MSN: best nfl players of all time from every state

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Bronko Nagurski was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a charter member on September 7, 1963. Sports Illustrated named Nagurski one of the four greatest athletes in Minnesota state history; the other three were Dave Winfield, Kevin McHale, and Joe Mauer. In 1993, the Football Writers Association of America created the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football. Notable winners include Terrell Suggs. In 1999, he was ranked No. 35 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking foreign-born player.

Nagurski turned professional to play for the Chicago Bears from 1930 to 1937. At 6-feet-2 inches (1.88 m) and 235 pounds (107 kg), he was a formidable presence, and in his day he was a dominant force, helping the Bears win several division titles and two NFL championships.

Nagurski has the largest recorded NFL Championship ring size at 19½ and wore a size 8 helmet. He was probably the largest running back of his time, bigger than most linemen of the day, often dragging multiple tacklers with him. In a time when players were expected to play on both sides of the ball, he was a standout defensive lineman as well playing a ranging tackle or "The Monster." After an injury, instead of sitting on the bench, he would sometimes be put in as an offensive tackle.

In a 1984 interview with Sports Illustrated writer Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman, when asked what position he would play if he were coming up in the present day, he said, "I would probably be a linebacker today. I wouldn't be carrying the ball 30 or 35 times a game."
 

Cruze said:
Bronko Nagurski

Nagurski was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a charter member on September 7, 1963. Sports Illustrated named Nagurski one of the four greatest athletes in Minnesota state history; the other three were Dave Winfield, Kevin McHale, and Joe Mauer. In 1993, the Football Writers Association of America created the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football. Notable winners include Terrell Suggs. In 1999, he was ranked No. 35 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking foreign-born player.

Nagurski turned professional to play for the Chicago Bears from 1930 to 1937. At 6-feet-2 inches (1.88 m) and 235 pounds (107 kg), he was a formidable presence, and in his day he was a dominant force, helping the Bears win several division titles and two NFL championships.

Nagurski has the largest recorded NFL Championship ring size at 19½ and wore a size 8 helmet. He was probably the largest running back of his time, bigger than most linemen of the day, often dragging multiple tacklers with him. In a time when players were expected to play on both sides of the ball, he was a standout defensive lineman as well playing a ranging tackle or "The Monster." After an injury, instead of sitting on the bench, he would sometimes be put in as an offensive tackle.

In a 1984 interview with Sports Illustrated writer Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman, when asked what position he would play if he were coming up in the present day, he said, "I would probably be a linebacker today. I wouldn't be carrying the ball 30 or 35 times a game."
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He was born in Canada.

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
He was born in Canada.

Go Gophers!!
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Thanks, I never knew that. So even though he moved to the Minnesota side of the Rainy River when he was 5 years old I guess he doesn't qualify as one of us.
 

Gale Gillingham was a beast.... unfortunately born near Madison, WI, but adolescence on was spent in Little Falls, MN, including HS and college ball..... He looked at Minnesota as his lifetime home.
 


I didn't even know Suggs was from MN.
 


How is Larry Fitzgerald not number 1?

I didn't know Suggs ever lived in MN. I guess he did until 8th grade. Supposedly played youth football with Joe Mauer.
 




GophersInIowa said:
How is Larry Fitzgerald not number 1?

I didn't know Suggs ever lived in MN. I guess he did until 8th grade. Supposedly played youth football with Joe Mauer.
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It is close between the 2.

When I was in high school in the late 70's Terrell's uncle, Rickey, was a great basketball player. In fact he was a 1980 Mr. Basketball Finalist.
 

I agree with Cruze. It should be Bronko. Who cares if he was born in Canada. Lived here since he was 5 and is buried here.
 

Bronko with a bullet. Honorable mentions includes Fitz, Ernie Nevers, Jim Langer, Suggs, Birk, Capoletti and Ed Widseth.
 





What? No love for Keewatin's own Geno Cappelletti?
 


50PoundHead said:
What? No love for Keewatin's own Geno Cappelletti?
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I had a Buckeyes fan tell me Cappeletti one of the best from Mn while visiting the Shoe. I had no idea who he was. He raved about Leo the Lion Nomelini who I only knew from pro wrestling. I would agree with poster about Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best WR blocking, catching in NFL. He has brought players for years to train at the U.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
I had a Buckeyes fan tell me Cappeletti one of the best from Mn while visiting the Shoe. I had no idea who he was. He raved about Leo the Lion Nomelini who I only knew from pro wrestling. I would agree with poster about Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best WR blocking, catching in NFL. He has brought players for years to train at the U.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk
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Leo the Lion, lol, you actually knew about him from Pro Wrestling and not football? That's awesone!!!

Both he and Bobby Bell are tied for 25th EVER in # of 1st Team All-Pro Teams made with 6.
Eller with 5 and Nagurski with 4, Mecklenburg, Sanders and Upchurch all with 3 give the Gophers 7 of the Top 200 in all of NFL history. BUT, not a one of them were born in Minnesota, lol. And who says the Gophers struggle to recruit out of state, lol.

Cappelletti was a great player, All-Time #1 point scorer in AFL history. If only he had been a better kicker he could have easily made this list as he led the entire NFL in scoring 5 times while only making 53% of his field goal attempts. And 5 Pro Bowls is nothing to sneeze at, but with zero 1st Team All-Pro Teams made, I'd say he's barely Top 5.


Suggs with 7 Pro Bowls and 1 All-Pro team made would get the nod over Cappelletti.

But there are THREE others who I'd rank higher/better than Suggs. AT LEAST!!! I wouldn't even give Suggs a Bronze Medal in this event, much less name him the best ever from the state??? What were they thinking?


I wouldn't call it a 3 way tie, for 1st, maybe a 2 way tie?

3rd I'd give to Dave Casper, "The Ghost". Sh1t man, he's got a cool nickname. And his FOUR All-Pro teams, NFL HOF and Cfb HOF status all more than make up for his only getting to 5 Pro Bowls. And anyone from Bemidji that can garner himself a cool nickname like he did, well, sorry Suggs. And honestly, Jim Langer might even beat out Casper, with 4 All-Pro Teams and 6 Pro Bowls, so call it a tie for 3rd. Bumps you down even further Suggs.

And the reason I have these 2 tied for 1st, is because they are from totally different eras and for me, how do you judge them?

But Ernie Nevers only played 5 years in the NFL, the only guy EVER, with only 5 years in, to make the NFL HOF. Cfb HOFer, too. Not sure why he left the NFL when he did, but it might have had to do with it being much more low paying of a gig back then, can you imagine if he'd played for 10 or 15 years???

But even in just 5 years of playing, he made 1st Team All-Pro all 5 years. And the guy got named to so many All-Time teams, he might have made Nagurski jealous? Or maybe not, lol. But both Nevers and Nagurski were named the Greatest Football Player EVER by more than one source, each. Both rank way up there in all lists of All-Time best players ever.

And of course I'm sure you have all figured out the other guy is Fitz. 11 Pro Bowls? Come on. His one 1st Team All-Pro matches Suggs but 11 Pro Bowls way outdoes Sugg's 7.

Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016?


So I'm not sure how they figured Suggs was the best? I mean, I understand that the old timers rarely get their due these days, that happens, and they got plenty of theirs back in the day and modern readers want to read about the guys they know and maybe when its not hugely obvious, they like picking the guy who will stir up more controversy? Look, its got all of us talking about it, lol.
 

GoldMedalCounty said:
Bronko with a bullet. Honorable mentions includes Fitz, Ernie Nevers, Jim Langer, Suggs, Birk, Capoletti and Ed Widseth.
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Great list man, you know your football history. That damn WW2, only thing that stopped the Gopher's continuing their total domination of cfb, and also ruined a bunch of former Gopher's pro careers, too, including Ed Widseth.
 

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