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]
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
editSource:[3]
| Position | Player | Team(s) played for |
|---|---|---|
| Legend[a] | 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[b] | Baltimore Colts (1956–1972) San Diego Chargers (1973) |
| FB | Jim Brown | Cleveland Browns (1957–1965) |
| HB | Gale Sayers[b] | 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[b] | 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
editSource:[3]
| Position | Player | Team(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[b] | 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
editSource:[3]
| Position | Player | Team(s) played for |
|---|---|---|
| PK | Lou Groza | Cleveland Browns (1946–1967) |
Runners-up
editTwo 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[b] and Lenny Moore; TE: Mike Ditka[b] and Ron Kramer; OT: Forrest Gregg[b] and Joe Stydahar; G: Dan Fortmann and Jim Parker; C: Mel Hein and Alex Wojciechowicz; DE: Len Ford and Deacon Jones[b]; DT: Art Donovan and Ernie Stautner; LB: Joe Schmidt and Clyde Turner; CB: Herb Adderley[b] and Jack Butler, S: Jack Christiansen and Larry Wilson;[b] PK: Ernie Nevers and Ken Strong.[3][5]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d e f "All-Time NFL Team Announced". San Bernardino Sun. September 7, 1969. p. D-1. Retrieved April 8, 2020 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
- ^ a b "Unitas QBs NFL Team". The Tampa Tribune-Times. AP. September 7, 1969. p. 5-F. Retrieved April 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Oates 1969, pp. 96–99.
