So, the CFL is in full swing and the NFL is fast on its heels.
I appreciate both leagues, but as a kid growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, I was big on the NFL. When I chose what sports teams I cheered back in the early ’90s, I purposely picked the decent teams (at the time) that weren’t hugely popular. Ergo, I cheered for the Cincinnati Reds in baseball, the Chicago Blackhawks in hockey and the New Orleans Saints in football. My second team in the NFL was the Kansas City Chiefs.
I was never a fan of soccer. It’s not that I loathed it, it was more like I grew up in a household that didn’t acknowledge it. When it came to summer, baseball was the sport of choice. It seemed to take precedence in my formative years because well, the Blue Jays were World Series champions.
But when it came to the fall, and the days when the Buffalo Bills actually fielded a winning team, NFL was the it thing. That and my dad was (and still is) a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Without further ado, here are my Top 25 NFL football players
| 25. |  |
Player: Boomer Esiason, QB Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals Years Active: 1984-1997 |
|---|---|---|
| 24. |  |
Player: Walter Payton, RB Teams: Chicago Bears Years Active: 1975-1987 |
| 23. |  |
Player: Eric Dickerson, RB Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders and Atlanta Falcons Years Active: 1983-1993 |
| 22. |  |
Player: Morten Andersen, K Teams: New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings Years Active: 1982-2007 |
| 21. |  |
Player: Lawrence Taylor, LB Teams: New York Giants Years Active: 1981-1993 |
| 20. |  |
Player: Ronnie Lott, S Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs Years Active: 1981-1995 |
| 19. |  |
Player: Warren Moon, QB Teams: Edmonton Eskimos (CFL), Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs Years Active: 1978-2000 |
| 18. |  |
Player: William “The Refrigerator” Perry, DT Teams: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and London Monarchs (WLAF) Years Active: 1985-1996 |
| 17. |  |
Player: Brian Bosworth, LB Teams: Seattle Seahawks Years Active: 1987-1989 |
| 16. |  |
Player: Rod Woodson, CB/S Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens Years Active: 1987-2003 |
| 15. |  |
Player: Reggie White, DE Teams: Memphis Showboats (USFL), Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers Years Active: 1984-2000 |
| 14. |  |
Player: Deron Cherry, S Teams: Kansas City Chiefs Years Active: 1981-1991 |
| 13. |  |
Player: Bobby Hebert, QB Teams: Michigan Panthers (USFL), Oakland Invaders (USFL), New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons Years Active: 1983-1996 |
| 12. |  |
Player: Deuce McAllister, RB Teams: New Orleans Saints Years Active: 2001-2009 |
| 11. |  |
Player: Marques Colston, WR Teams: New Orleans Saints Years Active: 2006-Present |
| 10. |  |
Player: Tony Gonzalez, TE Teams: Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons Years Active: 1997-2013 |
| 9. |  |
Player: Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, RB Teams: New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts Years Active: 1988-1998 |
| 8. |  |
Player: Dan Marino, QB Teams: Miami Dolphins Years Active: 1983-1999 |
| 7. |  |
Player: Warren Sapp, DE Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders Years Active: 1995-2007 |
| 6. |  |
Player: Derrick Thomas, LB/DE Teams: Kansas City Chiefs Years Active: 1989-1999 |
| 5. |  |
Player: Steve Largent, WR Teams: Seattle Seahawks Years Active: 1976-1989 |
| 4. |  |
Player: Michael Irvin, WR Teams: Dallas Cowboys Years Active: 1988-1999 |
| 3. |  |
Player: Rueben Mayes, RB Teams: New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks Years Active: 1986-1993 |
| 2. |  |
Player: Drew Brees, QB Teams: San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints Years Active: 2001-Present |
| 1. |  |
Player: Eric Martin, WR Teams: New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs Years Active: 1985-1994 |