Items18The creator’s order
  1. 1Don HutsonDon HutsonBorn 31 Jan 1913End (receiver), Green Bay Packers, 1935 to 1945. Hutson is credited with inventing much of modern route running, using deliberate fakes and cuts to get open when most ends simply ran downfield. He led the league in receiving yards seven times, at a time when the passing game was still secondary.0i
  2. 2Sammy BaughSammy BaughBorn 17 Mar 1914Quarterback, Washington. "Slingin' Sammy" turned the forward pass from a gamble into the centre of an offence in the late 1930s and 1940s. In 1943 he led the league in passing, punting and interceptions as a defender, a reminder that his era's players covered every phase before specialisation.0i
  3. 3Night Train LaneNight Train LaneCornerback, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions. Lane intercepted 14 passes as a rookie in 1952, in a 12-game season, a record that still stands. His aggressive, ball-hawking style showed that a cornerback could attack the pass rather than simply cover.0i
  4. 4Jim BrownJim BrownRunning back, Cleveland Browns, 1957 to 1965. Brown led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and retired at 29 at his peak. His combination of size, speed and balance made the running back the focal point of an offence, and defences were built around stopping one man.0i
  5. 5Deacon JonesDeacon JonesDefensive end, Los Angeles Rams. Jones coined the term "sack" and made rushing the passer the defensive end's main job in the 1960s. His head slap was later banned, one of several rule changes that show how much he forced the league to adapt.0i
  6. 6Ray GuyRay GuyBorn 22 Dec 1949Punter, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Guy was the first player drafted in the first round purely as a punter and, in 2014, the first pure punter elected to the Hall of Fame. His high, long punts made hang time a measured skill and showed that field position could be won by a specialist.0i
  7. 7Lawrence TaylorLawrence TaylorBorn 4 Feb 1959Outside linebacker, New York Giants. Taylor turned the outside linebacker into a pass rusher first, won league MVP in 1986 as a defender, and forced offences to rethink protection, raising the value of the left tackle and the blocking tight end. Few players changed opponents' rosters as directly.0i
  8. 8Anthony MuñozAnthony MuñozLeft tackle, Cincinnati Bengals. Muñoz was selected to 11 straight Pro Bowls in the 1980s and became the model for the athletic left tackle who protects a right-handed quarterback's blind side. Watching him is the best way to understand a position whose work only shows when it fails.0i
  9. 9Joe MontanaJoe MontanaQuarterback, San Francisco 49ers. Montana ran Bill Walsh's West Coast offence, built on short, timed passes that acted like an extension of the running game, and won four Super Bowls. His accuracy and decision-making in that system changed what teams looked for in a quarterback.0i
  10. 10Jerry RiceJerry RiceWide receiver, San Francisco 49ers and others. Rice holds the career records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, built on precise routes and yards after the catch in the West Coast system. His off-season training regime became a template for receivers who followed.0i