Who's your single favorite player of all time?

[Kurri17]

Love the topic, because like you most discovered the game as kids, and nothing is more pure than a young boy's allegiance to his favorite player, or team. Mine was, and still is Roger Staubach. This infatuation took hold during the '74 season, ironically one which did not result in a playoff appearance. We had moved from California to Arkansas, and the Cowboys were on TV more regularly due to regional broadcasts. He was a classy player, tough, and of course there was his legendary will to win. Just something about him. Griese, Tarkenton, Bradshaw, etc, there were a lot of great players and QBs , but as the line in the song goes "I was Roger Staubach in my backyard", with the little pushing up of the shoulder pads before going under center and all. Heck, I loved Tom Landry too, and have refused to follow the Cowboys since the day he was fired, but Staubach was my guy.

[commishbob]

Johnny Unitas. I remember being in church as a kid on Sunday mornings in the early 60s and praying for him and my Colts. Went to his restaurant in Baltimore once hoping to see him but of course, he wasn't there. I went to the Colts training camp a few times and recall him walking right by me on the way off the field. Back then you could get right up near the players, especially us kids. It was like watching God stroll past.

I had to wait to watch him play in person until I saw him in Houston in 1970 against the Oilers. Drove through a terrible storm to see him with my Dad. Funny the things you remember....the Orioles were playing a World Series game on TV when we left my house. He threw a late TD to Roy Jefferson to win the game. I'll never forget how he threw the pass, turned, and began trotting towards the sidelines. He knew it was on the money for a score.

I never thought a death outside my family would leave me grieving. I was brokenhearted when he passed away. There will never be another Johnny U.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Bart Starr was the guy for me back in the 1960's. It was so rewarding to find that he was even an nicer guy in person when I finally met him ten years ago. Not often that your childhood hero turns out that way.

Also Lance Alworth, sadly my earliest memory of football on TV was when he dropped a pass in the endzone against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. It didn't dim my enthusiasm for him while growing up. I got to see him play briefly in person in 1964 against the Oilers with Ronnie Caviness and Danny Brabham. Lance received a concussion early in the game but we got to get close to him during the warm ups.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by commishbob

Johnny Unitas. I remember being in church as a kid on Sunday mornings in the early 60s and praying for him and my Colts. Went to his restaurant in Baltimore once hoping to see him but of course, he wasn't there. I went to the Colts training camp a few times and recall him walking right by me on the way off the field. Back then you could get right up near the players, especially us kids. It was like watching God stroll past.

I had to wait to watch him play in person until I saw him in Houston in 1970 against the Oilers. Drove through a terrible storm to see him with my Dad. Funny the things you remember....the Orioles were playing a World Series game on TV when we left my house. He threw a late TD to Roy Jefferson to win the game. I'll never forget how he threw the pass, turned, and began trotting towards the sidelines. He knew it was on the money for a score.

I never thought a death outside my family would leave me grieving. I was brokenhearted when he passed away. There will never be another Johnny U.

I enjoyed reading this.

[Jeff Alcorn]

For me it would be Eddie Meador, with honorable mention to the Fearsome Foursome, Ken Iman, Charlie Cowan, Joe Scibelli, and Tom Mack.

For my Dad it would be Don Paul (UCLA & the Rams), Kenny Washington and Gary Beban, with a nod to Bob Waterfield, Paul Younger, Dan Towler, Charlie Toogood, and Tom Fears. As you can tell we are 2 generations of old school Rams & UCLA guys.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Eddie Meador perhaps the greatest the greatest Arkansas Tech Wonder Boy of all-time. Well maybe second best but I am trying to be humble Especially since I never started. Well or even played in a varsity game. But at 5-8 128 I think I should get some credit for surviving.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

Eddie Meador perhaps the greatest the greatest Arkansas Tech Wonder Boy of all-time. Well maybe second best but I am trying to be humble Especially since I never started. Well or even played in a varsity game. But at 5-8 128 I think I should get some credit for surviving.

Small world...that's where I earned my BA!

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[Hot Springs Bathers]

I was a little ahead of you I'm sure. My freshman season was 1972 the year after they played for the national championship. I later worked in the athletic department at Henderson State for many years.

I was at Tech last week and had lunch at the Old Bank Sports Pub. They have a nice Eddie Meador display on the wall.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Kurri17

Love the topic, because like you most discovered the game as kids, and nothing is more pure than a young boy's allegiance to his favorite player, or team. Mine was, and still is Roger Staubach. This infatuation took hold during the '74 season, ironically one which did not result in a playoff appearance. We had moved from California to Arkansas, and the Cowboys were on TV more regularly due to regional broadcasts. He was a classy player, tough, and of course there was his legendary will to win. Just something about him. Griese, Tarkenton, Bradshaw, etc, there were a lot of great players and QBs , but as the line in the song goes "I was Roger Staubach in my backyard", with the little pushing up of the shoulder pads before going under center and all. Heck, I loved Tom Landry too, and have refused to follow the Cowboys since the day he was fired, but Staubach was my guy.

As a Redskins fan I hated the Cowboys, but reluctantly loved Staubach, the whole on and off field package. I loved Jurgensen too, a truly great quarterback IMO stuck on mostly awful teams. And robbed late in his career by George Allen of the opportunity to play with good teams.

[Kurri17]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

As a Redskins fan I hated the Cowboys, but reluctantly loved Staubach, the whole on and off field package. I loved Jurgensen too, a truly great quarterback IMO stuck on mostly awful teams. And robbed late in his career by George Allen of the opportunity to play with good teams.

That's funny. As much as I disliked the Redskins, I just couldn't dislike Chris Hamburger. Roger Wehrli for the Cardinals was another on a hated rival that was a guy I really liked.

And, Unitas was my first hero, I just didn't get to see him play for that long before he retired, but he is still up there as well as far as favorites.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Staubach only had 7 or 8 full seasons I think, so his stats are not so great, but of all the QBs I have seen since I was old enough to know what I was watching, other than perhaps Brady, if I needed someone to win a big game I would go with him. Of course Montana is up there too.

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Staubach only had 7 or 8 full seasons I think, so his stats are not so great, but of all the QBs I have seen since I was old enough to know what I was watching, other than perhaps Brady, if I needed someone to win a big game I would go with him. Of course Montana is up there too.

Not to be a contrarian, but I'd choose Stabler. Guy had ice water in his veins. Loved the way he so effortlessly flung the ball. Tough for me to choose between those Bay area boys, Montana and Stabler.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by pclpads

Not to be a contrarian, but I'd choose Stabler. Guy had ice water in his veins. Loved the way he so effortlessly flung the ball. Tough for me to choose between those Bay area boys, Montana and Stabler.

Yeah he never really got his due not sure why. Maybe the renegade personality, quite the opposite of Staubach.

[DBesse27]

Andre Tippett!!

[tjenkins]

No doubt on who this is for me. Easy choice because I grew watching him and was always amazed at what he could do despite the critics saying he would never make it as a Pro. He was undersized, did not have a huge arm but had a way about him. I arguable consider him the best scrambler ever. He had this way of finding a way to win kinda like Captain Kirk always found a way to stay alive. I would like to know how many miles he scrambled? When he retired he had every major passing record which all have since been broken.

Francis Asbury Tarkenton "Fran the Man!"

[Jim65]

Larry Csonka is the reason Im a Dolphins fan, my fave football player of all-time.

[Rookiemonster]

As a Giants fan I loved Lawrence Taylor. When I was a kid I did not understand the game that well. But I liked what I saw when LT was destroying everything on the field. He made me a Giants fan and a football fan. This is also the reason I’m starting to dislike football. I’m a fan of the big hit ! The brute gladiator throwing his body recklessly into his opponents body with utter disregard for either of there body’s. Without this the game is stale and boring and I don’t understand the point of them being paid what they do. My argument was always that they got paid for this body sacrifice they made.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Rookiemonster

As a Giants fan I loved Lawrence Taylor. When I was a kid I did not understand the game that well. But I liked what I saw when LT was destroying everything on the field. He made me a Giants fan and a football fan. This is also the reason I’m starting to dislike football. I’m a fan of the big hit ! The brute gladiator throwing his body recklessly into his opponents body with utter disregard for either of there body’s. Without this the game is stale and boring and I don’t understand the point of them being paid what they do. My argument was always that they got paid for this body sacrifice they made.

LT was an absolute game changer! Parcells and the Giants did a pretty good job of turning him loose to disrupt opposing offenses. I will never forget the MNF game when he crushed Joe Theismann.

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[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Staubach only had 7 or 8 full seasons I think, so his stats are not so great, but of all the QBs I have seen since I was old enough to know what I was watching, other than perhaps Brady, if I needed someone to win a big game I would go with him. Of course Montana is up there too.

I despised Staubach (and the Cowboys) as a kid but after watching his A Football Life episode I became a huge fan. He is the definition of the All American Boy and lives his life the right way. I made both my boys watch it.

Met him once years ago at a social event and didn't take advantage of the opportunity. Always sorry I didn't ask him a few questions and talk football ... or maybe bring a few cards for him to sign ;-) This was before I got back into collecting and the thought didn't even cross my mind.

jeff