NFL--American Football
Bo Jackson--[MENTION=296]The Chosen Messiah[/MENTION], [MENTION=51]Fuji Vice[/MENTION], Porkchop
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a retired American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.
In football, Jackson played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. In baseball, he played left field and was a designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels of the American League in Major League Baseball. While at Auburn University, Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy, annually awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States. He also ran a 40-yard dash in 4.12 seconds (hand-timed), which is still the fastest verifiable 40-yard dash time ever recorded at any NFL Combine. A hip injury in January 1991 ended his football career and severely impaired his professional baseball career.
In 1989 and 1990, Jackson's name became known beyond just sports fans through the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign, a series of advertisements by Nike, that starred Jackson alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Bo Diddley, promoting a cross-training athletic shoe named for Jackson.
Barry Sanders----Messiah, Fuji, and Pork
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. A member of both the college and professional football halls of fame, he was ranked by NFL Top 10 as the most elusive runner in NFL history and also topped their list of greatest players never to reach the Super Bowl. Averaging over 1,500 rushing yards per season, Sanders left the game just 1,457 yards short of being first place on the list for the NFL all-time rushing record at that time.
Joe Montana---Messiah, Fuji, Pork
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. (born June 11, 1956), nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired professional football player, a hall of fame quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. After winning a college national championship at Notre Dame, Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with San Francisco, where he played for the next 14 seasons. Traded before the 1993 season, he spent his final two years in the league with Kansas City. While a member of the 49ers, Montana started in four Super Bowl games and won all of them. Montana was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility.
In 1989, and again in 1990, the Associated Press named Montana the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and Sports Illustrated magazine named Montana the 1990 "Sportsman of the Year". Four years earlier, in 1986, Montana won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Montana was elected to eight Pro Bowls, as well as being voted 1st team All-Pro by the AP in 1987, 1989, and 1990. Montana had the highest passer rating in the National Football Conference (NFC) five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989); and, in both 1987 and 1989, Montana had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL.
Noted for his ability to remain calm under pressure, Montana helped his teams to 31 fourth quarter come-from-behind wins. In the closing moments of the 1981 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXIII, Montana threw game-winning touchdown passes. The touchdown at the end of the championship game was so memorable that sports journalists, fans, and many others, refer to the play simply as "The Catch". The touchdown in the closing moments of Super Bowl XXIII came at the end of a 92-yard drive.
The 49ers retired the number 16, the jersey number Montana wore while with the team. In 1993, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and led the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game in January 1994. In 1994, Montana earned a spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team; he is also a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Montana third on their list of Football's 100 Greatest Players. Also in 1999, ESPN named Montana the 25th greatest athlete of the 20th century. In 2006, Sports Illustrated rated him the number one clutch quarterback of all-time.
Jim Brown---Fuji and Pork
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever. He is considered to be one of the greatest professional athletes the U.S. has ever produced.
Jerry Rice---Messiah, Pork
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is a former American football wide receiver who played twenty seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history and among the greatest NFL players at any position. On November 4, 2010, Rice was chosen by NFL Network's NFL Films production The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players as the greatest player in NFL history.
He is the all-time leader in most major statistical categories for wide receivers and the all-time NFL leader in receptions, touchdown receptions, and yards. Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times (1986–1996, 1998, 2002) and named All-Pro 12 times in his 20 NFL seasons. He won three Super Bowl rings playing for the San Francisco 49ers and an AFC Championship with the Oakland Raiders.
Deion Luwynn Sanders (born August 9, 1967) is an American former football and baseball player, who currently works as an NFL Network analyst. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6, 2011.
Nicknamed 'Prime Time' and 'Neon Deion', he played football primarily at cornerback, but also as a kick returner, punt returner and occasionally as a running back or wide receiver. He played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens, winning the Super Bowl with both the 49ers and the Cowboys. An outfielder in baseball, he played professionally for the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants, and participated in the 1992 World Series with the Braves. He attended Florida State University, where he excelled at both football and baseball.
Chad Ochocinco----Messiah
Chad Javon Johnson (born January 9, 1978), formerly Chad Ochocinco, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent as of early 2013. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Johnson also played for the New England Patriots in 2011 and had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2012, playing in one preseason game.
He played college football at both Oregon State and Santa Monica College. He also played high school football at Miami Beach Senior High School.
In April 2011, CNBC listed the then-Ochocinco as #1 on the list of "Most Influential Athletes In Social Media." Johnson is a six-time NFL Pro Bowler and was named to three All-Pro teams.
George Frederick Blanda ("The Grand Old Man") (September 17, 1927 – September 27, 2010) was a former American football quarterback and placekicker. The son of a Slovak-born Pittsburgh-area coal miner, Blanda has the distinction of having played 26 seasons of professional football, the most in the sport's history, and had scored more points than anyone in history at the time of his retirement. Blanda retired from pro football in 1976. He was one of only three players to play in four different decades, and he holds the record for most extra points kicked.[2] He was married to Betty Harris from December 17, 1949 until his death on September 27, 2010. He had two children.
Brett Favre---[MENTION=157]Mitch Dynomite[/MENTION]
Brett Lorenzo Favre (born October 10, 1969) is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons (1991), Green Bay Packers (1992–2007), New York Jets (2008) and Minnesota Vikings (2009–2010). Favre is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 70,000 yards, over 500 touchdowns, over 300 interceptions, over 6,000 completions, and over 10,000 pass attempts.
Favre started at the quarterback position for the University of Southern Mississippi for four years before being selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by Atlanta (33rd overall). He was traded to Green Bay on February 10, 1992, for the 19th pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.
Favre became the Packers' starting quarterback in the fourth game of the 1992 season, stepping in for injured quarterback Don Majkowski, and started every game through the 2007 season. He was traded to the New York Jets and started at quarterback for the 2008 season before signing with the Vikings on August 18, 2009 as their starting quarterback.[7] He made an NFL record 297 consecutive starts (321 including playoffs).
He is the only player to win the AP Most Valuable Player three consecutive times (1995–97).[8] He has led teams to eight division championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009), five NFC Championship Games (1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2009), and two Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl XXXI, Super Bowl XXXII), winning one (Super Bowl XXXI).
He holds many NFL records, including most career touchdown passes, most career passing yards, most career pass completions, most career pass attempts, most career interceptions thrown, most consecutive starts by a player, most consecutive starts by a quarterback, most career victories as a starting quarterback, most sacked, and most fumbles.
He is also referred to by his nickname "The Gunslinger".
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, once held the league's record for most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. His eight career touchdown passes are an NFL record for non-quarterbacks. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being.
Payton began his football career in Mississippi, and went on to have an outstanding collegiate football career at Jackson State University where he was an All-American. He started his professional career with the Bears in 1975, who selected him as the 1975 Draft's fourth overall pick. Payton proceeded to win two NFL Most Valuable Player Awards and won Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Chicago Bears. After struggling with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis for several months, Payton died on November 1, 1999, aged 45, from cholangiocarcinoma. His legacy includes the Walter Payton Award, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and a heightened awareness of the need for organ donations.
Ray Lewis----Mitch, Messiah
Ray Anthony Lewis, Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire professional career for the Baltimore Ravens which spanned 17 seasons from 1996 to 2013, and for the University of Miami in college.
Drafted by the Ravens in 1996, Lewis was the last player remaining from the inaugural team at the start of the 2012-13 season. He gained notoriety for his involvement in a January 2000 fight that resulted in an indictment on murder and aggravated-assault charges. In a plea agreement he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in exchange for testifying against two other defendants.
Despite this incident, Lewis rehabilitated his image over the years while being selected to 13 Pro Bowls and named an Associated Press All-Pro 10 times. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003, becoming the sixth player to win the award multiple times. Lewis was also the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award and the first to win the award on the winning Super Bowl team.
After a triceps tear that sidelined him for most of the 2012-13 season, Lewis returned for playoffs and guided the Ravens playoff run and a victory in Super Bowl XLVII.
Chris Henry (May 17, 1983 – December 17, 2009) was an American football wide receiver who played five seasons in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at West Virginia and was drafted by the Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons from 1998 to 2011. He is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and an elder brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season. However, No. 3 Tennessee lost to the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers 42-17 in the Orange Bowl giving Nebraska and Tom Osborne their 3rd national championship in 4 years. He was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. From 1998 to 2010, he led the Colts to eight (seven AFC South and one AFC East) division championships, two AFC championships, and to a Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XLI). He has won a record four league most valuable player awards,[1] was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI, has been named to twelve Pro Bowls, has twelve 4,000-yard passing seasons, and is the Indianapolis Colts' all-time leader in passing yards (54,828) and touchdown passes (399). In 2009, he was named the best player in the NFL and Fox Sports along with Sports Illustrated named him the NFL player of the decade of the 2000s.
In May 2011, he underwent neck surgery to alleviate neck pain and arm weakness he dealt with during the previous few seasons before signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Colts in July 2011. Manning had hoped to play in the 2011 season, but in September 2011, he underwent a much more serious second surgery: a level one cervical fusion procedure. Manning had never missed an NFL game in his career, but was forced to miss the entire 2011 season. He was released by the Colts on March 7, 2012, and after an almost two-week period where he visited with and worked out for several NFL teams, he signed with the Denver Broncos on March 20, 2012.
Manning's pre-snap routine has earned him the nickname, "The Sheriff" and is one of the most recognizable and parodied in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts' almost exclusive use of the hurry-up offense led to Manning using an array of gestures and verbal commands to call the play at the line of scrimmage rather than in the huddle.
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the University of Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
In Brady's ten seasons as a starter, the Patriots have earned trips to the Super Bowl in five of them, winning three. He has also won two Super Bowl MVP awards, has been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. His career postseason record is 17–7; his playoff win total is the highest in NFL history. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003–04), and in 2007 he led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the institution of the 16-game schedule. Brady has the third highest career passer rating of all time (96.6) among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 career passing attempts. In 2012, Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to 10 division titles.
Brady and Joe Montana are the only two players in NFL history to win the NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl MVP awards multiple times. Brady and John Elway are the only two quarterbacks to lead their teams to five Super Bowls. He was also named the NFL MVP in 2007 and 2010 (becoming the first player to be unanimously chosen as MVP in the 2010 season) as well as 2007 Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, the first time an NFL player has been so honored since Joe Montana won the award in 1990.
He and Bill Belichick have also combined to form one of the most successful quarterback-coach tandems in NFL history, winning 125 regular season games and 17 postseason games together, as well as appearing in five Super Bowls together, all NFL records.
Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972), nicknamed "The Bus," is a former American football halfback who played for the St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Bettis is sixth on the list of NFL rushing yards leaders. He retired in 2006 after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL in his native Detroit, Michigan.
Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and an actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his college career. He played college football at the University of Miami. In 2007, he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Irvin is also known as one of "The Triplets" along with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. The Triplets highlighted the Dallas Cowboys' offense in the 1990s that won three Super Bowls.
He competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. Irvin was the 9th contestant to be eliminated.
I will have the top 5 vote collectors up next to determine the top 5.
