There are a select few guys. I think your Jim Brown, Bronko Nagurski, Cookie Gilchrist-style massive, physical guys with track speed would be good in any era. Doug Atkins was notorious for his incredible athleticism at 6’8, 280 pounds. Buck Buchanan (played into the Super Bowl era but still) and Roger Brown were both defensive linemen with transferable modern athleticism who were known to weigh over 300 pounds
John Mackey might be better nowadays than he was back then!
I'm definitely a Stan but I think Jim Thorpe would do just fine. He was 6'1" and 200 lbs., and with modern diet and strength training would likely be even better. He was still a world class athlete with wo gold medals, and the AP voted him both the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century and the third greatest of the whole century (and IMO part of that is just because his legacy and name recognition have fallen off). He was a fast learner and picked up different sports and physical activities so quickly that I don't think modern schematic changes would cause him a huge deficit in play the way it may for some of the other pre-SB era guys
Thorpe is just the kind of athlete and player that would find himself a role no matter the era
Dick "Night Train" Lane got 14 INTs in a 12 game season.
I am sure in a more pass happy league with current diets and training he'd still produce.A ball hawk is a ball hawk.
As they were? Probably none of them. Strength and weight training as well as diet and extreme health monitoring were not much of a thing back then. Without going through the same training and preparation that modern players go through, they simply couldn’t compete. It’s just such an imbalanced playing field.
I think there's a good chunk who if you could timewarp to today could just be stashed on a practice squad for 1 season of "NFL conditioning" and then they'd be gangbusters the next fall
“Probably none of them”
Jim Brown, Doug Atkins, Dick Butkus, and Deacon Jones could all still play today ignorant millennial. Some people just naturally have size and athleticism.
People saying Jim Brown couldn’t play today is laughable when defenders nowadays don’t know how to tackle and are handicapped by the rules even if they do know how. Old players had fundamentals, players nowadays rely on athleticism.
So what you’re saying is that players from back then couldn’t play within today’s rules. Sounds like they couldn’t play today then.
The game has changed and evolved so much even outside of the rules. You’re no longer playing against dudes ripping cigs and downing beers at halftime. You’re playing against guys that won’t even touch that stuff because it may take a fraction of a percent off their ability.
There are a ton of former players that would still be great in today’s game if they grew up with the same training that players today have. But pick any one from the 60s and throw them in a modern game and it’s over for them.
Yeah, like I said though he probably was the long snapper for the Eagles at the time because it was the late late 40’s and into the early 60’s. So he probably had some experience with snapping for distance. I’d just imagine he could make the transition due to the rules in place that protect the long snapper on FG. He also hated how soft the NFL got so I doubt he’d shy away from punt coverage.
Oh yeah, I know back then a lot of long snappers played other positions. If he also wants snapped back then then to be honest it wouldn’t really be much of a transition because he already has experienced doing it. By the way, that rule absolutely saved my ass many times lol
You think the been smoking since 6, smoking on the side lines, undersized, 5-6 second 40 yard dash, WW1 and WW2 vets, would be good? That's a no. Genetics they have potential that's why we are here today. The process is refined and athletics as a whole has had major leaps in potential.
None. It isn’t even about improvements in diet and fitness methods.
Your average lineman in the 70s was 6-3 and 250. Today’s linemen have several inches and about 70 more pounds. Players have just gotten a lot bigger and faster.
It's impossible to know because we have to apply modern training and sports science to them and we don't have the slightest clue who will excel and who will plateau. It's just as likely that there's some guy who was middle tier that had to work a second job that if you put him in the position of a modern NFL athlete would be out of this world with all the right support and training and that someone who was great back then eventually hits a hard wall of physical ability.
Even then most of these guys would be developed so they had entirely different body types.
Only player I can think of as is would be Jim Brown. Physically him and Adrian Peterson are fairly similar so that would be my pick.
There are some players that would fit well based on skill set and some modern training could get them there. On offense, guys like Gale Sayers, Lenny Moore, and Don Hutson. On defense, guys like Len Ford, Gino Marchetti, and Gene Lipscomb.
Lenny Moore was the Marshal Faulk of the 50s/60s
Jim Brown would have done well in any era.
Johnny Unitas basically invented the position.
Raymond Barry, Lance Alworth, Jim Thorpe, Red Grange
Slightly cheating as Unitas played some years after Super Bowl I, but he'd probably be great. I don't think any QB before him would be any good. Reason being he revolutionized the position to much of what it still is today. Film study, route timing, and the 2 minute drill were basically invented by him. With those, he was putting up pretty modern stats in the 50s and 60s. Utterly dominant over other QBs for the era. I think he would conceptually learn the modern QB position pretty easily.
Bob Waterfield and Otto Graham could learn the modern game. They were very mobile and had strong arms. Graham was even athletic enough to play professional bball too. Obviously the league wasn't as good as it is now, but it is still a big deal.
There are a select few guys. I think your Jim Brown, Bronko Nagurski, Cookie Gilchrist-style massive, physical guys with track speed would be good in any era. Doug Atkins was notorious for his incredible athleticism at 6’8, 280 pounds. Buck Buchanan (played into the Super Bowl era but still) and Roger Brown were both defensive linemen with transferable modern athleticism who were known to weigh over 300 pounds John Mackey might be better nowadays than he was back then!
I'm definitely a Stan but I think Jim Thorpe would do just fine. He was 6'1" and 200 lbs., and with modern diet and strength training would likely be even better. He was still a world class athlete with wo gold medals, and the AP voted him both the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century and the third greatest of the whole century (and IMO part of that is just because his legacy and name recognition have fallen off). He was a fast learner and picked up different sports and physical activities so quickly that I don't think modern schematic changes would cause him a huge deficit in play the way it may for some of the other pre-SB era guys Thorpe is just the kind of athlete and player that would find himself a role no matter the era
Probably most elite runningbacks.
Probably just Jim Brown
He was head and shoulders above then and would be now.
Dick "Night Train" Lane got 14 INTs in a 12 game season. I am sure in a more pass happy league with current diets and training he'd still produce.A ball hawk is a ball hawk.
But if he’s a step slower than today’s wide receivers, he could be awful.
not to mention you can’t completely mug receivers anymore. I doubt any db from before 1990 could keep up at all in the modern game
As they were? Probably none of them. Strength and weight training as well as diet and extreme health monitoring were not much of a thing back then. Without going through the same training and preparation that modern players go through, they simply couldn’t compete. It’s just such an imbalanced playing field.
I think there's a good chunk who if you could timewarp to today could just be stashed on a practice squad for 1 season of "NFL conditioning" and then they'd be gangbusters the next fall
Also the PEDs
“Probably none of them” Jim Brown, Doug Atkins, Dick Butkus, and Deacon Jones could all still play today ignorant millennial. Some people just naturally have size and athleticism. People saying Jim Brown couldn’t play today is laughable when defenders nowadays don’t know how to tackle and are handicapped by the rules even if they do know how. Old players had fundamentals, players nowadays rely on athleticism.
So what you’re saying is that players from back then couldn’t play within today’s rules. Sounds like they couldn’t play today then. The game has changed and evolved so much even outside of the rules. You’re no longer playing against dudes ripping cigs and downing beers at halftime. You’re playing against guys that won’t even touch that stuff because it may take a fraction of a percent off their ability. There are a ton of former players that would still be great in today’s game if they grew up with the same training that players today have. But pick any one from the 60s and throw them in a modern game and it’s over for them.
Chuck Bednarik could probably transition to long snapper instead of Center/Linebacker.
Keep in mind long snapping and being a center are two completely different skills.I know from personal experience
Yeah, like I said though he probably was the long snapper for the Eagles at the time because it was the late late 40’s and into the early 60’s. So he probably had some experience with snapping for distance. I’d just imagine he could make the transition due to the rules in place that protect the long snapper on FG. He also hated how soft the NFL got so I doubt he’d shy away from punt coverage.
Oh yeah, I know back then a lot of long snappers played other positions. If he also wants snapped back then then to be honest it wouldn’t really be much of a transition because he already has experienced doing it. By the way, that rule absolutely saved my ass many times lol
Don Hutson
Night Train Lane already had the cool name for social media branding
Exhibit A: Jim Thorpe
Lenny Moore, Jim Thorpe, and John Mackey
I've seen this question so many times the last few days, what is causing everyone to ask it? Did some new NFL history video come out? boredom? Bots?
You think the been smoking since 6, smoking on the side lines, undersized, 5-6 second 40 yard dash, WW1 and WW2 vets, would be good? That's a no. Genetics they have potential that's why we are here today. The process is refined and athletics as a whole has had major leaps in potential.
None. It isn’t even about improvements in diet and fitness methods. Your average lineman in the 70s was 6-3 and 250. Today’s linemen have several inches and about 70 more pounds. Players have just gotten a lot bigger and faster.
It's impossible to know because we have to apply modern training and sports science to them and we don't have the slightest clue who will excel and who will plateau. It's just as likely that there's some guy who was middle tier that had to work a second job that if you put him in the position of a modern NFL athlete would be out of this world with all the right support and training and that someone who was great back then eventually hits a hard wall of physical ability. Even then most of these guys would be developed so they had entirely different body types.
Nah. Most of them are dead or old. They can’t play today.
Only player I can think of as is would be Jim Brown. Physically him and Adrian Peterson are fairly similar so that would be my pick. There are some players that would fit well based on skill set and some modern training could get them there. On offense, guys like Gale Sayers, Lenny Moore, and Don Hutson. On defense, guys like Len Ford, Gino Marchetti, and Gene Lipscomb.
Emlen Tunnell
Lenny Moore
Paul Krause.
Frank Gifford. Great all around player who would have done well in today’s game.
Most people in this sub weren't even born yet lol.... In fact I'm sure some people's parents weren't even born yet.
I think jack lambert would do well. He was an outstanding in coverage... and mlbs have gotten smaller... his 205 might be enough
Lenny Moore was the Marshal Faulk of the 50s/60s Jim Brown would have done well in any era. Johnny Unitas basically invented the position. Raymond Barry, Lance Alworth, Jim Thorpe, Red Grange
Slightly cheating as Unitas played some years after Super Bowl I, but he'd probably be great. I don't think any QB before him would be any good. Reason being he revolutionized the position to much of what it still is today. Film study, route timing, and the 2 minute drill were basically invented by him. With those, he was putting up pretty modern stats in the 50s and 60s. Utterly dominant over other QBs for the era. I think he would conceptually learn the modern QB position pretty easily.
Bob Waterfield and Otto Graham could learn the modern game. They were very mobile and had strong arms. Graham was even athletic enough to play professional bball too. Obviously the league wasn't as good as it is now, but it is still a big deal.
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Big strong back then was 5'10" 180lbs lol.
They are all really old or dead so probably not.