Jim Brown, greatest college football player ever?
College football is rapidly nearing the end of celebrating the 150th anniversary of the sport, with the 2020 College Football Playoff championship game serving as the capper of its sesquicentennial season. So, why not kick off the next 150 years of the sport by doing what we as fans do best -- argue about lists.
During halftime of the Clemson-LSU title game -- the SEC Tigers came storming back in the second quarter, by the way -- ESPN unveiled their Top 150 college football players of all-time in celebration. The entire list can be viewed HERE.
Also during halftime, the Top 11 players on the Worldwide Leader’s list were feted on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field. Coming in at No. 1? Jim Brown, according to ESPN, is the greatest college football player in the first 150 years of the sport.
The Top 11 are as follows:
- Jim Brown (RB, Syracuse, 1954-56)
- Herschel Walker (RB, Georgia, 1980-82)
- Bo Jackson (RB, Auburn, 1982-85)
- Archie Griffin (RB, Ohio State, 1972-75)
- Jim Thorpe (RB, Carlisle, 1907-12)
- Red Grange (RB, Illinois, 1923-25)
- Earl Campbell (RB, Texas, 1974-77)
- Dick Butkus (LB, Illinois, 1962-64)
- Barry Sanders (RB, Oklahoma State, 1986-88)
- Gale Sayers (RB, Kansas, 1962-64)
- Roger Staubach (QB, Navy, 1962-64)
I have but two comments on that top-tier group. One, Barry Sanders is laughably, criminally low. Two, Herschel Walker was the only college football player in my lifetime who was better than Sanders.
Seriously, Sanders being ninth offends me.
Other than that, fire away...