Over the years, I have seen may great players. There are some players who were good to great that I had absolutely zero problems hating and rooting passionately against them (Kevin Greene is one of those players for me). But there are others who, though they never played a down for my team, and in many instances killed our team, you manage to respect despite it all.
Who are those players for you?
Five players who did that for me were, in no particular order, Peyton Manning, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Reggie White, and Mike Singletary.
As for Manning, sure he was a division rival, but there were throws he would make that just left me, as an opposing fan, simply shaking my head. There was a late season Thursday night game played here in Jacksonville. It was a play in the second half and the game was in doubt. On a 3rd and long, Manning threw a pass down the deep right seam to a TE, who was absolutely blanketed by Reggie Nelson. Manning placed the ball in the absolute only place he could have put it. It was the very best throw I've seen in life on any level. All I could do was shake my head.
Barry Sanders is likely a popular choice. I don't think I ever encountered anyone who hated Barry Sanders. I remember in 1998 he scored a TD against us around the right side where we had him bottled up but he somehow got out of it and ran down the sideline. If I never attend another Jaguars game, seeing Barry Sanders run certainly qualifies as a highlight of my tenure as a STH.
Deion Sanders has been a favorite of mine since his FSU days. I can't say I've seen a better, more explosive, more spectacular athlete than he. He was a threat to go the distance every time he got the ball in his hands.
Who are those guys for you?
Note: If you had allegiances that pre-dated the Jaguars, you can't use a player that played on your team then.
Growing up in the 80s means Sweetness, Montana to Rice, LT, and Marino.
My family were packer fans before we were rewarded the team. Growning up i always had a soft spot for them. I'd have to say that Favre was someone i always enjoyed watching growing up. My father did alot of work for Edgar Benette and Leroy Butler. i always looked up to them growing up. they were always so humble and it really made me look at athletes in the spotlight with a whole new perspective.
Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. Two guys who are/were quiet types that just went about their jobs at a position that generally is occupied by loudmouths. Class acts on and off the field and all around great players.
Plus, Andre Johnson did this:
![[Image: JQzKmiI.gif]](http://i.imgur.com/JQzKmiI.gif)
Historically my favs were Montana, Rice, Lott and Prime Time, especially when he was a 49er.
Currently my non-Jaguars favs are Marshan Lynch, Julio Jones, Aaron Rodgers and Von Miller.
Guys I loved to watch when I was a youngster:
Riggins, Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, Marino, (< plus Clayton & Mark Duper), Montana, Rice, Deion, Bo, Marcus Allen, Earl Campbell.
Guys in the "jaguars era" that I still admired their play/occasionally pulled for:
Bettis, Warrick Dunn, Faulk, LaDanian, Eddie George, Moss, Isaac Bruce, Favre, Brees, Randall Cunningham, M. Harrison, Hines Ward, Colston, Tony Gonzalez, Gates, Fitzgerald, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders (again).
There are probably twenty more that I'm forgetting.
(Growing up without a regional team I didn't have a clear favorite and sort of followed 5 or 6 teams, so I didn't leave those guys out of the first group I listed.)
(06-29-2017, 09:27 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote: [ -> ]Growing up in the 80s means Sweetness, Montana to Rice, LT, and Marino.
Even though they were great players, I had no problems hating Montana, Rice or LT.
(06-29-2017, 11:10 PM)empty Wrote: [ -> ]Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. Two guys who are/were quiet types that just went about their jobs at a position that generally is occupied by loudmouths. Class acts on and off the field and all around great players.
Plus, Andre Johnson did this:
Classic!
(06-30-2017, 09:49 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ]Guys I loved to watch when I was a youngster:
Riggins, Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, Marino, (< plus Clayton & Mark Duper), Montana, Rice, Deion, Bo, Marcus Allen, Earl Campbell.
Guys in the "jaguars era" that I still admired their play/occasionally pulled for:
Bettis, Warrick Dunn, Faulk, LaDanian, Eddie George, Moss, Isaac Bruce, Favre, Brees, Randall Cunningham, M. Harrison, Hines Ward, Colston, Tony Gonzalez, Gates, Fitzgerald, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders (again).
There are probably twenty more that I'm forgetting.
(Growing up without a regional team I didn't have a clear favorite and sort of followed 5 or 6 teams, so if I didn't leave those guys out of the first group I listed.)
Hated Riggins, but was in awe of Bo Jackson and Earl Campbell. Campbell's trucking of Isiah Robertson is an all time great highlight.
That is a pretty decent list for the Jaguars era players, though I would add Ray Lewis to Jaguars era players. Favre too. Favre had probably the second best throw I've ever seen in life against us in 1995.
Pre-Jaguars era:
Montana and the way he ran the WCO. The short passing game is so commonplace now that the sheer frustration that it generated in Defenses is lost. It just seemed like there was nothing you could do against that Niner's Offense. No matter what, someone was open and Montana knew where that guy was. Plus, who can forget his SNL skit?
Eric Dickerson with the ball in his hands. Just an unreal talent at RB and I don't think anyone got more yards after first contact than he did. He was a Royal Pain in the Behind to get to the ground.
Reggie White. If you don't know about the Minister of Defense's 'hump' move, you need to find film on it. Basically, Reggie would throw an offensive lineman out of his way. ...With one arm. I don't know that anyone else will ever have a more devastating and effective move like that.
Jaguars era:
Manning. I didn't like him and I was even on the "Choker" bandwagon for a while, but as I look back, he might be the best that ever was with the ball in his hand.
Steve freakin' McNair. He came to a sad end, but the guy was damn near unstoppable. Just a hell of a football player.
Willie McGinest. Severely underrated in my opinion.
There are so many both pre-Jaguars and Jaguars era that I couldn't possibly name them all. Pre-Jaguars would have to be Tony Dorsett.
Around the birth of the Jaguars the one player that immediately comes to mind is well as Dan Marino.
In fact, Dan Marino's last game ever was kind of "bitter sweet" for me. I managed to get a pair of great club seat tickets on the east side of the stadium and got to watch it close up.
Peyton for sure. Easily my favorite non-Jag of all time.
Kurt Warner. He was the guy that drew my interest to the NFL when I was 10.
Barry Sanders, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice
Larry Fitzgerald for sure. Something about him makes him watchable in an enjoyable way. Wes Welker, Pat Peterson, Troy Polamalu (also his shampoo commercials were funny), Jerome Bettis, and forgive me for saying it, but Peyton Manning. I'm sure there are others I can't think of right now.
Mean Joe and Jack Lambert
I'm going to date myself here... I grew up with the Cardinals in the Jim hart, Mel Gray, Terry Metcalf era, and everything was Cardinals for me as a little kid - got it from my Dad.
The first non-Cardinal that really wowed me, and made me start fanning toward the NFL as a whole, was Lydell Mitchell.
Earl Campbell was another that just blew my mind. That dude was amazing.
#22 The Bob Hayes, Brett Favre, Marino, Stabler, Bradshaw. To name a few.
Love of the game types of dudes.