistic himself, as it wasn't an official statistic until
1982, after his playing career had ended. But the Rams kept the numbers, and they are actually quite well-known.
For his career, Jones had 180 1/2 sacks. In 1967 he had 26 sacks in 14 games, and in 1968 he had 24 sacks (both
would be single season records if the NFL went back that far). Both years he was named NFL Defensive Player of the
Year, eight times he went to the Pro Bowl, and six times he was named All-Pro. Inventive indeed.
Others considered:
Forrest Gregg: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Green Bay Packers (1956 and 1958-1970), Dallas
Cowboys (1971).
"Mean" Joe Greene: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-1981).
Howie Long: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Oakland Raiders (1981), Los Angeles Raiders
(1982-1993).
76
Lou Groza
Tough decision here, and if Lou Groza hadn't also excelled on the
offensive line, we probably would have gone with Orlando Pace.
Pace is on... pace... (we've done a lot of these, cut us some slack.
Brains no think right) to go down as one of the ten best offensive
linemen to ever play professional football. But Groza was no
slouch, and his placekicking success revolutionized the way the
game was played... and as you know, we like our revolutionaries.
Groza liked to think of himself as an offensive tackle who just
"had a talent" for kicking the ball. Of course he did. Just like
Sebastian Janikowski is really a linebacker who just happens to
be paid to kick the ball. If you have other options (and most
don't), you take them. No one wants to be the kicker unless he
has to. But Groza legitimately had other options. He made the
Pro Bowl nine times, and of those nine times, six were as an
offensive lineman. He was also All-NFL eight times, and in 1954,
The Sporting News named him NFL Player of the Year. Players
that are strictly kickers don't win NFL Player of the Year. For
his career, he tallied 1,608 points, a record that stood for years,
and won the 1950 NFL Championship game with a last-second field goal to beat the Los Angeles Rams 30-28.
He's another of our long list of super-athletes to develop a technique that the league would go on to ban... though
really it was less technique and more assistance. He used to kick his field goals with tape guiding his foot to the
sweet spot of the ball (later he would use a special tee with a long tail). Hey, you innovators innovate, and
sometimes you do what you can within the limits of the rules. And the rules at the time allowed The Toe to use his
tape. Brilliant, we say.
Others considered:
Orlando Pace: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, St. Louis Rams (1997-present).
Bob Brown: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles (1964-1968), Los Angeles Rams
(1969-1970), Oakland Raiders (1971-1973).
Rosey Grier: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, New York Giants (1955-1962), Los Angeles Rams
(1963-1966).
77
Red Grange
Without Red Grange, professional football might never have been
legitimized. Oh sure, it may have happened eventually, but facts
are facts, and it was Red Grange who turned the nation's attention
to the NFL. Before Grange, college football ruled the day, and the
pros were seen as paid goons. But as soon as Grange was inked to
a contract by George Halas' Chicago Bears, that would change
forever.
And Halas made sure to get his money's worth. Immediately after
signing Grange, the Bears went on a grueling barnstorming tour,
playing 19 games in 67 days, from Los Angeles to New York and
everywhere in between. And why not? Halas was aware that football
fans accross America knew who Red Grange was, as he had been
on the cover of Time Magazine as a collegiate, and he was already
part of football lore with his performance against Michigan.
Michigan's feared team hadn't given up a touchdown in more
than a year when Grange's Illinois squad showed up to play them.
In the first 12 minutes, Grange scored four times, on a 95 yard
kickoff return, and runs of 67, 56, and 44 yards. He would finish
the day with 21 carries for 402 yards. The country took notice. Shortly after the barnstorming tour, Grange got
into a disagreement with Halas over his contract, and he left the team to form his own league, the original American
Football League. It only lasted for one year, and his team, the New York Yankees were assimilated into the NFL.
Grange would suffer a knee injury, ironically, against the Bears, which robbed him of his cutting ability and great
speed. He sat out a year, and returned to the Bears where he was a solid runner and stellar defensive back for the
rest of his career.
In George Halas' later years, he was asked how he thought Grange would fare in today's NFL. He replied he'd probably
rush for about 750 or 800 yards. When the interviewer said "well, 800 yards is just okay," Halas sat up in his chair
and said "son, you must remember one thing. Red Grange is 75 years old."
Others considered:
Ray Bourque: Defensman, National Hockey League, Boston Bruins (1979-2000), Colorado Avalanche (2000-2001).
Jim Parker: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Baltimore Colts (1957-1967). Also wore number 62.
Willie Roaf: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, New Orleans Saints (1993-2001), Kansas City Chiefs
(2002-2005).
Karl Mecklenburg: Linebacker, National Football League, Denver Broncos (1983-1994).
78
Anthony Munoz
Given that one of the three best offensive linemen in history
(according to the most impeccable source available... us) wore
the number 78, and given our affinity for those that played the
position, you'd think this would be an easy decision, right? Well,
it wasn't. Bruce Smith also wore the number 78, and while his
career petered out towards the end, we'll always remember the
12 or so years where he and Reggie White were vying to go
down as the best defensive end of the era (and high on the list
of the all-time greats). It certainly rendered the office violent at
best, and downright hateful at its' worst moments (but don't
worry about us, we've since made up over crumpets and li'l
smokies). In the end, Phinnaes and his artistic yet statistical
mind broke down each player and decided that Munoz's effect
on the game trumped that of Smith's, and that he was the man
to be slotted here.
And it's hard to disagree. We're talking about a man who The
Sporting News claims is the 17th best player in NFL history, the
highest ranking offensive lineman, and who was named NFL
Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1981, 1987 and
1988). He went to 11 Pro Bowls in his 12 years, and was also
an All-Pro for 11 straight years. His peers (the NFL Players Association) also gave out an Offensive Lineman of the
Year award, and Munoz won it four times. He was also elected to the Hall of Fame, on the first ballot.
He was one of the most athletic players to ever play the position. He was a pitcher on the 1978 National Champion
USC Trojan baseball team, and he caught four touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays. Sorry Bruce, but Munoz is the man.
Others considered:
Bruce Smith: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Buffalo Bills (1985-1999), Washington Redskins
(2000-2003).
Art Shell: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Oakland Raiders (1968-1981), Los Angeles Raiders
(1982).
Bobby Bell: Linebacker/Defensive End, American Football League, Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1969) and National
Football League, Kansas City Chiefs (1970-1974).
Jackie Slater: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, Los Angeles Rams (1976-1994), St. Louis Rams
(1995).
79
Roosevelt Brown
So, here's a neat trick. The next time you and your
buddies are out having a few, and the topic inevitably
turns to what a steal Tom Brady was in the sixth round,
do this; spit beer in his face (this works best if it's the
"surprised" spit, not the "spiteful" spit), guffaw at his
expense, spill something (and you can take this one
over the top, like, oh we don't know, "accidentally"
knocking the plate of nachos into his lap), say something
smug like "you call Brady a steal?" Or "you're an idiot"
or even "you're a giant idiot." Then, and this is key,
mention a certain Hall of Famer who was drafted 21
rounds later than Brady. Really, it's fun for the whole
family.
That's right, Roosevelt Brown was drafted in the 27th
round. The 27th! And from this 27th (!) round draft choice
the Giants got eight straight All-NFL awards, ten straight
Pro Bowls, and eventually, a Hall of Fame member. He
helped lead New York to six division crowns and one NFL
championship. He was one of the first tackles to pull and
lead block on a running play, usually a sweep or a wide
handoff. And on their list of the 100 Greatest Football
Players, The Sporting News felt good enough about this 27th (!) round draft choice to put him at number 57.
Take that Tom Brady. You call Brady a steal? You're an idiot. Wait, you're a giant idiot.
Regrettably, Brown's career was cut short by chronic phlebitis (possibly caused by a botched surgery). He was
forced to retire in late 1966.
Others considered:
Bob St. Clair: Offensive Lineman, National Football League, San Francisco 49ers (1953-1963).
Harvey Martin: Defensive Lineman, National Football League, Dallas Cowboys (1973-1983).
Alexei Yashin: Center, National Hockey League, Ottawa Senators (1993-2001), New York Islanders (2001-present).