Greatest all-around football player

While I was away the most versatile football player of all times died at 94.
 
Sammy Baugh holds, or held, records for passing as QB for the Redskins.
He played single wing until the "T" became the thing and switched over without fumbling once.  He was also the punter for them and his records may still be in the books unless Ray Guy grabbed a few.  And he did both of those things while being an all-pro defensive back.  He never came off the field.  What a thrill he was to watch---no television back then, believe it or not. You had to go to the stadium.
 
I saw him play against the old Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. It was Baugh against Ace Parker another Hall-of-famer.  I forgot who won.
 
I had bought a ticket from a guy who was scalping a few--the game had just started and he was stuck with them---so I got a bargain.  And what a bargain
50 cents-----and my seat was in a box on the 50 yard line right next to Dan
Topping, the owner of the Dodgers, and Sonja Henie, his wife.  Sonja --for you youngsters was 3 time Olympic figure skating champ from Norway and was starring in the movies.  Black and white stuff with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
---oh you wouldn't understand.  Ah but Sonja was in living color that Sunday in Brooklyn.  May they, all 4, rest in peace. 
 
 

Oh, you said "of all time"!
Slingin' Sammy was a bit before my time but I've seen film and you'll get no argument from me.
I thought you meant, "in his own mind" and I thought Randy Moss's ego finally did him in.

Ancient..I'm going with Jimmy Brown.

the ancient mariner-
Thanks for sharing your memories of the great Sammy Baugh.  Obviously, I am too young to have seen him play, but he must have been something else.  Did I hear correctly that he is the only player in Redskin history with his numbered retired?  Four td passes and four interceptions in the same game speaks for itself.  That sure sounds like a record that will never be broken!
 
Okay, enough about him, let's hear more about Sonja Henie!!!

 

Sammy Baugh was one of the greatest versatile football players ever, but don't forget Doak Walker and Frank Sinkwich. Walker was a great running back, a great defensive back, and one whale of a punter and place kicker. And Sinkwich ran, passed, punted and played defense for Georgia, and later the Lions. There were so many back when people played both ways. But you're right about Baugh being so great. And I saw lots of them play, including the three I mentioned.

I never saw jim Thorpe but the man played pro baseball, pro football, and was the Olympic decathalon champion. That is an all-around athlete!

The player I most enjoyed watching was Barry Sanders. Mike Singletary is a close second.

It's always very difficult to pick the very best player in a game like football.  Even the best all around player.  It's not like a bike race where you have a clear winnner.

So when in doubt, go with the hometown boy.  Charlie Trippi!

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=216

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Trippi

Now he resides in Ort. Carlton Land.

Charlie Trippi was a great runner and passer, and he was a terrific defensive back -- a safety. I'd forgotten about him.
 
And if he's still alive he'd be at least 100 years old.

Michael, born in 1922(86).  Lives in Athens.

Our high school stadium is named after him.  He still comes back to Pittston to visit family and help the school.

Whoops! You're right.

I loved watching Barry Sanders as well

Deion Sanders

Ask the man who owns one------was that a slogan for Buick ?
Well anyhow I asked the experts ( ???? ) and they agree with me.  They vote Sammy Numero Uno.

I agree with Michael on Doak Walker ----- never saw him in person, but every Thanksgiving after the parades Detroit played Green Bay and Walker was my favorite.  He made me like the Lions.  So did Schmidt and some Yale Lary and Christenson and a few others.  And after color came in  I loved their Hawaiian Blue uniforms don't you know !!!!  But that Karras was an ugly brute---once saw him punch a horse.

Trippi ---- a one man team with the Chicago Cardinals----maybe a third or fourth on the list, 

But  the main man is still Slingin' Sammy.

Oh by the way Sonja was lovely---on or off the ice. A dainty dish on ice !!!  may wee !!!!!

I don't see how you can compare old school 2 way leather helmet guys with the way the game is played today. just sayin'

 I agree with Bill Voss, The "old guys" are in a different world than the newer (superbowl one or more recent era) players.

  Leroy 'Crazyleg's' Hersch (Spelling??) would be on my 'Old-Guy' list. Johnny Unitas would bridge the gap between the groups. Put Y A Tittle on the Old Guy list too.

The 'modern list' should have Roger Staubach near the top.  Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton, Reggie White, Joe Montana, and a bunch of fine running backs should all be on a list of 'recent NFL stars'.

(Sorry about any mis-spellings on the names)

Against people that are on nutrition/weight lifting programs? You are right, it would be no contest

The best I ever saw play was Earl Campbell.  We moved to Houston the year the Oilers drafted him out of UT, and my Wife's cousin had Oiler season tickets, but liked to golf on Sundays, so we saw Earl a lot.

Some of the best of the best come from Mississippi
    Quarterback- Eli Manning, Archie Manning, Brett Farve
    Wide Reciever- Jerry Rice
    Running Back- Walter Peyton
    Punter- Ray Guy

BioTeacher

Al-The Mayor-Bowen



  Leroy 'Crazyleg's' Hersch (Spelling??) would be on my 'Old-Guy' list.

That's Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. 

Zio Mariner,
 
Nice write-up in the local paper on Pittston's Charlie Trippi.
 
http://www.timesleader.com/sports/Trippi_is_still__a_real_Card_01-29-2009.html

Yea Joe he was a great football player.  I remember him well.  It is great that he is still so active.  It may be true that Trippi, Doak, Layne and Slingin' Sammy could not compete on the field today, but if they had grown up in the same era and had all the benefits kids today have I am sure they would still be better.  Don't forget we were members of "The World's Greatest Generation". 
Nobody gave us nuttin, everythin' we got we stole. 

the ancient mariner


Yea Joe he was a great football player.  I remember him well.  It is great that he is still so active.  It may be true that Trippi, Doak, Layne and Slingin' Sammy could not compete on the field today, but if they had grown up in the same era and had all the benefits kids today have I am sure they would still be better.  Don't forget we were members of "The World's Greatest Generation". 
Nobody gave us nuttin, everythin' we got we stole. 

 
To be honest.  When I was reading that article this morning at my kitch table.  I thought of you.  Did I mention that Trippi is a Pie-san-O?
 
I assure you Pittston High School didn't even have a weight room back then.  These guys were just naturally tough. 

Which plane is best; the Fokker Dvii? The  Spit XIV? The F-15, or the F-22? None of them will haul like a C-5....

Shoot man, today's players are so far ahead of the players from just 30 years ago. Jack Lambert would maybe make the special teams of today's Steelers. The linemen that blocked for Franco Harris and protected Terry Bradshaw averaged 250lbs, less than the linebackers today.

Too many variables, too many but what ifs. Would Baugh, or Lambert, or Gerry "Moon" Mullins be able to play at all today? On one hand, you could say that there is no way, given the condition of today's athlete. On the other, you could say that of course they would; if they were in the game now, they would take advantage of all that the game offers to today's athletes and rise to the top, just as they did in their own time.

I say, leave them in their own times. Let them be who and what they were, when they were. To call Baugh the greatest diminishes the guys who never played the game the way he did, just like calling Montana or Manning the greatest diminishes players like Baugh. Each to his time.

Given his playing both ways and the fact that some of his records still stand, Sammy Baugh.

When he came up with the Redskins throwing the ball wasn't in fashion.  Wanting to see "what he had" a Redskins coach sent a receiver 40 yards downfield and told Baugh to hit him in the eye.  Baugh asked, "Which one?"

I don't know but Ryan Leaf, Art Schlichter, abd Todd Marinovich, left a legacy tough to top!

I'm sure that at some point during today's Super Bowl telecast John Madden will remind us that the all-time greatest football player past, present, and future is Brett Favre...

Brad

Brad_Olson


I'm sure that at some point during today's Super Bowl telecast John Madden will remind us that the all-time greatest football player past, present, and future is Brett Favre...

Brad

Greatest? I guess that depends on how you define that word. He may have had the greatest most fervent fan base, but as a player in terms of ability...

BTW, my grandson as early a 2 years old was a Brett Favre fan.

I still disagree. Baugh was a great athlete, and a great all-around player... but if you transplanted him to today's game, would he be as great as Deion Sanders? If you transplanted someone from today like Hines Ward back to Baugh's time, would he outshine Baugh?

My point isn't that Baugh wasn't great, nor is it that today's athletes are all better; my point is that, while it might be natural to try to answer the question of greatest all-around football player, the question itself is flawed, and ultimately impedes real understanding of the game and its history by oversimplifying it. In otherwords, it is a fun exercise, but measures nothing.

Baah Ben


Ancient..I'm going with Jimmy Brown.

 
Baah Ben,
 
If my dad was still around he would disagree with you that Jim Brown was the greatest all-around football player.  I grew up in West Virginia & in the 1950's & early to mid 1960's, the only pro football games we could watch would be the Cleveland Browns. 
 
I can still here my dad fussing & fuming about Jim Brown.  He always said Jim Brown was a great running back, but he never blocked or did anything but run  the ball.  He also did not like it when Jim Brown sauntered back to the huddle, he wanting him to hustle and not just stroll.
 
As for myself, I always thought tight ends were the best all around players.  Since, I am from Indianapolis & may be prejudiced but I think Dallas Clark, tight end for the Colts is one of the great all around players.