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Earning a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the greatest individual achievement for an NFL player. Receiving the gold jacket confirms a player's status as one of the greatest in NFL history.
Every player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame has rightfully earned that recognition. That said, some players who have been immortalized in Caton stand above the rest.
Ranking them is no easy task, but here are the top five players currently in the Hall of Fame.
Top 5 NFL players that have been inducted into the HOF
#1 - Lawrence Taylor
What Lawrence Taylor accomplished on the defensive side of the ball was nothing short of legendary. Taylor was an eight-time First-Team All-Pro, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, an MVP and a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Winning the MVP award as a defensive player speaks for itself. Alan Page is the only other defensive player to win the MVP award in NFL history (1971). Taylor won the award in 1986. That season, he registered 20.5 sacks.
Taylor was a feared pass rusher and could stop the run as well. There were no weaknesses in his game. He was impossible to block. There was no job more troublesome for an offensive lineman than going up against Taylor.
The term that best exemplifies Taylor's career is dominant. He finished his NFL career with a whopping 142 sacks.
#2 - Jerry Rice
Part of what makes Jerry Rice so special is that he was able to put up mind-boggling numbers long before the NFL became a passer-friendly league. Rice played in an era when teams relied on running the ball and defense.
Despite that, Rice still holds every major NFL receiving record. He's the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (197), receiving yards (22,895) and career receptions (1,549).
Rice was a 10-time First-Team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Offensive Player of the Year. He also won league and Super Bowl MVP honors.
Simply put, Rice is the greatest wide receiver of all time. It's scary to think what numbers he would have put up if he had played in the modern NFL.
#3 - Joe Montana
Before Tom Brady came along, Joe Montana was considered the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady now owns the title, but Montana is right behind him.
All Montana did in his career was play great football and win a lot of games. He was a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time First-Team All-Pro, and two-time regular season MVP.
Montana's leadership, ability to deliver in big games and success are rivaled only by Brady, which speaks volumes about his greatness.
#4 - Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning, a member of the 2021 Hall of Fame class, takes his place at number four on this list, and for good reason. Manning may not have won as much as other Hall of Famers, but he was as accomplished a player statistically as there could be.
Manning was a seven-time First-Team All-Pro, five-time regular season MVP, two-time Offensive Player of the Year and two-time Super Bowl champion.
Manning holds the record for single-season passing yards (5,477) and single-season passing touchdowns (55). He finished his career as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He has since been surpassed by Brady and Drew Brees in both categories.
What made Manning so great was his abundance of natural talent with his high football IQ. Only a handful of players had a better understanding of the game of football than Manning.
#5 - Reggie White
Reggie White is easily the second-best defensive player to ever play in the NFL.
Like Taylor, White was nearly impossible to block. Up until the end of his career, White remained a productive pass rusher. It was a talent he mastered like no one else before or after him. He finished his career with 198 sacks.
White was an eight-time First-Team All-Pro, three-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. In Super Bowl XXXI, White recorded three sacks against the New England Patriots and led the Green Bay Packers to victory.
Also Read: Who is Peyton Manning’s wife, Ashely Manning?
