How well-known are these all-time great sports figures?

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by TanksAndSpartans

The football fans I know don't have much sense of history. I have a photo of Halas and Nagurski and none have recognized either, but have at least heard of Halas once I explain the photo. Forget the general population, I would say only about 1% of football fans have any sense of anything that happened before the 1st Super Bowl.

John, I'd have to disagree with the bolded portion of your quote. All my guy friends, save for one, are football fans, and I think most all of them at least know some of the more famous names of the pre-Super Bowl era.

I pulled up a list of the greatest players of the pre-Super Bowl era I found on Bleacher Report, listed by decade, and I know a majority of them. The ones I've bolded, I've at least heard of.

The 1920s

1. Red Grange
2. Jim Thorpe
3. Ernie Nevers
4. Paddy Driscoll
5. George Trafton
6. Mike Michalske
7. Cal Hubbard
8. Pete Henry
9. Joe Guyon
10. Link Lyman

The 1930s

1. Don Hutson
2. Bronko Nagurski
3. Mel Hein
4. Dutch Clark
5. Clarke Hinkle
6. Arnie Herber
7. Johnny "Blood" McNally
8. Dan Fortmann
9. Joe Stydahar
10. Cliff Battles

The 1940s

1. Sammy Baugh
2. Steve Van Buren
3. Sid Luckman
4. Bulldog Turner
5. Bill Dudley
6. George McAfee
7. Tony Canadeo
8. Charley Trippi
9. Marion Motley
10. Bob Waterfield

The 1950s
4 OF 10
1. Otto Graham
2. Dick "Night Train" Lane
3. Chuck Bednarik
4. Gino Marchetti
5. Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
6. Johnny Unitas
7. Jim Brown
8. Emlen Tunnell
9. Sam Huff
10. Norm Van Brocklin


The 1960s

1. Jim Brown
2. Johnny Unitas
3. Dick Butkus
4. David "Deacon" Jones
5. Gale Sayers
6. Bart Starr
7. Forrest Gregg
8. Ray Nitschke
9. Bob Lilly
10. Merlin Olsen