Top Baltimore Football Players at Each Position
Just another way to pass the time, and a great segway from the previous posting. This is my list of the top football players by position ever to play in Baltimore. Of course, we are comparing the old Baltimore Colts to the new Baltimore Ravens, but feel free to rank those All-Stars from the now-defunct Baltimore Stars and Stallions as well. Remember, current Ravens assistant coach OJ Brigance was a great rush end for our CFL Champion Baltimore Stallions, but unfortunately doesn't quite make our list! Anyway, without much fanfare or national exposure at all, here we go:
QB: Johnny U. - no comments necessary
RB: Jamal Lewis - I thought about Lenny Moore and even Tom Matte, but Lewis' record setting season puts him at the top, although I stutter-stepped while thinking about it.
WR: Raymond Berry - ran the best routes and the best hands
TE: John Mackey - revolutionized the TE position
C: Bill Curry - anchored the o-line for those great Colts teams in the late 60's and early 70's.
G: Ed Mulitalo - great dancer and very charitable guy, who not only made great t-shirts (Festivus Maximus) but also was a monster at LG.
OL: Jon Ogden -will retire and become a first ballot Hall of Famer. Close call, but had to choose JO over the Colts' Jim Parker.
DE: Gino Marchetti -Thought about guys like big Bubba Smith, John Dutton, Joe Ehrman and Michael McCrary, but Marchetti is the obvious choice here, and no, not solely because he made the greatest burger of all time, the Gino Giant!
DT: Artie Donovan - Gotta love Fatso, even though you could argue with Tony Siragusa and even the lovable Kelly Gregg, but Donovan is my pick.
MLB: Ray Lewis - I wouldn't take anyone else, but one of my favorite Baltimore players and ultimate tough guy, Mike Curtis, deserves mention here, especially with his broken forearm in a cast clotheslining the fan running across the field a very long time ago was one of the funniest memories ever of the old Colts!
OLB: Ted Hendricks - The Stork may have lived under a bridge for a time after retiring, but when he was on the field, he terrorized offenses and especially placekickers with his 6'7" lanky frame.
DB: Chris McAlister - There could have been a bunch of guys listed here, but McAlister's shutdown skills, along with that 107 yard return put him at the top of my list of DB's.
S: Ed Reed - I know there are a bunch of old Colts and even perhaps Rod Woodson that could be mentioned but Reed is by far the best of the bunch.
P: David Lee - Wow, had to go looking for the best selection here, as the pickings were slim and uneventful, although Lee's consistency through the Colts' golden years give him the edge.
K: Matt Stover - Thought about putting Super Bowl V hero Jim O'Brian, but other than kicking the game-winning FG in the 1970 game, and dating the coach's daughter, he doesn't have anywhere near the stats and career of Matt "It's not over 'til it's" Stover.
Coach: Don Shula - I guess you could put Super Bowl winners Don McCafferty or Brian Billick here, but over his time here in Baltimore, Shula consistently put the best teams on the field (he certainly did the same in Miami as well, but that doesn't figure here).
Give me your thoughts and opinions. Let the comments and debate begin!
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Lennie Moore
To my knowledge, nobody in history except Lennie Moore, every averaged 7 yards a carry for an entire NFL season. The year he did it is way gone from memory, but the same year he was in top 10 [alone] in both rushing and passes caught. He gained like 803 yards on like 111 carries.He was the best I ever saw except maybe Sayers who could just disappear as he was about to be tackled – weird. The sight of Unitas hitting Moore on a timing slant over the middle thrills me even now. Lennie is the man. Vessels and Ameche [80 yards and TD on first NFL carry] needed mentioning too.
by claudell on Jun 6, 2008 9:09 PM EDT 0 recs
Moore was the man, but...
...he didn’t have the type of season that Jamal Lewis had, even though he was amazing and ahead of his time. Ameche had the most memorable carry against the Giants in ‘58, but isn’t near the top at his position here. Thanks for the comments.
Rexx
by Rexx on Jun 7, 2008 10:40 AM EDT 0 recs
Lewis is no Lenny (or Lydell)
Aside from being a Hall of Famer, Lenny Moore was just this week named by an expert panel for ESPN as the 9th greatest back of all-time. One could also argue that the great Lydell Mitchell surpasses Jamal, as well. He twice caught over 70 passes (in addition to 1,000+ rushing seasons). As for Ameche, he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1950s.
No way do you leave Jumbo Jim Parker off. Ogden is great, but in no way can you compare him to Parker, a HOFer and an all-pro at guard and tackle.
For kicker, I’d take Toni Linhart over Stover.
For DBs, you could argue for old Colts Rick Volk, Jerry Logan, and Bruce Laird. But I’d have to select Bobby Boyd, named to the NFL’s all-decade team of the 1960s.
Hard to dispute Ray Lewis, so I won’t, but Mike Curtis was an animal and would be a HOFer if he hadn’t had the misfortune of playing in the same era as Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, and Tommy Nobis.
Obviously, I am an old school Baltimore Colt, so am admittedly biased, but have tried to remain as objective as possible.
Regardless, fun debate.
by JohnnyDouble on Jun 7, 2008 2:10 PM EDT 0 recs
I'll gladly give you...
...the Lenny Moore over Jamal Lewis selection. However, as great as Parker was, I still put Ogden on my All-Baltimore team, as he did it against better athletes for a longer time. Stover’s longevity gives him the nod, but I remember jumping up in my basement when Linhart hit the winning FG over the Dolphins in the fog at Memorial Stadium. Mike Curtis was one of my favorites, but there were too many good MLB’s back then to give him his due. Thanks for the reflections!
Rexx
by Rexx on Jun 7, 2008 4:49 PM EDT 0 recs
Some other greats
Mike Curtis, Bubba Smith, Jim Mutcheller, Jimmy Orr, Alan Ameche, Art Spinney, How about coach Webb Eubank, Kicker Steve Myra. Not sure of some of the spelling
by jklein on Jun 8, 2008 8:54 AM EDT 0 recs
More Greats Forgotten
Ordelle Brasse, Bobby Boyd, Roger Carr, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Bill Pellington, Alex Sandusky.
by jklein on Jun 8, 2008 9:03 AM EDT 0 recs
All great players,...
....but not worthy of All-Time status on this list, although I am now swaying to Lenny Moore in place of Jamal Lewis at RB. Roger Carr was good and a real fast white guy, but should not be listed above as “forgotten greats.” Thanks for the posting!
Rexx
by Rexx on Jun 8, 2008 12:29 PM EDT 0 recs
Tis close
I’d put Moore over Lewis as well, although both could be worthy as at that spot, I suppose. I think my irrational, undying hatred for Jamal Lewis elevated Lenny Moore’s status in my mind.
And it’s great to see my boy David Lee on this list! Given, it’s a different David Lee than one of my favorite players in the NBA who makes me not ashamed to be a Knick fan, but it’s still cool.
by Arichmix on Jun 8, 2008 9:27 PM EDT 0 recs
Please no NY comments here...
...as the year the great Colts team of 1968 lost in Super Bowl 3 to Joe Namath and the Jets, the Orioles lost to the Mets, the Bullets lost to the Knicks and even the minor league Baltimore Clippers ice hockey team lost the Calder Cup finals to the Rochester (NY) Americans! It was a bad year for Baltimore and a pretty good one for NY. Damn them all to hell!
Thanks for the comments, tho.
Rexx
by Rexx on Jun 9, 2008 8:54 AM EDT 0 recs
What, no Stoney Case?
/laughs
/cries
http://blogs.themiamihurricane.com/
by MiamiMagic on Jun 10, 2008 9:44 PM EDT 0 recs
Yeah, puh-lease...
...Mr. good-looking, 5 games then done!
Rexx
by Rexx on
Jun 11, 2008 10:32 AM EDT
up
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How could you...
How could you leave out Jim Parker? I understand Ogden but no way Ed Mulitalo. Also Lenny Moore! You gotta have “Spatts”
by Ravenone on Jun 21, 2008 2:00 PM EDT 0 recs





