All the players want to be the best at their position. However, very few of the players achieve greatness.
Similarly, every NFL player dreams about being included in the Hall of Fame; after all, only the best are included in the Hall of Fame list. However, even among all of the Hall of Famers, few are better than the others.
The Hall of Famers are the absolute legend of the game. They are almost synonymous with the sport and are a household name. But, apart from that, they also have a significant impact on the game.
Top 10 Best NFL Hall of Famers
The player’s stature and their impact on the game were considered while preparing the list. Similarly, different websites such as NFL Ranker, Pro Football Hall of Fame were considered preparing this list.
| Name of Players | Position |
| 10. Johnny Unitas | Quarterback |
| 9. Barry Sanders | Running Back |
| 8. Lawrence Taylor | Linebacker |
| 7. Walter Payton | Running Back |
| 6. Joe Montana | Quarterback |
| 5. Reggie White | Defensive End |
| 4. Jerry Rice | Wide Receiver |
| 3. David Deacon Jones | Defensive End |
| 2. Don Huston | Wide Receiver |
| 1. Jim Brown | Fullback |
10. Johnny Unitas
An all-time great NFL legend, Johnny Unitas played the NFL league for 17 years. Over the 17 years, he remained a consistently great player and helped his team to win many titles.
He played for Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers. During these 17 years, he achieved every award and championship for a player in the NFL.
However, the legend of Johnny Unitas grew from the NFL championship final in 1958. In the final, Baltimore Colts played against the legendary New York Giants. The game reached overtime.
But, the Colts defeated the Giants by 23-17, which made the NFL widely famous as the series was televised, and Johnny became a legend as he was the leader of the Colt team.
Over the next two decades, Jonny continued his form. He was named the Most Valuable player even in the twilight of his career. He was also included in the NFL 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
9. Barry Sanders
Most of the best NFL Hall of Famers played the sports for an extended period. However, Barry Sanders is one of the very few who played the sports for a comparatively low period.
He played NFL for only 9 years, from 1989 to 1998. During these 9 years, he was always in top form.
Two times Barry was declared as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He was also the MVP player in 1997. Sanders retired in 1998, which shows that he was in his top form throughout his career.
Apart from this, he was included in First-Team All-Pro 6 times. He was included in Pro Bowl his whole career. Unfortunately, he did not win Super Bowl Championship. But, winning the league does not define a single player. Sadly, Detroit Lions did not have a solid team.
Who knows what other records he would have piled if he had continued to play the NFL. But, even in his short career, he managed to leave a legacy that would inspire many players in the upcoming years.
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8. Lawrence Taylor
The outside linebacker of the New York Giants is one of the best players of all time. Taylor played for the Giants from 1981 to 1983.
During this time, he managed to win two Super Bowl Championship. Apart from this, he got selected for the First-team-All-Pro 8 times. Furthermore, he was the NFL Defensive Player of the year 3 times.
Lawrence Taylor showed great prospects from his college days. The Giants selected him during the first round as the second pick. Taylor delivered by winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his first year itself.
He was fast and strong and could tackle the opposing players very easily. The rival teammates were afraid of Lawrence’s tackle.
So, the myth of Lawrence Taylor started from the first year itself. It only grew over the next decade as he won more awards and became an even better player. That’s why he deserves a spot on this list of the 10 best NFL Hall of Famers.
7. Walter Payton
Payton is one of the best running back of all time. His career spanned from 1975 to 1987. During his career, he managed to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award and Offensive Player of the Year in the same year.
In the same year, he managed to win NFL rushing yards leader and rushing touchdowns leader. Similarly, he managed to win rushing attempts leader awards for four years in a row.
In the 70s and 80s, Payton was in the NFL All-Decade Team. This shows that he was in his top form during both decades. During his run, the Chicago Bears also managed to win a Super Bowl Championship.
The NFL Man of the Year award was renamed the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his contribution. The award rewards players charity work which encourages players to make contributions to society.
His method was very different than the running backs of the 1970s. He used ‘stutter-step way where he would run at a varied pace tricking the opposition. Sometimes, he even jumped over his opponents.
6. Joe Montana
Quarterbacks are the star of the NFL. Teams spend a lot of money to acquire quarterbacks. However, there are only a few who are as great as Joe Montana.
The NFL Hall of Famers for quarterbacks is a star-studded one. Joe Montana is the best among the bests.
Most players feel lucky to win the Super Bowl just once. Joe Montana has won the Super Bowl Championship four times. He won all four Super Bowl Championship for the San Francisco 49ers.
Apart from that, he was also the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player three times. For two years in a row, he also won the NFL Most Valuable Player award.
Similarly, he also won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1989. Joe played Pro Bowl 8 times.
The Kansas City Chiefs also won their first AFC Championship game with Joe in the squad.
5. Reggie White
In this list of 10 best NFL Hall of Famers, some players play from different positions. Reggie White played in the Defensive end.
During his fifteen-year-old career, he played for four different teams. From 1984 to 1985, he played for Memphis Showboats, from 1985 to 1992 for Philadelphia Eagles, for Green Bay Packers from 1993 to 1998, and Carolina Panthers in 2000.
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He has a stellar record in the NFL. He won the Defensive Player of the year in 1987 and 1998. In 1987, he was in the beginning phase, and in 1998 he was in his twilight years.
Yet, he was still a great player even at the end of his career. He made it to First-team-All-Pro 8 times. Similarly, he was in Pro Bowl 13 times. Therefore, he was one of the best Hall of Famers.
4. Jerry Rice
In between the 1980s and 1990s, the San Francisco 49ers won 5 Super Bowl championships. During this time, they had great players who went on to be all-time great players.
One such player is Jerry Rice. The wide receiver helped his team to win four Super Bowl championships. During the same time, Joe Montana was also among the team, San Francisco 49ers.
Rice also won the Most valuable player of the Super Bowl in 1988. Apart from that, he also won the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1987.
He was also in the First-team-All-Pro 10 times. Similarly, he played in Pro Bowls on 13 different occasions. His other achievements include winning 6 times NFL receiving yards leader and 6 times NFL receiving touchdown leaders.
For two decades, he was on the All-decade team.
3. David Deacon Jones
Now, it is time for the holy trinity of the NFL. Third on the list is David Deacon Jones. During his professional football career, he played for three different teams.
From 1961 to 1971, he played for Los Angeles Rams. Similarly, he played for the San Diego Chargers from 1972 to 1973. In his last year, he played for the Washington Redskins.
Deacon Jones’s career was filled with major achievements. He played Pro Bowl 8 times. Apart from that, he won the sacks leader five times.
He is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Many experts believed that he was the best defensive player of the modern era. One of his key strengths was his speed.
Compared to the other defensive players, he was swift. He could tackle from one side to another without breaking a sweat. That’s why many players struggled to bypass him.
2. Don Hutson
Sometimes, the old players are forgotten due to recency bias. We tend to remember the latest players and statistics only. However, there were great players even during the early year of the NFL, Don Hutson being one of them.
He played from the end position for Green Bay Packers. In his eleven years as a player, the Packers won three NFL championships. Regarding his individual achievements, he won the NFL Most Valuable Player award two times.
Similarly, he was on the First-team-All-Pro 8 times. Don also won receiving touchdowns leader 9 times and receiving yards leader 7 times. His influence on the modern players is also strong.
Don is one of the most decorated players from the early age of the NFL.
1. Jim Brown
The ultra legend Jim Brown needs no introduction. He’s an NFL rockstar. Another reason for his fame is the movies. He’s been part of many movies. Perhaps the most famous among them is The Dirty Dozen.
His record in the NFL is also equally impressive. Jim won the Most Valuable Player award three times.
As a running back, his record is equally impressive. He has 106 rushing touchdowns and 20 receiving touchdowns in his career. No doubt he won the rushing touchdowns leader award five times. Similarly, he won the rushing yards leader eight times.
In his whole career, he always played Pro Bowl. On 8 occasions, he was on the First-team-all-pro. That’s why he’s the best of the best.
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Conclusion
These legends show that with hard work and dedication, we can distinguish ourselves from the crowd. Nothing is impossible if we give our 100 percent.
