NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

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The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [1] [2] The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, as well as a first- and second-team head coaches.

Contents

Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. [3] Players that also made the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team (the first NFL all-decade list) were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken. [a] [4] Walter Payton, John Hannah, Mike Webster, Ted Hendricks, Jack Lambert, Billy Johnson, Rick Upchurch, and Chuck Noll would also be named to the 1980s All-Decade Team.

Offense

*Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ¤~Hall of Fame Finalist [5]
PositionFirst TeamVotesHall of Fame?Second TeamVotesHall of Fame?
Quarterback Terry Bradshaw* (Pittsburgh Steelers)13Yes Roger Staubach* (Dallas Cowboys)3Yes
Ken Stabler* (Oakland Raiders)3Yes
Running back O. J. Simpson* (Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers)22Yes Earl Campbell* (Houston Oilers)8Yes
Walter Payton* (Chicago Bears)11Yes Franco Harris* (Pittsburgh Steelers)7Yes
Wide receiver Lynn Swann* (Pittsburgh Steelers)21Yes Paul Warfield* (Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns)5Yes
Drew Pearson* (Dallas Cowboys)7Yes Harold Carmichael* (Philadelphia Eagles)2Yes
Tight end Dave Casper* (Oakland Raiders)20Yes Charlie Sanders* (Detroit Lions)3Yes
Tackle Art Shell* (Oakland Raiders)13Yes Dan Dierdorf* (St. Louis Cardinals)11Yes
Rayfield Wright* (Dallas Cowboys)12Yes Ron Yary* (Minnesota Vikings)5Yes
Guard Larry Little* (Miami Dolphins)16Yes John Hannah* (New England Patriots)9Yes
Joe DeLamielleure* (Buffalo Bills)12Yes Gene Upshaw* (Oakland Raiders)6Yes
Center Jim Langer* (Miami Dolphins)15Yes Mike Webster* (Pittsburgh Steelers)6Yes

Defense

PositionFirst TeamVotesHall of Fame?Second TeamVotesHall of Fame?
Defensive end Jack Youngblood* (Los Angeles Rams)18Yes L. C. Greenwood ~ (Pittsburgh Steelers)106 time finalist
Carl Eller* (Minnesota Vikings)11Yes Harvey Martin (Dallas Cowboys)5No
Defensive tackle Joe Greene* (Pittsburgh Steelers)18Yes Alan Page* (Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears)8Yes
Bob Lilly* (Dallas Cowboys)16Yes Merlin Olsen* (Los Angeles Rams)5Yes
Middle linebacker Dick Butkus* (Chicago Bears)9Yes Jack Lambert* (Pittsburgh Steelers)6Yes
Outside linebacker Jack Ham* (Pittsburgh Steelers)20Yes Robert Brazile* (Houston Oilers)5Yes
Ted Hendricks* (Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders)8Yes Bobby Bell* (Kansas City Chiefs)4Yes
Cornerback Willie Brown* (Oakland Raiders)13Yes Louis Wright (Denver Broncos)7No
Jimmy Johnson* (San Francisco 49ers)8Yes Roger Wehrli* (St. Louis Cardinals)7Yes
Safety Ken Houston* (Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins)16Yes Larry Wilson* (St. Louis Cardinals)7Yes
Cliff Harris* (Dallas Cowboys)15Yes Dick Anderson (Miami Dolphins)3No

Special teams

PositionFirst TeamVotesHall of Fame?Second TeamVotesHall of Fame?
Kicker Garo Yepremian (Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints)8No Jim Bakken (St. Louis Cardinals)7No
Punter Ray Guy* (Oakland Raiders)24Yes Jerrel Wilson (Kansas City Chiefs)1No
Kick Returner Rick Upchurch (Denver Broncos)10No Billy "White Shoes" Johnson (Houston Oilers)6No

Coach

PositionFirst TeamVotesHall of Fame?Second TeamVotesHall of Fame?
Coach Don Shula* (Miami Dolphins)11Yes Chuck Noll* (Pittsburgh Steelers)9Yes

Notes

  1. ↑ Willie Brown was named to two all-decade teams, as the American Football League All-Time Team (a league that merged with the NFL) covered the 1960s.

References

  1. ↑ Pro! Official Magazine of the NFL. 1980.
  2. ↑ "1970s ALL-DECADE TEAM". NFL.com. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  3. ↑ "NFL All-Decade Team of the 1970s". Tyrone Daily Herald. 1980-07-29. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  4. ↑ "Tom Brady is first QB to make two all-decade teams". 6 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Finalist list". Pro Football Hall of Fame.com. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
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