NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Last updated

The National Football League 50th Anniversary All-Time Team was selected in 1969 by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters from each franchise city of the National Football League (NFL) to honor the greatest players of the first 50 years of the league. [1] A total of 16 players were named, including 15 position winners and one special "legend" category for Jim Thorpe, [2] [3] who was described "as the star that never diminishes." [4] At the time, all but three of the players had played in 20 prior years; four were on NFL rosters at the time of the selections: Johnny Unitas, Gale Sayers, John Mackey, and Ray Nitschke. [4] Additionally, two runners-up were also named for each of the 15 positions. [3]

Contents

Seven of the sixteen players from the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team also made the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team: Johnny Unitas, Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Don Hutson, Gino Marchetti, Ray Nitschke, and Dick "Night Train" Lane.

Eleven of the sixteen players from the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team also made the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team: Johnny Unitas, Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Don Hutson, Elroy Hirsch, John Mackey, Cal Hubbard, Chuck Bednarik, Gino Marchetti, Dick "Night Train" Lane, and Emlen Tunnell.

With Jerry Kramer making the Hall of Fame class of 2018, all members of the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Offense

Source: [3]

PositionPlayerTeam(s) played for
Legend [lower-alpha 1] Jim Thorpe Canton Bulldogs (1915–1917, 1919–1920)
Cleveland Indians (1921)
Oorang Indians (1922–1923)
Rock Island Independents (1924)
New York Giants (1925)
Rock Island Independents (1925)
Tampa Cardinals (1926)
Canton Bulldogs (1926)
Chicago Cardinals (1928)
QB Johnny Unitas [lower-alpha 2] Baltimore Colts (1956–1972)
San Diego Chargers (1973)
FB Jim Brown Cleveland Browns (1957–1965)
HB Gale Sayers [lower-alpha 2] Chicago Bears (1965–1971)
SE Don Hutson Green Bay Packers (1935–1945)
FL Elroy Hirsch Chicago Rockets (1946–1948)
Los Angeles Rams (1949–1957)
TE John Mackey [lower-alpha 2] Baltimore Colts (1963–1971)
San Diego Chargers (1972)
OT Cal Hubbard New York Giants (1927–1928, 1936)
Green Bay Packers (1929–1933, 1935)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1936)
G Jerry Kramer Green Bay Packers (1958–1968)
C Chuck Bednarik Philadelphia Eagles (1949–1962)

Defense

Source: [3]

PositionPlayerTeam(s) played for
DE Gino Marchetti Dallas Texans (1952)
Baltimore Colts (1953–1964, 1966)
DT Leo Nomellini San Francisco 49ers (1950–1963)
LB Ray Nitschke [lower-alpha 2] Green Bay Packers (1958–1972)
CB Night Train Lane Los Angeles Rams (1952–1953)
Chicago Cardinals (1954–1959)
Detroit Lions (1960–1965)
S Emlen Tunnell New York Giants (1948–1958)
Green Bay Packers (1959–1961)

Special teams

Source: [3]

PositionPlayerTeam(s) played for
PK Lou Groza Cleveland Browns (1946–1967)

Runners-up

Two runners-up were selected for each of the 15 positions as follows:

QB: Sammy Baugh and Norm Van Brocklin; FB: Bronko Nagurski and Joe Perry; HB: Harold Grange and Hugh McElhenny; SE: Raymond Berry and Dante Lavelli; FL: Boyd Dowler [lower-alpha 2] and Lenny Moore; TE: Mike Ditka [lower-alpha 2] and Ron Kramer; OT: Forrest Gregg [lower-alpha 2] and Joe Stydahar; G: Dan Fortmann and Jim Parker; C: Mel Hein and Alex Wojciechowicz; DE: Len Ford and Deacon Jones [lower-alpha 2] ; DT: Art Donovan and Ernie Stautner; LB: Joe Schmidt and Clyde Turner; CB: Herb Adderley [lower-alpha 2] and Jack Butler, S: Jack Christiansen and Larry Wilson; [lower-alpha 2] PK: Ernie Nevers and Ken Strong. [3] [5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Special category [2]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Active at time of selection

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Unitas</span> American football player (1933–2002)

John Constantine Unitas was an American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Following a career that spanned from 1956 to 1973, he has been listed as one of the greatest NFL players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Hutson</span> American football player and coach (1913–1997)

Donald Montgomery Hutson, nicknamed "the Alabama Antelope", was an American football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). In the era of the one-platoon football, he played as an end and spent his entire 11-year career with the Green Bay Packers. Under head coach Curly Lambeau, Hutson led the Packers to four NFL Championship Games, winning three in 1936, 1939, and 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Nitschke</span> American football player (1936–1998)

Raymond Ernest Nitschke was an American professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, he was the anchor of the defense for head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960s, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Kramer</span> American football player (born 1936)

Gerald Louis Kramer is an American former professional football player, author and sports commentator. He played 11 years as a guard and kicker with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Willie Edward Lanier, is a former American football linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the American Football League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gino Marchetti</span> American football player (1926–2019)

Gino John Marchetti(Pronounced: Mar-KETT-i) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end and offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played in 1952 for the Dallas Texans and from 1953 to 1966 for the Baltimore Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mackey (American football)</span> American football player (1941–2011)

John Mackey was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was born in Roosevelt, New York and attended Syracuse University. He was the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) following the AFL-NFL merger, serving from 1970 to 1973. Mackey was also a major reason the NFLPA created the "88 Plan", which financially supports ex-players who required living assistance in later years.

The 1958 NFL Championship Game was the 26th NFL championship game, played on December 28 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first NFL playoff game to be decided in sudden death overtime. The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants 23–17 in what soon became widely known as "the Greatest Game Ever Played". Its legendary status in the pantheon of historic NFL games was again confirmed by a nationwide poll of 66 media members in 2019, who voted it the best game in the league's first 100 years.

The National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team was chosen by a selection committee of media and league personnel in 1994 to honor the greatest players of the first 75 years of the National Football League (NFL). Five players on the list were on NFL rosters at the time of the selections: Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Rod Woodson, Reggie White, and Ronnie Lott. Gale Sayers was named to the team as both a halfback and kickoff returner. Every player is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, except for Billy "White Shoes" Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Parker (American football)</span> American football player (1934–2005)

James Thomas Parker was an American professional football player who an offensive tackle and guard for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played from 1957 to 1967, and was a member of Baltimore's NFL championship teams in 1958 and 1959. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro in nine of his 11 seasons in the NFL. Parker was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Lee Roy Caffey was an American professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. Caffey is one of the top 100 Green Bay Packers of All-Time (#57). Caffey and teammates, Ray Nitchke and Dave Robinson, were named one of the top 10 best linebacking trios in the history of the NFL by ESPN. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and is one of Texas A&M’s top 10 best players in the NFL.

The 1994 season was the Green Bay Packers' 74th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 76th overall. The Packers finished with a 9–7 record for their third straight winning season. 1994 marked the first of 8 seasons in which Packers' quarterback Brett Favre would throw more than 30 touchdown passes. It also marked the second season in which he started all 16 games for the Packers, starting a record-breaking starting streak which would continue throughout his career. This was the final season that the Packers played at Milwaukee County Stadium; they played home games exclusively at Lambeau beginning in 1995. Three Packers had the distinction of being named to the NFL's All-Time 75th Anniversary Team: Reggie White, Don Hutson, and Ray Nitschke. After defeating the Detroit Lions 16–12 in the NFC Wild Card Game, the season ended in a 35–9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

The 1964 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 19th season, and 15th season with the National Football League. The Browns won the NFL Championship, despite having not made the playoffs in six seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sandusky</span> American football player and coach (1925–2006)

John Thomas "Sandy" Sandusky, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He played seven seasons as an offensive and defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1950s for the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers before starting a 36-year career as an assistant coach. He was head coach of the Baltimore Colts for part of the 1972 season.

The DC Touchdown Club, earlier known as The Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C., was started in 1935 with a passion for charity and sports. In the ensuing years the Club has benefited many local charities as well as providing scholarships to deserving student/athletes. The Touchdown Timmies, the club's trophies, are given each year to athletes who excelled in their respective arenas including professionals, college and scholastic players. Additionally, the Club provided monies to 15 charitable organizations each year.

The San Francisco Dons football program were the intercollegiate American football team for University of San Francisco located in San Francisco, California. The team competed in NCAA Division II as a Division II Independent football program. The school's first football team was fielded in 1917. The program disbanded in 1982.

Selectors of All-Pros for the 1960 National Football League season included the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), New York Daily News (NYDN), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and The Sporting News (SN).

The Associated Press (AP), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), New York Daily News (NYDN), The Sporting News (SN), and United Press International (UPI) selected All-Pro teams comprising their selections of the best players at each position in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1958 NFL season.

The Associated Press (AP), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), New York Daily News (NYDN), The Sporting News (SN), and United Press (UP) were among selectors of All-Pro teams comprising players adjudged to be the best at each position in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1957 NFL season. The AP, NEA, NYDN, and UPI selected a first and second team.

The National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was voted on by a panel consisting of media members, former players and league personnel in 2019 to honor the greatest players of the first 100 years of the National Football League (NFL). Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Adam Vinatieri were the only active players when the team was revealed, while Bill Belichick was the only active head coach to be selected. Tom Brady was the last active player after his retirement following the 2022 NFL season. Johnny Unitas, Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Don Hutson, Chuck Bednarik, Gino Marchetti, and Dick "Night Train" Lane are also part of the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

References

  1. ↑ "Ten blacks named to NFL's 'dream team'". The Indianapolis Recorder. September 13, 1969. pp. 8, 11. Retrieved April 8, 2020– via Hoosier State Chronicles. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. 1 2 Oates, Bob Jr., ed. (1969). The First Fifty Years: A Celebration of the National Football League in Its Fiftieth Season. Simon and Schuster. p. 94. LCCN   74-77093.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "All-Time NFL Team Announced". San Bernardino Sun. September 7, 1969. p. D-1. Retrieved April 8, 2020– via California Digital Newspaper Collection. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 "Unitas QBs NFL Team". The Tampa Tribune-Times. AP. September 7, 1969. p. 5-F. Retrieved April 9, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Oates 1969, pp. 96–99.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.