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Who are the top NFL players of the 1960s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Paul Hornung: a 4x NFL champion and also part of the first Super Bowl-winning team, Hornung was an integral part of the 1960s Green Bay Packers dynasty – a running back and placekicker, he led the league in scoring in three straight years and was also named MVP in 1961.
9. Ray Nitschke: the anchor of Vince Lombardi’s Packers defense at linebacker, Nitschke made two All-Pro teams as part of the 1960s dynasty that won five NFL titles and two Super Bowls.
8. Dick Butkus: one of the fiercest and best linebackers the NFL has ever seen, Butkus was a Pro Bowler every year upon coming into the league in 1965 (5x) while also garnering three All-Pro selections for the Chicago Bears.
7. Bart Starr: the first in a line of great Packers quarterbacks, Starr was not only the 1966 league MVP, but also led Green Bay to five NFL titles and was named MVP of the first two Super Bowls.
6. Gale Sayers: though injuries limited him to effectively five full NFL seasons, Sayers was electric when he played – a 5x All-Pro who led the league in rushing twice and also has the highest kickoff return average in history (30.6 yards), he remains the youngest ever inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
5. Bob Lilly: one of the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history, Lilly spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys, earning seven Pro Bowl and six All-Pro selections during the 1960s.
4. Merlin Olsen: part of the Los Angeles Rams’ famed “Fearsome Foursome” defensive front, Olsen made eight Pro Bowl and four All-Pro teams for the decade en route to a record 14 straight Pro Bowls.
3. Deacon Jones: though sacks were not yet an official NFL statistic, Jones was the most fearsome defensive lineman of his era and known for his ferocious “head slap” (since outlawed); during the decade, he was a 6x Pro Bowl and 5x All-Pro selection with the Rams.
2. Johnny Unitas: the modern quarterback prototype, Unitas was a 7x Pro Bowler, 3x All-Pro, and 2x MVP with the Baltimore Colts during the 1960s on his way to setting a number of passing records in his day, including career passing yards (since broken).
1. Jim Brown: a 6x Pro Bowl and 5x All-Pro running back in the 1960s until his retirement in 1965 (MVP that year), Brown led the league in rushing 5x for the decade (including a then-record 1,863 rushing yards in 1963) en route to then-career records of 12,312 rushing yards and 106 rushing touchdowns; moreover, he led the Cleveland Browns to the 1964 NFL title, the most recent championship in team history.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 79: Top 10 NHL Players of the 1960s
