Sports television series
The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players was a ten-part television series that set out to determine the top 100 greatest NFL players of all time. It was presented by the NFL Network in 2010. The series was based on a list of the top 100 National Football League players of all time, as compiled by a "blue-ribbon" panel assembled by the NFL Network. The members of the panel were current and former NFL coaches, players, executives, and members of the media. Each episode, broadcast each Thursday from September 3 to November 4, 2010, introduced a group of 10 players from the list, with each nominee player presented and advocated for by a separate noteworthy individual in the world of sports and entertainment. It started with the players ranked 100 through 91, and moving up the list each week.[1]
The final episode, premiering on November 4, 2010, introduced the top 10 players of all time according to the panel.[2] Jerry Rice was chosen as the top player of all time, with Jim Brown as the second choice.[3]
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Team(s)† | Year inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| 1 | Jerry Rice | WR | San Francisco 49ers | 2010 |
| 2 | Jim Brown | FB | Cleveland Browns | 1971 |
| 3 | Lawrence Taylor | LB | New York Giants | 1999 |
| 4 | Joe Montana | QB | San Francisco 49ers | 2000 |
| 5 | Walter Payton | RB | Chicago Bears | 1993 |
| 6 | Johnny Unitas | QB | Baltimore Colts | 1979 |
| 7 | Reggie White | DE | Philadelphia Eagles,
Green Bay Packers | 2006 |
| 8 | Peyton Manning | QB | Indianapolis Colts | 2021 |
| 9 | Don Hutson | E | Green Bay Packers | 1963 |
| 10 | Dick Butkus | LB | Chicago Bears | 1979 |
| 11 | Ronnie Lott | S, CB | San Francisco 49ers | 2000 |
| 12 | Anthony Muñoz | OT | Cincinnati Bengals | 1998 |
| 13 | Joe Greene | DT | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1987 |
| 14 | Sammy Baugh | QB, S, P | Washington Redskins | 1963 |
| 15 | Deacon Jones | DE | Los Angeles Rams | 1980 |
| 16 | Otto Graham | QB | Cleveland Browns | 1965 |
| 17 | Barry Sanders | RB | Detroit Lions | 2004 |
| 18 | Ray Lewis | LB | Baltimore Ravens | 2018 |
| 19 | Bronko Nagurski | FB, OT | Chicago Bears | 1963 |
| 20 | Brett Favre | QB | Green Bay Packers | 2016 |
| 21 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | * |
| 22 | Gale Sayers | HB, RS | Chicago Bears | 1977 |
| 23 | John Elway | QB | Denver Broncos | 2004 |
| 24 | John Hannah | G | New England Patriots | 1991 |
| 25 | Dan Marino | QB | Miami Dolphins | 2005 |
| 26 | Bob Lilly | DT | Dallas Cowboys | 1980 |
| 27 | Merlin Olsen | Los Angeles Rams | 1982 |
| 28 | Emmitt Smith | RB | Dallas Cowboys | 2010 |
| 29 | Jack Lambert | LB | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1990 |
| 30 | Night Train Lane | CB | Los Angeles Rams,
Chicago Cardinals,
Detroit Lions | 1974 |
| 31 | Bruce Smith | DE | Buffalo Bills | 2009 |
| 32 | Jim Parker | OT | Baltimore Colts | 1973 |
| 33 | Sid Luckman | QB | Chicago Bears | 1965 |
| 34 | Deion Sanders | CB, RS | Atlanta Falcons,
Dallas Cowboys,
San Francisco 49ers | 2011 |
| 35 | Chuck Bednarik | C, LB | Philadelphia Eagles | 1967 |
| 36 | Raymond Berry | SE | Baltimore Colts | 1973 |
| 37 | Jim Thorpe | HB | Canton Bulldogs | 1963 |
| 38 | Lance Alworth | WR | San Diego Chargers | 1978 |
| 39 | Gino Marchetti | DE | Baltimore Colts | 1972 |
| 40 | O. J. Simpson | RB | Buffalo Bills | 1985 |
| 41 | Rod Woodson | CB, S | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2009 |
| 42 | John Mackey | TE | Baltimore Colts | 1992 |
| 43 | Alan Page | DT | Minnesota Vikings | 1988 |
| 44 | Mel Blount | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1989 |
| 45 | Tony Gonzalez | TE | Kansas City Chiefs | 2019 |
| 46 | Roger Staubach | QB | Dallas Cowboys | 1985 |
| 47 | Ray Nitschke | LB | Green Bay Packers | 1978 |
| 48 | Red Grange | HB | Chicago Bears | 1963 |
| 49 | Mike Haynes | CB | Oakland Raiders,
New England Patriots | 1997 |
| 50 | Terry Bradshaw | QB | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1989 |
| 51 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | 1977 |
| 52 | Eric Dickerson | RB | Los Angeles Rams | 1999 |
| 53 | Willie Lanier | LB | Kansas City Chiefs | 1986 |
| 54 | Forrest Gregg | OT | Green Bay Packers | 1977 |
| 55 | Earl Campbell | HB | Houston Oilers | 1991 |
| 56 | Gene Upshaw | G | Oakland Raiders | 1987 |
| 57 | Mike Singletary | LB | Chicago Bears | 1998 |
| 58 | Steve Van Buren | HB | Philadelphia Eagles | 1965 |
| 59 | Mike Ditka | TE | Chicago Bears | 1988 |
| 60 | Jack Ham | LB | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1988 |
| 61 | LaDainian Tomlinson | RB | San Diego Chargers | 2017 |
| 62 | Randy White | DT | Dallas Cowboys | 1994 |
| 63 | Jim Otto | C | Oakland Raiders | 1980 |
| 64 | Herb Adderley | CB | Green Bay Packers | 1980 |
| 65 | Randy Moss | WR | Minnesota Vikings | 2018 |
| 66 | Willie Brown | CB | Oakland Raiders | 1984 |
| 67 | Kellen Winslow | TE | San Diego Chargers | 1995 |
| 68 | Mike Webster | C | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1997 |
| 69 | Bobby Bell | LB | Kansas City Chiefs | 1983 |
| 70 | Marshall Faulk | RB | St. Louis Rams | 2011 |
| 71 | Paul Warfield | WR | Cleveland Browns,
Miami Dolphins | 1983 |
| 72 | Jonathan Ogden | OT | Baltimore Ravens | 2013 |
| 73 | Ozzie Newsome | TE | Cleveland Browns | 1999 |
| 74 | Marion Motley | HB, LB | 1968 |
| 75 | Darrell Green | CB | Washington Redskins | 2008 |
| 76 | Art Shell | OT | Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders | 1989 |
| 77 | Tony Dorsett | RB | Dallas Cowboys | 1994 |
| 78 | Bruce Matthews | OL,
LS | Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Titans | 2007 |
| 79 | Emlen Tunnell | S | New York Giants | 1967 |
| 80 | Troy Aikman | QB | Dallas Cowboys | 2006 |
| 81 | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | 2005 |
| 82 | Ted Hendricks | LB | Oakland Raiders | 1990 |
| 83 | Norm Van Brocklin | QB | Los Angeles Rams | 1971 |
| 84 | Joe Schmidt | LB | Detroit Lions | 1973 |
| 85 | Marcus Allen | RB | Oakland Raiders | 2003 |
| 86 | Willie Davis | DE | Green Bay Packers | 1981 |
| 87 | Elroy Hirsch | E, FL | Los Angeles Rams | 1968 |
| 88 | Ed Reed | S | Baltimore Ravens | 2019 |
| 89 | Ernie Nevers | FB | Chicago Cardinals | 1963 |
| 90 | Kurt Warner | QB | St. Louis Rams | 2017 |
| 91 | Fran Tarkenton | Minnesota Vikings | 1986 |
| 92 | Michael Irvin | WR | Dallas Cowboys | 2007 |
| 93 | Sam Huff | LB | New York Giants | 1982 |
| 94 | Lenny Moore | HB | Baltimore Colts | 1975 |
| 95 | Larry Allen | G | Dallas Cowboys | 2013 |
| 96 | Mel Hein | C | New York Giants | 1963 |
| 97 | Derrick Brooks | LB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2014 |
| 98 | Lee Roy Selmon | DE | 1995 |
| 99 | Michael Strahan | New York Giants | 2014 |
| 100 | Joe Namath | QB | New York Jets | 1985 |
† Only team(s) with major contribution.
* Not eligible for induction until 2028
- ^ "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players to Debut Friday, Sept. 3 at 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
- ^ Nate Davis, "Who is NFL's greatest player ever? NFL Network reveals No. 1 Thursday night" Archived 2010-11-13 at the Wayback Machine, USA Today, November 4, 2010.
- ^ Andy Barall, "Jim Brown Should Be No. 1, but What About Most Underrated?" Archived 2019-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times, November 5, 2010.
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