Non Bill, unheralded, under the radar favorite player.

[stuvian]

Za'Darius Smith

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/bio/_/id/3043168/zadarius-smith

 

[blacklabel]

When I was a kid I kinda always thought Natrone Means (Business!) was a cool player. Probably the name lol. 

[JP51]

Craig Morton put the Broncos on the map. Not the most physically gifted but tough as nails. I remember him in the Super Bowl playing with a horrific hip injury the literally had him in the hospital the whole week for the the title game against the Raiders.  

[Bill from NYC]

Here is a Hall of Fame LB. It took him forever to get inducted. I was very young when he played but I always thought that he was great. He was one of the best LBs I ever saw play, easily in the top 10 imo.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Brazile

[JP51]

6 minutes ago, blacklabel said:

When I was a kid I kinda always thought Natrone Means (Business!) was a cool player. Probably the name lol. 

THis is a good one

 

12 hours ago, Savage said:

The classic overachiever.

 

was tough.

 

Honorable mention to a Buffalo Boy, Crosstown from WC... Phil McConkey... 

[dgrochester55]

Older:

 

Maurice Jones-Drew: I loved watching his running style and had him as a keeper in my dynasty fantasy league for a few years.

 

Dwight Freeney and Donovan McNabb: I was a fan of them when they were in Syracuse and followed them both in their NFL careers

 

Current:

 

Gardner Minshew: His grittiness and uniqueness reminds me of Fitz.

 

Jared Goff: I was indifferent to him until last year, but I gained respect for him when he beat his old team in the playoffs after being cast off as an afterthought in the Stafford trade.

 

I would have also said Mike White because I respected that he kept battling against us despite the Jets lack of protection getting him killed, but he is now one of us.

 

 

Edited September 17 by dgrochester55

[Low Positive]

Brian Cox, Miami Dolphins. Loved that guy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s

[Wsam4031]

I hate that im gonna say this but love Isiah Pacheco. Dude runs like its his last play everytime he touches the ball. Hard not to route for a guy that plays like that

[Savage]

1 hour ago, dgrochester55 said:

Older:

 

Maurice Jones-Drew: I loved watching his running style and had him as a keeper in my dynasty fantasy league for a few years.

 

Dwight Freeney and Donovan McNabb: I was a fan of them when they were in Syracuse and followed them both in their NFL careers

 

Current:

 

Gardner Minshew: His grittiness and uniqueness reminds me of Fitz.

 

Jared Goff: I was indifferent to him until last year, but I gained respect for him when he beat his old team in the playoffs after being cast off as an afterthought in the Stafford trade.

 

I would have also said Mike White because I respected that he kept battling against us despite the Jets lack of protection getting him killed, but he is now one of us.

 

 

I’ve always thought that Goff is the weak link in Detroit.

 

if they had JA, they would almost be unbeatable.

1 hour ago, blacklabel said:

When I was a kid I kinda always thought Natrone Means (Business!) was a cool player. Probably the name lol. 

He was a beast.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

I really like watching Maxx Crosby play.  

[Real McClappy]

Grocery store boy Kurt Warner with the greatest show on turf was a great watch.  

 

Priest Holmes was an animal for a few seasons and won me a couple early Fantasy league championships way back in the day. 

[Irv]

Jim Plunkett

[Mark Vader]

11 hours ago, BigDingus said:

Dirk Nowitzki.

 

But aside from Dirk, my favorite unheralded/under-the-radar players would be:

 

- Corey Dillon (never gets enough credit for how good he was)

- Zach Thomas (Texas Tech guy, unfortunate he played for the Dolphins)

- Chad Pennington (Also from the Jets/Dolphins, dude was extremely smart & could've been great if he stayed healthy - despite the arm strength)

 

And even though he's a Bills player, Terrence McGee. I don't think he gets talked about enough as one of the greats of the Bills drought era, as his best years were fairly early on. But he was great on ST & a very good CB. He holds all the Bills kickoff return records (yards, TDs, longest return, etc.) and even most passes defended.

Zach Thomas is in the Hall of Fame. He's unheralded?

[DCofNC]

Calais Campbell has been outstanding his whole career, though never a super star, always very disruptive.

 

Also have been on the Minshew train since college, love the guy.

Edited September 17 by DCofNC

[BigDingus]

13 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

Zach Thomas is in the Hall of Fame. He's unheralded?

 

True, but at the same time I feel like he's never mentioned & almost forgotten. But that could just be me 🤷‍♂️

[Drew21PA]

Steve Atwater for me

 

that dude could just blow people UPPPP

[RyanC883]

17 hours ago, ProcessImproverMan said:

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Men-Win-Glory-Odyssey/dp/030738604X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3FXMQQBR2QX9T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.N0gv5-VjluGNSKIoCuu8_j8jZ0Tor43oMJzlTfLof98dO6sxH4Sf5D4A524fCw6Fv_0i-xtbqfjR6kPJ0pW4YHCgePAMXH4_nqHZslyMOo3yIJCq1qmy75VUp-WDPzFEzuROphypj70ychH3oT_CznaE4_Soc4wxgxR9k0VswwKgxWx1d1WXXSc19NK1_-56m7FRamtuGGC4Q67BdH5Iag.JUvxTQHPKzyjkVQl4RUpQHWzd1YyntrQ0dZ7tbrxYIw&dib_tag=se&keywords=pat+tillman&qid=1726527474&sprefix=pat+tillan%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1

 

Really good book on him and Afghanistan history in general (and how it impacted him). What the government did to cover up his cause of death and the overall treatment of many veterans of those conflicts is truly saddening and infuriating. His family deserved the truth but the military lied at first to avoid the issue that we did have of soldiers dying accidently of friendly fire due to piss poor training and planning. 

 

What I find very interesting and respectable about his character is the multiple opportunities he had to take larger pay days and material comforts but refused. The Rams offered him a much bigger new contract than what the Cardinals offered and he chose to stay with the Cardinals because they took a chance on him with a late pick, despite the fact he lost millions doing so. Halfway through his military contract, the Seahawks and NFl offered him an early out. Strings could have been pulled to get him out of his military contract 1.5 years early to make millions and be safe. He refused because he signed a 3 year commitment and would finish it. His honor and honesty was important to him. 

 

When you have NFL players screwing over the teams that took a chance on drafting them all for a bigger pay day and only caring about money, his loyalty is why he's one of my favorite players ever 

 I agree with most of this, but there is nothing wrong taking a bigger pay day at another team.  The team drafts players late because it thought the player could help it. If you want to stay because of family, or the team is close to winning, that's fine.  But just staying because they drafted you late is a bit of misplaced loyalty, IMO, and leaving in FA is hardly "screwing over" the team that drafted you.   

[unbillievable]

40 minutes ago, Drew21PA said:

Steve Atwater for me

 

that dude could just blow people UPPPP

 

Kurt Schulz, but he's a Bill...

Also David Fulcher. Loved those safety guys that leveled people.

Maybe we need to define "Unheralded" as someone who never got to play in the Pro-bowl, was an All-Pro, or made the Hall of Fame.

[Toomstone.Part.Duex]

Don't know if James Harrison is "Unheralded" but I always liked his play and story.  Undrafted, cut once (I believe) and had a great career with the Stillers.   Plus he's a mean lookin SOB!   

 

 

[machine gun kelly]

Present, Mike Evans.  He is the definition of Cal Ripken consistency.

 

Past- By far, Earl Campbell.  That man was a beast.  He ran over everyone with Christian Okoye a quick second.  Both were bruisers.