A Guest Post by Editor Neil White
In preparing the coffee-table book, Mississippi’s 100 Greatest Football Players of All Time, we at Nautilus Publishing have gone to great lengths to create an accurate system of measurement. However, we are the first to admit that any attempts to rank football careers are subjective.
Our system is based on a combination of points for induction into The Pro Football Hall of Fame and The College Football Hall of Fame. We gave points for All-Pro selections, All-American selections, NFL records, NCAA records, division records, team records, Super Bowl championships and Collegiate National Championships. We considered career longevity, dominance at a particular position, impact on the game, as well as intangibles like excitement on the field, impact on a team and leadership. We also took high school play into consideration.
All this said, it is impossible to compare, statistically, the impact of a quarterback against the impact of a defensive tackle. It is also futile to measure player performance (even at the same position) from different eras. Players in the 1930s-‘60s spent nearly every minute on the field — playing on offense, defense and special teams. In many cases, prior to the 1980s, statistics weren’t kept for many positions (particularly on defense). The few active players who made our list are still mid- to early-career. In another decade, Eli Manning or Patrick Willis may be at the very top spot.
Above Right: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants walks off the field after the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14 during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
In our ranking, professional players have a certain advantage over those talented Mississippians whose careers ended prematurely. For example, Brookhaven star Harol Lofton’s professional career was cut short by war. Ole Miss star Raymond Brown (the only unanimous choice for Sugar Bowl MVP) left a promising career with the Baltimore Colts because he found a higher paying job in the legal field (boy, times have changed).
All-American quarterback Jake Gibbs (who ranked #45 in our list) chose a spot on the New York Yankees over professional football. Had Gibbs chosen professional football, we’re certain he’d have been in our top ten. If this had this been a ranking of the top Mississippi high school players of all time, no doubt Marcus Dupree would be at #1 (instead of #68). If we had been ranking the top college players of all time, Steve McNair or Archie Manning or, perhaps, Willie Totten would have perched atop the ranking.
Below: Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair (9) in action, making pass vs Cincinnati Bengals, Nashville, TN 9/12/1999 (Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
For Mississippi’s 100 Greatest Football Players of All Time we considered each player’s career in its entirety. Those who excelled in the professional ranks fared better on top 100 list.
Finally, we have defined Mississippians as anyone who played high school football in the state, anyone who played football for one of Mississippi’s universities, colleges or community colleges, anyone who grew up in Mississippi or anyone born in the state — with one exception. We have given Louisiana full credit for Philadelphia-born Billy Cannon.
The entire list — along with the All Time Mississippi Offense and Defense — will be revealed at Lemuria on November 15th!
Neil White, Editor
Mississippi’s 100 Greatest Football Players of All Time, Nautilus Publishing, Nov. 2011
Click here for an Introduction by Neil White.
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