Greatest NFL Player Tournament - (12) Joe Greene vs (21) Gale Sayers

[iowajerms]

This Week

12th seed - DT Joe Greene vs 21st seed - RB Gale Sayers
13th seed - QB Sammy Baugh vs 20th seed - QB Tom Brady

Seeds are based on a ranking from NFL.com. I did not include the two offensive linemen that are in the top 24.

This will be double elimination. Allowed to change votes until deadline. Higher seed advances in case of a tie.

Bracket

Barry Sanders vs Ray Lewis thread
Don Hutson vs Bob Lily thread

 

[iowajerms]

Joe Greene - DT for Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-81)

181 games
1969 Rookie of the Year
10x Pro Bowl
5x 1st Team All-Pro
3x 2nd Team All-Pro
4x Super Bowl Championship
His end stats were 181 games, 78.5 sacks (unofficially, as sacks were not an official statistic until 1982) and 16 fumble recoveries. Joe Greene had 190 tackles in 1978.

Gale Sayers - RB/PR for Chicago Bears (1965-71)

1965 Rookie of the Year
4x Pro Bowl
5x 1st Team All-Pro
2x NFL Rushing Leader
Rushing Yards: 4,956
Rushing TDs: 39
Rushing Average: 5.0
All-Purpose yards: 9,435
Total TDs: 56
Sayers' records include most touchdowns in a rookie season (22 in 1965), most touchdowns in a game (6, tied with Nevers and Jones), highest career kickoff return average (30.56), and most return touchdowns in a game (2, tied with many players)

 

[iowajerms]

This is a tough matchup IMO. Still not 100% who I am going to end up voting for. I have Sayers right now.

 

[obxyankeefan]

Sayers might have been the best RB of all time, if it wasn't for the injuries. Only having a six year career is going to hurt him in this.

 

[Stomp]

Joe Greene is the greatest defensive tackle of all time and the primary reason for the 4 Steel Curtain Super Bowls. Gale had two good years and an average year then he got hurt and was never the same. This should be no contest imo

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Sayers might have been the best RB of all time, if it wasn't for the injuries. Only having a six year career is going to hurt him in this.

I am to young to have ever seen him play.. But sayers statistics don't look like he was that great... with only 4 seasons of love 1000 receiving+rushing yards... even in 14 game seasons, only 4 seems very low to be considered an all time great... So solely because i don't think sayers was too great in the LEGEND status, i will pick Green...

 

[iowajerms]

 

[PatsFan2003]

Stats-wise yes but he was as dynamic and fluid a runner as you ever saw... Holy Crap dynamic. At least I ever saw. The only runner comparable to him was Barry Sanders...

 

[Southieinnc]

Greene was one of the best ever at his position.
Sayers was very good for a short period but was helped by having Bradshaw back there.....

 

[Stomp]

Sayers isn't even a top 10 running back imo no way he he fits into the NFL's top 25

1.Walter Payton
2.Barry Sanders
3.Jim Brown
4.Marshall Faulk
5.Earl Campbell
6.OJ Simpson
7.Marcus Allen
8.Eric Dickerson
9.Adrian Peterson
10.LaDanian Thomlinson
11.Emmitt Smith

Guys like Thurman Thomas, Billy Sims, Terrell Davis, Curtis Martin, Priest Holmes, Jerome Bettis, Paul Hornung, and Edgerrin James are in Sayers tier. Most of his hype comes from college and the "Mud Bowl" game

 

[iowajerms]

I was thinking starting the threads for the next 2 matchups, but since this is matchup is so close, I will wait until deadline.

 

[iowajerms]

It's tied up. If finished tied Joe Greene wins as the higher seed.